Our week in the forest
This week, the children dove into our brand-new theme - Oceans and Under the Sea! It has been a wonderful week full of creativity, exploration, and discovery as we learned all about marine life, the environment and the wonders of the water world.
On Monday, we kicked off our ocean adventures with a fishing trip! The children took turns using tweezers to pick up toy fish, strengthening their fine motor skills and concentration. To their delight, they discovered numbers on the backs of the fish and proudly shared which ones they had caught, helping to develop early number recognition. Later, the children explored a sensory tuff tray filled with oobleck. They mixed, stirred and poured the fascinating cornflour and water mixture, observing how it changed between liquid and solid. This hands-on experience encouraged scientific thinking, creativity and curiosity.
On Tuesday, our young eco-warriors learned about the importance of keeping the ocean clean. Working together, the children “cleaned up” their pretend sea, using their fine motor skills to collect pieces of rubbish and talking about how pollution affects sea creatures. This sparked thoughtful discussions about protecting our planet and caring for nature. Meanwhile, others enjoyed themed sensory trays - one with sand-like flour and oil and another with silky fabrics that shimmered like fish scales. Through imaginative play, the children created their own beach scenes, deepening their understanding of the ocean environment.
Wednesday’s Wow activity focused on mixed media crafts and pattern recognition. The children designed and decorated their own colourful fish using yarn, felt and pipe cleaners, experimenting with patterns, shapes and textures. They then thought of descriptive words or names for their creations, building language and storytelling skills. Imaginative play took centre stage too - some children set sail on pretend fishing trips while others explored the deep sea in a make-believe submarine, discovering all sorts of underwater creatures.
On Thursday, the children used their creativity and problem-solving skills to design and build boats from recycled and natural materials. After decorating their boats, they tested them in water to see if they would float - an activity filled with excitement and teamwork. The children also explored fossils, comparing sea creature shapes and sizes while sharing what they noticed about prehistoric ocean life.
To finish the week, on Friday the children put their tool skills to work using the bow saw to cut fallen branches into smaller pieces to restock our firewood pile - a fantastic exercise in teamwork, coordination and responsibility.
It has been a brilliant start to our new theme and we can’t wait to dive even deeper into our ocean adventures next week!
Little Forest Folk
Putney Heath