Our week in the forest
This week, the children continued exploring our oceans theme through hands-on activities, creative projects and plenty of outdoor adventure.
On Monday, the children began the day making clay imprints using shells. They carefully flattened and smoothed their clay before choosing objects to press into it, noticing the unique patterns and textures each shell created. They then added small decorations to complete their pieces, supporting fine motor control and encouraging close observation. The children also enjoyed sponge painting outlines of sea animals. They experimented with dabbing, sliding and blending techniques, exploring how colours could mix and change. Throughout the day there was plenty of imaginative and active play, including Red Light, Green Light and role play as families.
On Tuesday, creativity continued as the children made their own fish puppets, decorating them with natural materials and designing them however their imaginations guided them. They also challenged themselves with a basketball game, working on aiming, throwing, and turn-taking. Using building blocks, the children created their own version of Atlantis, complete with towers and underwater scenes. Playdough play offered more sensory exploration, with the children describing the sticky, slimy textures as they squished and shaped it. A warm hot chocolate to finish the afternoon was very welcome on such a chilly day.
On Wednesday, the children were delighted to see snow drifting through the forest as the day began. They enjoyed dancing, freeze games, seesaw swinging and pirate ship role play to keep warm and energised. Balancing on the seesaw swing was especially popular and offered a brilliant challenge for coordination and core strength. After lunch, the children returned to camp for a cosy bonfire and hot chocolate, which was the perfect way to lift spirits and warm up after a frosty morning.
To end the week, despite another cold day, our little adventurers remained enthusiastic and curious. They set off on a walk to Queen’s Mere Pond to see whether it had frozen over. Although the pond wasn’t icy, the children enjoyed exploring the shoreline, splashing in puddles, throwing stones and searching for shells. After lunch in the clubhouse, they continued their adventure to another part of the heath, showing great resilience despite the cold weather. The day finished with warm milk to help everyone settle and unwind.
Little Forest Folk
Putney Heath