Our Week in the Forest
This week at Little Forest Folk Chiswick, our camp transformed into a world of witches, potions and mathematical mischief! 🧙♀️💫 As Halloween crept closer, our little explorers mixed imagination with number play - stirring up bubbling potions, measuring mysterious ingredients and spotting patterns in every corner of the forest.
Our younger learners focused on comparing amounts - using words like more, lots and same - while our older explorers measured lengths, compared objects and created repeating patterns like stick–leaf–stick–leaf. Everywhere we looked, the magic of maths was at work! ✨
🧪 Bubble, Bubble, Count and Trouble!
We began the week by stepping into the slimy world of witches, spooky animals and magic hunts. The mud kitchen became a witch’s workshop, with a bubbling cauldron over the fire 🔥. Children worked together by counting spoonfuls, measuring water and chanting patterns to brew the perfect potion.
The secret sequence? Leaf–stick–leaf... and bloooom! 💥 Bubbles rose into the air as clay balls and sticks transformed into fierce little spiders 🕷️. Our explorers counted legs carefully, feeling the textures of mud, clay and leaves, as well as comparing which sticks made the most “equal” legs.
🧪🕷️🌿🌫️💧
🍂 The Great Autumn Scavenger Hunt
Midweek, we went on a spooky scavenger hunt through the forest! Armed with laminated picture sheets, the children searched for autumn treasures - matching and spotting leaves, acorns, twigs and pinecones around our camp.
They compared what they found using language like more, less, same as, noticing the beautiful shapes, colours and patterns that nature hides everywhere. 🍁
Then came a magical surprise - a witch’s broomstick perched right on top of the den we built from pallets! 🧹 Children climbed up carefully and helped each other reach it, showing brilliant teamwork and balance. Their imaginations took flight as they tested out “flying” on the broom - luckily, the witch wasn’t around to see us borrowing it!
🍂🧹🌳🔢🎩
Nearby, another world took shape - a dinosaur land divided in two! 🦕🌿
On one side, a dry land where children used clay, sticks and leaves to build trees and shelters for their dinosaurs. On the other, a shimmering lake for the creatures to wash and drink.
It was wonderful to watch the children plan, share and work together - comparing sizes, discussing what each dinosaur might need and showing such creativity and teamwork in their play.
🦖🌊🌴🪵🧒🏽🤝
🌧️ Wild Weather & Spooky Creations
As the week went on, our witch must have found out what we’d been up to, because she sent a wild, windy spell our way! 🌬️💨 We dashed indoors, where imagination continued to swirl.
Indoors became a spooky craft cave, filled with bats 🦇, spiders 🕷️ and giggling witches. Children made patterns with wings and counted spider legs.
The stormy weather inspired us to fly kites, but the wind had other ideas - swirling in every direction and sending the kites tumbling. The witch must be playing tricks on us again! Between gusts, we turned our eyes skyward, watching real birds glide against the wind and comparing higher, lower, taller and shorter - practising the language of maths in motion.
🌧️🦇🕷️🪁🌲
🎃 Pumpkin Play & Pattern Magic
We wrapped up our magical week with pumpkin face painting and plenty of Halloween excitement! 🎃
There were spooky faces, sparkly pumpkins and lots of giggles as our camp filled with colour and laughter. Some children built obstacle courses from loose parts, others played dominos or immersed themselves in spooky storybooks, while imagination and teamwork filled every corner of camp.
🎃🧙♂️🪄🍬🕸️
🌟 Our Week in a ‘Pumpkin’ Shell
This week was bubbling with curiosity, teamwork and imagination. 🍁 Through muddy hands, laughter and a touch of witchcraft, children learned how maths hides in everything - from potion patterns and scavenger hunts to broomstick climbs, dinosaur lands and kite-flying fun.
We measured, compared, counted and created - all while brewing the most powerful potion of all: a love for learning 💚✨
As Halloween draws near, we can’t wait to see what magical adventures await next week… 🧹🎃🌙
Little Forest Folk
Fulham