Our Week in the Forest...
A wonderful week of Minibeasts…
As we walked across the field along the wild banks the children have been investigating the ever changing wildlife that can be found amongst the nettles, cow parsley and green alkanet. The children have started to remember some of the more obscure creatures, pointing out green shield bugs, ladybird lava, peacock butterfly caterpillars and aphids. We have started to talk about the life cycle of insects describing how each one starts life as an egg, changes into a larval form before undergoing metamorphosis and turning into an adult.
On our adventures near the river where the wild horseradish grows the children have discovered a different type of minibeast hiding under the large green leaves. Hundreds of spiders nesting and carrying egg sacks on the backs, slugs and snails taking refuge from the summer sun and some wonderful iridescent beetles coloured in green, purple, red, orange and black. We even saw some of the spider eggs hatching and the tiny spiderlings crawling out and about for the first time.
Exploring the climbing tree at Rocks Lane has been a creative time for the children to develop their storytelling. The children built imaginary houses amongst the vines and they created food, beds, and a garden. Similarly, our small climbing tree in the forest has become a shop, puppy dogs house and a dragon’s den this week! The confidence in sharing their ideas as they explore their own fantastical worlds is wonderful to see.
Little Forest Folk
Barnes