Our Week in the Forest
What a wonderfully warm and busy few days we have shared together at Little Forest Folk this week! The little ones have embraced the sunshine, explored lots of sensory play and enjoyed some lovely moments of teamwork, creativity and relaxation.

On Tuesday, we enjoyed some exciting ice play. The children used spray bottles, squeeze bottles and little wooden hammers to melt and crack giant ice cubes into smaller pieces. It was fascinating watching the colours mix together and slowly turn into a deep purple. We also began making our very own elderflower cordial! Some of the little ones carefully collected elderflowers from the tree near the car park, choosing the freshest flowers and avoiding any brown or green ones. Back at camp, they snipped the flowers, squeezed lemons and added honey to sweeten the mixture. We cannot wait to taste it! In the afternoon, we relaxed together in the shade with story time. Some children felt confident enough to become the storyteller themselves, turning the pages and sharing stories with their friends.

Wednesday was another beautifully sunny day spent keeping cool beneath the trees. The little ones especially loved rescuing toys trapped inside the ice and worked together brilliantly to free them. There was also some incredible imaginative play as the children built a huge pirate ship with an educator using ropes, logs, tyres and tarps — perfect for treasure-hunting pirates! Some children also developed their tool skills with an educator, carefully using a bow saw to make tree cookies for loose parts play. In the afternoon, the non-sleepers enjoyed some peaceful “zen time” under the parachute, listening to stories, making up their own and sharing lots of giggles together.

Later in the week, we once again stayed cool in the shade and enjoyed plenty of water and ice play. The children rescued animals frozen in ice, alongside fresh rosemary for an extra sensory experience. They were fascinated by the smells, textures and watching everything melt so quickly in the sunshine. Part of the group ventured to Morley Park in search of more elderflower for cordial making. Although they did not find much elderflower, they discovered lots of beautiful flowers to make bracelets with an educator and enjoyed checking the pond for wildlife and tadpoles. Back at camp, some of the children painted loose parts, tree cookies and pasta in all sorts of bright colours to create patterns and decorations. In the afternoon, everyone helped prepare healthy ice lollies ready for the following day before enjoying an epic water fight! Armed with buckets, hoses and water guns, both the little ones and educators got completely soaked — the perfect way to cool down and end a fantastic day together.

We hope you all have a lovely weekend and look forward to more adventures next week!