“Can all passengers please fasten their seatbelts and get ready for take-off!”
Transport has been the theme this week, so on set up, the educators have been building cars, planes, boats, taxis, and a much-needed petrol station to fill up with fuel! Over the last few weeks, the children have been making airports with the magnetic shapes and lots have been role playing Pilots and passengers ready to board flights to South Africa, Northern Ireland, and the beach! It inspired us to create a long runway with markings made with planks so that the planes could travel “only one at a time” down the runway to take off and land.
To create the petrol station, we tied thick sticks to pieces of cord that stretched to reach our palette car! They took turns to fill the tank up with fuel and pay at the machine. It was a great way of bringing about conversations to do with money, numbers and distance.
Large wooden boards and our logs from circle time have been used as race tracks this week too! Katie drew one using chalk and included a start line, finish line, garage and spray booth for the cars to get a new coat of paint after the race! Lots of children were very eager to join this activity and we as educators were so impressed by how well they shared, communicated, and delegated roles and responsibilities to one another. Some were racing drivers; others were painters for the racetrack lines. Two of the children happily got to work in the spray booth where they decorated the cars with pen! All the children seemed really engaged so this is something we will do again. Maybe next time we can time the races to see which car goes fastest around the track!
Talking of travel and moving, Sofia and Katie will be heading off onto their next adventure so are enjoying the final few days with the children. This group of children at Fulham give us so many things to smile and laugh about, and I know that we all will treasure our precious times with them forever. Sofia won’t be far away in Wandsworth; I wonder if the children can sing the hello song loud enough for her to hear from there! Katie is getting on board the “Nessie Express” to Scotland where she is going to continue working outdoors! She has left the children a book to bring to the forest called “Katie in Scotland” with a special note, some photographs and a map to show the distance from forest school to her new home there.
Whether you are simply going to the park or getting on board a plane to the beach, safe travels this weekend! We can’t wait to hear all about it when we see you next time!
Little Forest Folk
Fulham