Our week in the forest
What a wonderful week it has been at Little Forest Folk Putney Heath! The children have been full of energy, curiosity and creativity, enjoying every moment outdoors and exploring new activities.
The week started with eco-friendly painting, where the children used red, blue and brown paints to decorate logs. They practised a back-and-forth swooshing movements, strengthening their coordination while expressing their creativity. Alongside this, our bug-finding worksheets inspired mini-beast hunts around the forest. The children spotted millipedes, worms, slugs, ants and spiders, carefully ticking them off on their clipboards. Although we didn’t see every insect on the list, our little explorers loved identifying and naming the creatures, sparking conversations about their habitats.
Some children explored clay modelling, creating imaginative nature faces and even building bird’s nests from clay as well as natural materials. They carefully stacked bark and soft debris to form nest-like structures, showing fantastic focus and creativity. Gardening was another highlight: the children filled pots with compost, planted wildflower seeds and watered them, learning responsibility and patience as they care for their growing plants.
Storytime was a cosy and engaging part of the day. Our Tales from Acorn Wood books, including Hide and Seek and Rabbit’s Nap, were favourites. Our Little Forest Folk-ers loved lifting the flaps, exploring the stories and taking turns reading together. One child took on the role of “book protector,” keeping a close eye on their favourite stories, which added a playful sense of responsibility to the session.
Later in the week, the children engaged in leaf and tree imprinting, using crayons to make rubbings of bark and leaves. They eagerly searched the forest for interesting textures and patterns, comparing prints and discovering the hidden details in nature. This activity encouraged careful observation, fine motor skills and creative expression. Wood-chopping exploration was another hands-on activity, where children used sticks and small logs to break soft wood into piles, some of which became playful “marshmallows.” Imaginative games and chasing activities added excitement and teamwork to the afternoon, including playful pretend games like “putting the educators in prison,” full of laughter and energy.
The week finished with a supermarket visit. The children walked safely in a line, exploring a route many had not taken before and discovered how voices echo in an underpass. At the shop, they were responsible and focused, choosing long-life foods for our City Harvest food drive, including rice, pasta, vegetables and tuna. They learned about prices, value and everyday money concepts and had fun using the self-scan till, taking turns scanning items and learning how card payments work. The trip combined practical life skills, teamwork and real-world problem solving - a huge hit with the children!
It has been a week full of creativity, curiosity and exploration, we are so proud of how engaged, imaginative and ultimately responsible all the children have been.
A gentle reminder that our City Harvest food drive is still open for donations - any cans or long-life items would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for a fantastic week and we look forward to many more adventures in the forest and beyond!
Little Forest Folk
Putney Heath