Walnut Class Forest School 03/07/26

 This week was Walnut Class’s final Forest School session of Year 1, so we celebrated with ice-cold drinks and delicious s’mores cooked over the fire.

We began by talking about how to stay safe around the fire. The children remembered lots of our safety rules, including sitting in the respect position, staying a safe distance from the fire, and tying back long hair. We also recapped the three things needed to make a fire: air (oxygen), wood (fuel), and heat. 🔥

After safely putting out the fire, we learned about the elder tree and how its flowers and berries have traditionally been used to help with colds and coughs. We then enjoyed the story ‘Elio the Elder’ about an elder tree that helps a poorly little bird. 

To finish, the children used small pieces of elder to make colourful “fireworks” by removing the soft pith and pushing in strips of crêpe paper.

It has been a pleasure getting to know your children over the past ten Forest School sessions. I hope they have enjoyed their Forest School experience as much as I have enjoyed sharing it with them. 

Walnut Class Forest School 26/06/26

 

As it was an extremely hot week, we moved from our usual Forest School site to a shady area beneath a canopy. To help keep everyone cool, most of the activities were water-based.

The children enjoyed mark-making on the ground using ice cubes and paintbrushes with water. Miss Hines kindly brought water balloons, which were a big hit. They also had lots of fun shaking a tarpaulin with water on top, creating a refreshing shower of water droplets.

The children took part in a barefoot trail, exploring different natural materials such as sand, leaves, conkers and water with their feet. They enjoyed describing the different textures and sensations.

We finished the session with a fun game of Disco Detective, where one child secretly led the dance moves while the detective tried to guess who the leader was. It was a great way to end a fun and active session. 

Walnut Class Forest School 19/06/26

 

This week’s Forest School theme was wind.

We began by discussing where wind comes from. The children shared lots of thoughtful ideas, including that it comes from the sky, the Earth moving, and the trees. We explored how movement can create wind by spinning our arms and feeling the air moving around us. We then talked about how wind is created when warm and cold air move and meet. Warm air expands while cold air contracts, and this movement of air creates wind.

We read part of the non-fiction book Gusts and Gales – A Book About Wind to learn more about wind and discover why places such as the seaside are often windier than others.

The children had the opportunity to make flags using the Japanese printmaking technique Hapa Zome. They used leaves and flower petals to create colourful patterns on fabric before attaching their creations to sticks to wave in the breeze.

They also explored sycamore seeds, often called “helicopters,” enjoying dropping them from different heights and watching them spin gracefully through the air.

To finish our very hot session, we worked together as a team to shake a tarp with water pooled on top. Everyone got a little wet, which helped cool us down, and as the sunlight caught the spray, we were even lucky enough to create a beautiful rainbow! 🌈

Walnut Class Forest School 12/06/26

This week was art week. I began by reading a book called 'I Can See Nature's Rainbow', which explores the colours of the rainbow and where they can be found in nature. The children enjoyed sharing their own ideas, including purple lavender, the yellow sun, and brown mud.

The children then created their own nature-inspired artwork through natural mark-making with chalk and charcoal, sticky art using collected natural materials, and a collaborative ground-art mandala.

One finished, we displayed their creations in our Forest School Gallery around an oak tree, celebrating the wonderful creativity on show.

To end the session, the children enjoyed playing the requested chasing game, 'Foxes and Rabbits'.

🦊🐰🌿

Walnut Class Forest School 05/06/26

 

It was wonderful to welcome Walnut Class back for their second block of Forest School sessions. Today's session was inspired by the traditional tale Little Red Riding Hood.

We began by reading the story together before setting off on our own adventure. The children followed a trail that led from Red Riding Hood's house all the way to Grandma's cottage. They were very careful not to leave the path, as they didn't want the Big Bad Wolf to gobble them up! Along the way, the children navigated a series of obstacles, using their balance and coordination to weave their way through the "forest".

To sharpen our listening skills, inspired by the line, "Oh, what big ears you have!", the children wore blindfolds and sat quietly, tuning in to the sounds of nature around them.

Next, we focused on our looking skills with the phrase, "Oh, what big eyes you have!" The children took part in a nature scavenger hunt, using binoculars and magnifying glasses to explore their surroundings. One child discovered a ladybird, while others spotted lots of tiny leafhoppers. They even managed to spot a mushroom. 

We also visited the school pond, where the children were excited to see many tadpoles and some tiny frogs.

Finally, we explored the phrase, "Oh, what big teeth you have!" by enjoying a healthy snack of different fruits, just like the treats Red Riding Hood carried in her basket for Grandma. 

Walnut Class Forest School 23/01/26

It was a wonderfully muddy week for Walnut Class! At the start of the session, the children listened to the story The Amazing Mud Cake. In the story, a boy called Olli makes a special mud cake for his family but feels disappointed when they don’t enjoy it. The next day, however, Olli is delighted to discover that although his family didn’t like the mud cake, the mini beasts of the forest had eaten it all up!

Inspired by the story, the children eagerly set to work making their own mud pies for the mini beasts. They mixed mud and water and decorated their creations with sticks, stones, leaves, and other natural treasures they could find. One little boy enjoyed moulding the mud so much that he sculpted his mud pie into a miniature mini-beast home.

The children also collaborated on some large-scale artwork by brushing powder paint onto wet sheets, creating beautiful and colourful patterns.

During this session, the children were introduced to a new game called Foxes and Rabbits, which they thoroughly enjoyed.