What a week! Our little ones have shown inspiring resilience and perseverance in these challenging temperatures. But sticking to what Little Forest Folk do best, we adapted to our ever-changing environments and practiced keeping our bodies and minds safe even when things go a little off-plan. This week the natural environment had a lot in store for us. Where we would usually take refuge in the Bishops Tree, instead some cheeky insects claimed the area first! A cluster of moth colonies had begun to make their home high up in the Oak Tree which poses a risk to the public due to the irritation caused by touching their falling hairs! So that settled it, the area was cornered off and we had to consider other environments we could set up. Next there was a rumble of disruption in the Walled Garden. Miss Queen Bee decided she was not happy with the lovely accommodation the Gardeners had made for her and her team so she decided to search for new accommodation, flying around the Palace and sending out scouting Bee’s to hunt for a swankier-pad. This meant the other shaded areas of the grounds were now also off bounds. Was this an issue? GOODNESS NO!
Our Little Forest Folk ethos touches on all things resilience, problem solving and teamwork… and work as a team we did! We spent our Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday finding inventive ways to cool ourselves from the rising temperatures. We used our indoor area as ‘base camp’, hydrating our bodies and engaging in relaxing play. We utilised the cool rooms of the Palace, taking a trip to the museum, art exhibition and of course the cool, breezy and ever so beautiful Chapel, of which its grandeur naturally creates moments for peaceful reflection. When we felt it was appropriate, we went searching for cool and breezy parts of the ground. We put on layers of suncream, positioned our sun hats and ventured out into Costa Del London. Luckily, we found a great little wind trap around the side of the Palace Cafe, made even more perfect with its tree canopies. We brought with us our ‘cool-down tool-kit’. We had a barrel full of water, filled spray bottles for water fights, buckets and sponges and even fairy liquid and our big bubble makers!
We soaked each other with our water sprays, whilst practicing our fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. We created beautiful colourful bubbles in the sky, whilst others used their water sprays to pop and burst the bubbles. We took a little detour to the “sticky wall”, where we hosed down the children with a garden hose. We danced under the pouring water, holding hands with our friends as we darted through the stream. “Ahhhh” we all shouted with pure joy, it was the first time that day we may have actually been a little chilly. We savoured the cooling effect before we headed for our snacks. This week we saw lots of watermelon, pineapple and juicy plums, and even had ice lollies for the children doing long days! It was easy-breezy!
By Thursday the organised Gardeners had sorted out our cheeky moth problem, meaning the Bishops Tree space was back open for business! This space has wonderful tree canopies creating a much-needed breeze. This meant we could keep children out of direct sun for the duration of the day. Whilst Vasiliki has been working on her Forest School Portfolio, she is arriving at the forest with an abundance of great ideas. On Thursday, Vasiliki led creative mark making play, but with a twist. Instead of traditional painting materials, Vasiliki brainstormed other natural elements we could use instead to leave texture and colour. Vasiliki squished blueberries to create a thick purple mush (like a smoothie) and altered the texture by watering it down to make more fluid paint. First, our little ones got to squish and squelch some frozen blueberries for themselves. We then used the pigment to paint lovely shapes and impressions. After that, we hung a large white sheet, filled our spray bottles with the colourful liquid and made a masterpiece. It was so beautiful - we suggested it be housed at a textiles museum!
What a sweaty, joyful…and a bit more sweaty week!
Little Forest Folk
Fulham