Wow what a day! we walked up to the forest school area looking and talking about the animals on the way. Upon arrival we put down our bags and played spinning bubbles.. we had two winners - Well done you! Then, we collected wood to continue the work we had started the day before. The door for our den needed to be finished today so, we worked hard as a team to ensure we completed a thorough task. We dragged and carried wood from the wood pile and the ditch, we then snipped off the superficial branches and built a framework from the core wood. We used twine to tie the wood together prior to weaving leafy willow throughout to create a screen/door for the den. What an achievement! we were so happy that we ate lunch in the den. The obligatory tree climb came next followed by a slow wander back to meet with members of our family. what a fantastic time!

Today the students decided they would like a fire and to be able to cook.

At the beginning of the session they played two games that would remind them about the space they need to keep each other safe when at forest school using tools. They played the 'slurping game' and 'spinning bubbles'.

​After this they were set the timed task of building a birds nest that they could collectively fit into. It was a huge team effort that required some thought with each person providing something for the group. Some students preferred to build, others preferred to collect, some built from inside the nest whereas others did this externally; all using their own learning styles.

​A member of the group gave a talk on the origin of birds and the Forest school leader spoke about 2 specific birds: the Cetti's warbler and the Great Crested Grebe. If you would like to hear the calls of these birds you can click on the buttons below and follow the link to the RSPB website.

​After the talk the group used a bow saw and snips to cut wood and build a fire to cook on. The fire was built and as a group they used flint & steel to light it. Students used skewers to make vegetable kebabs made of pepper, mushrooms, tomatoes and courgette. Baked beans, potatoes and eggs were added to the fire and whilst cooking, some students climbed trees while others kept the fire burning. Once the food was cooked we all sat down to eat and then toasted marshmallows for desert.

​A good day was had by all... including the sheep who found their way into the field!

​Today  the students took home their Lorax inspired puppets and props
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​Today we did some preparation for tomorrows puppet and prop making. We collected some willow, had a fire, toasted marshmallows, climbed trees and much more! Gary the goat was very funny - he received cuddles from many of the children who attended and the baby lamb was cute. Somebody found the most incredible feather which we still have to identify! We used: snips, loppers, bow saw, potato peeler & Knife. During the fire part of the session we heard the story of 'The Lorax' by Dr Seuss. We're already looking forward to tomorrows session!

​Well - today was natural dye day! We walked up and collected feathers along the way, played Frisbee, collected dead wood from under the willows, built a waffle fire, filled the metal bucket with nettles and some water and put it on to boil! Then, we collected very thin sticks which were whittled to ensure our marshmallows could slide on easily and toasted them. We poured the green nettle mixture into a bowl, made a bucket of tea and decanted it into a second bowl for brown, followed by some boiled turmeric to make yellow. Every one found themselves a good 'stirring stick' and wrapped yarn around it ready to 'get dying'! Once the yarns were different colours they were hung to dry. Students then snipped some long whips to create the circumference of a dream catcher. One dream catcher was successfully made with the others to be continued......  

​Today there was a growling monster in the den!