Our Week in the Forest
We have had a wonderful week of physical activities and learning about emotions and personal space.
We laid down a picnic blanket one day and placed all our toy tea cups and plates on top, then set up a picnic with all our penguins. Each Penguin introduced themselves and talked about how they like to be greeted. Some like a hug, others like a fist bump, some like to shake hands and others just like to say hello. We introduced the concept of personal space and always asking before giving someone a hug or a squish. Supporting this play we read a book called “Can I give you a squish” by Emily Neilson. We also spoke about being kind and gentle with our hugs.
As part of our physical development week we created squishy balloons. We used corn flour, shaving foam, liquid soap and purple colouring. The children measured and stirred in the invention area which was filled with the floral smell of the ingredients and the chatter of the children. Once the gloop was all mixed up, we carefully spooned it into a deflated balloon until it was ¾ full and then we tied a knot in the neck. We now had a stress ball/squishy balloon to squeeze which delighted all the children!
We had a very windy, rainy, sunny day with some added hail during the week, but the weather seldom stops Little Forest Folk. We had great fun running races in the wind like “red light, yellow light” and “the bean game”, as well as playing “what’s the time Mr Wolf” and building obstacle courses with crates and planks of wood. On another day we suspended colour hoops from the trees and armed with bean bags we practised our throwing skills. Can we get the bean bag up into the air and through the hoop? This was a very popular activity - as was the retrieval of the bean bags from the bushes.
Many of our trees in the forest are in bloom at the moment, our plum, apple and cherry trees are so pretty covered in white and pale pink blossoms. As the wind and the parakeets knock the blossoms from the branches, our intrepid artists are gathering the flowers and sticking them down on paper to create pictures and cards for friends and family members.
At the start of the week we had some clay available and using sticks, pine cones, toy frogs and dinosaurs etc we made foot prints and marks in the clay, which in-turn looked like fossils.
We have danced and painted, sung songs and read books (a new favourite is “Silly Sally” by Audrey Wood, who walks to town backwards and upside down.)
Thanks for coming to the forest, see you next time!
Little Forest Folk
Twickenham