Rabbits, Sept 14

Themes Explored and Skills Embraced:

Rope skills - Learning how to make knots and secure ropes to carry our weight -making stools and ladders or a swing/trapeze.

Interest in making a ladder led to practicing rope tying techniques. This inspired some swings and a trapeze to be assembled. Anais was thrilled "we could make a whole playground", she said.

Games - strategy and fun hiding

We played a game that was a cross between baseball and hide and seek. It was such a hit, everyone loved running to the different hiding places. Some of the strategies that were proposed; were careful consideration of the time available and the time needed to make it to the next base, camouflage and running fast. Harlan was amazed Lea didn't spot him as he lay flat to the ground, despite his red sweater!

Scavenger Hunt - this time with a little more working together

Looking for more obscure qualities like "hot" "slippery" led to some creative suggestions and teamwork. Maeve cleverly said she found the "hot" metal sign.

Tool work - screwdrivers, pocket knives and saws were popular today

Our tool circle was a place of contended work and companionable conversation. Harlan worked on carving a knife, Noah made puzzle pieces out of branches to fit together and Everett worked on a bow and arrow. Other projects and general exploration were also enjoyed.

Screws were found in some of our trees so the desire to remove them was great! We learnt the names of different screw types as some enthusiastically hunted for and removed screws. Bean exclaimed, "who would have thought removing screws would be such a pleasure". Once all the screws were found and removed the interest led to screwing them into planks for others to remove.

Journaling - discussion of seasons and leaf artwork

We began work on new journals today. These will be used throuhgout the year to make observations, do creative writing and artwork and reflect upon experiences in forest school and in nature. Discussion about the seasons arose and this led to seasonal decorations with leaves on many covers. Talia was chuffed to have made a fox with leaves on her cover.

Free Play and fort building

Construction projects sprung up with some work on forts. Cora, in particular, worked diligently and became construction manager when bigger jobs requiring more hands were required.

Safety, tree climbing, dead foliage, ethical harvesting and conservation

The wonderful climbing tree at our meeting spot was a draw for everyone in the class. One experienced and adventurous climber; Everett, fell out of the tree skillfully and safely when a branch broke. This led to some great conversations about dead part of plants, safety when climbing a tree, how best to land, the ethics of harvesting things like flowers and how this affects the plant as well as discussion of our collective responsibility to protect plants and preserve park spaces for other users. These children always astound us with their insightful comments and the rich connections they draw between their experiences.

Connection Questions

- Did you make a stool or a ladder or a swing?

- Did you swing on the trapeze "monkey swing"?

- Did you enjoy the hiding game, what was your strategy for success?

- What was something you remember happening at forest school today?

- Who was someone you connected with at forest school today? What did you do together?