Our Week in the Forest...
The temperatures have been high this week and so have the spirits of the children! The sun has clearly brought out some creative vibes within the children because they have been engaged in artsy activities of all kinds. In Paradise on Monday, the children were invited to walk the plank as the pirates they were but with a twist. Before carefully crossing, the children stepped barefoot into a bucket of paint, swirling the colours between their toes before stepping onto the paper-covered plank. To reward them for their bravery, the children got to cool off their toes (and give them a rinse) in a paddling pool. It was a lovely activity to do on a hot day!
At the Windmill site the children have been finding other ways of staying cool. Trips down to the pond have been requested often which allowed the children to finally experience the full life cycle of frogs! We have watched over the weeks how the tadpoles sprouted legs and eventually turned into tiny little frogs that hopped around on the lily pads. When we went down to the pond this week, the children discovered that the little frogs were gone and had hopped off to explore the rest of what Wimbledon Common has to offer. They are excited to see the return to the pond in the future for the life cycle to begin again!
Whilst down at the water’s edge one day, the children began to chant, “GET THAT FLOWER!” They were desperate to inspect a water lily close up, so with the help of some brave and clever staff, a lily was retrieved and was investigated by all. They loved how soft the petals were and how sweet the flower smelled. We brought the flower back with us to site which inspired some children to draw it and paint it on paper!
The children’s creativity has been sky high and it has been wonderful to witness all the connections they have made between the books we read and the environment around them. The weather is looking just as wonderfully warm next week and to that we say, bring it on! (And bring on the sunscreen of course.) Enjoy your sunny weekend!
Little Forest Folk
Wandsworth