Our Week in the Forest
A warm week in the forest meant we slowed things down and enjoyed gentle walks beneath the shady trees, listening to the sounds around us and staying cool in the breeze. Throughout the week, the children explored different ways to adapt their play in the hot weather, using water, shade, creativity and teamwork to help keep themselves comfortable.
One of our favourite activities was making our own wooden cars! Sitting in the shade, the children carefully used tools to drill holes into wooden rounds. They then hammered nails through the holes into a wooden block to create wheels for their own unique vehicles. This supported hand-eye coordination, fine motor control, concentration and resilience as the children worked carefully and safely.
Their newly created vehicles were then raced down a series of ramps as the children explored how different wheel sizes and shapes affected the speed and smoothness of movement. This helped develop early mathematical and scientific thinking as the children investigated motion, forces and cause and effect.
To help stay cool, we explored lots of different water play activities. At our very own juice bar, the children mixed water, fruit and different ‘juice flavours’ to create their own delicious concoctions, developing communication, collaboration and imaginative play skills.
The children were very excited to discover toy bugs trapped inside blocks of ice and used water to slowly melt and rescue them. This encouraged patience, curiosity and early scientific thinking as the children explored melting and changing states.
Our ocean small world was full of frothy water, icebergs, caves and sea creatures, creating lots of sensory exploration and storytelling opportunities, while our ever-popular gutter runs continued to provide endless fun with flowing water, boats and splashing play.
At Little Forest Folk we are always encouraging independence and learning how to care for ourselves and our community. The children helped wash bowls and cups from snack and lunch using soapy water and scrubbing brushes, helping develop independence, responsibility and confidence in everyday tasks.
Our small world animal setup included mountains, trees, caves and a cooling lake, where the children explored different habitats and role played with the animals. Many of the animals enjoyed a good wash in the lake too, keeping both them and the children cool!
The animals weren't the only thing getting a good wash! We also had a small world car wash, using soapy water, pipettes and scrubbing brushes to give the cars a good clean as they travelled around their forest tracks. This helped develop our fine motor control, hand strength, coordination and keep us cool in the heat.
We made sure to have plenty of calm and quiet spaces throughout the week, including playdough sensory play, stories under the trees and relaxing mark making activities in the shade.
Little Forest Folk
Winkworth