This week the Forest School rules have been led by a badger called Badge (with some assistance from Dan). Everyone loves Badge, an inquisitive fluffy fellow who has some idea about the goings on of forest life, what with him living there, but doesn’t know all the rules humans employ to have a fun and safe time. Here, after some joyous tapping, clapping and celebrating of each other's names, all the children have had great fun helping Badge by sharing their own ideas and newly learnt knowledge around the rules. We hear that Molly the mole will be joining Badge in the forest next week and we can't wait to meet her too.
Badge has also become a new playmate for some, and in certain roomy areas of the forest, homes under low branches have been set up with cooking on the go as meals are prepared for him, whilst a hammock of string and found sticks was created for him to chill in whilst hot snail porridge was stirred to cool. Educators have helped children to understand that badgers, like some other animals, are Omnivores, but particularly enjoy gobbling up several hundred worms a night, using long sharp claws to tear up the earth all around us. Over on the bowling field, we have extended this learning by opening our wormery and showing children what several hundred worms look like, and continuing to talk about food by talking about how worms will only eat certain fruit but dislike citrus fruits. It’s with all these conversations using the natural world, alongside tangible real goings-on that we love to be able to support children’s understanding of all the different ways we can live in the world.
A table of wooden discs and other sawn parts have also helped children consider the world around them. In the activities here, from simple stacking skills, comes more adventurous designing and building. By modelling other ways blocks and parts can be used, and how chalk can embellish areas, educators have supported children to create model villages often starting with ideas around their own homes then moving on to think about other buildings or locations they may have seen on their travels. Entwined in colourful roads, beautiful blue lakes, and verdant parks, this has included churches, hospitals, schools of siblings, the offices of parents, train stations and grandparents’ homes to name a few. It’s in these extended moments of high engagement where we can all solidify our friendships with deeper understandings of one another and who we all are; we love hearing about the lives and adventures of everyone.
So may your adventures continue long into the weekend but do remember to relax and rest for next week too! Can’t wait to see you all soon.
Little Forest Folk
Wandsworth