Another brilliant week and the children embraced every opportunity to learn through play, enjoying a variety of exciting activities that encouraged creativity, teamwork, problem-solving and physical development. From imaginative role play to outdoor adventures, it has been a fantastic week filled with laughter, exploration and memorable experiences.
One of the highlights of the week was our Teddy Bear Picnic. The children loved bringing along their favourite teddy bears and gathering together to sing "If You Go Down to the Woods Today." They explored a pulley system in the mud kitchen, working together to lift and lower buckets while discovering how simple mechanisms work through hands-on play. The children also created lovely self-portraits with their teddy bears, developing their creativity and fine motor skills while proudly sharing their artwork with their friends.
Inspired by Wimbledon, the children prepared a delicious summer snack by carefully chopping fresh strawberries using child-safe knives. They demonstrated excellent concentration and growing independence before enjoying their strawberries with plant-based cream. Alongside this, they explored imaginative dinosaur and prehistoric animal play, creating ponds, muddy watering holes and sharing exciting stories together, showing fantastic communication and collaborative play skills.
Our adventure to a brand-new playground was another exciting experience. The children were excellent at listening and following road safety instructions as they held onto the walk-a-dile during our journey. Once there, they confidently explored new equipment, including a zipline and roundabout, while developing balance, coordination, and confidence. The visit also provided valuable opportunities to socialise with new children, helping to build independence and resilience, particularly for those preparing to start school in September.
Back at camp, creativity continued with our animal-themed potato printing activity. The children experimented with different animal paw print designs, carefully applying paint and discovering how varying the amount of paint and pressure created different effects. This encouraged curiosity, creativity, and fine motor development while introducing early scientific thinking through exploration.
Our role-play areas inspired wonderful imaginative adventures throughout the week. Themed around Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the mud kitchen became a busy woodland café where children created pretend meals using natural materials. The veterinary clinic was full of caring vets looking after poorly animals, while Pixie Hollow encouraged magical storytelling as children dressed as butterflies and explored the woodland. Soft toy animals also joined the fun during picnics, inspiring kindness, sharing, and imaginative storytelling.
Throughout every activity, the children demonstrated enthusiasm, resilience, and growing confidence while strengthening friendships and developing new skills. It has been a pleasure to watch them learn, explore and thrive in our outdoor environment. We hope you all have a wonderful weekend and look forward to welcoming everyone back next week for more exciting forest school adventures!
Little Forest Folk
Putney Heath