A couple of days a go i posted a short video of some of the bluebells in the adjacent plot to where I have been running #forestschool for a number of years with my long term programme with children with learning needs.(https://fb.watch/cO99jt3pLe/) heres the video.

This week we returned to the woods for the first time since March 2020 and these are a new group to the woods, but have been with them on school grounds since September 2021.

I was excited as this, I feel, allows for the much fuller experience they can separate themselves away, there are loads of resources, plenty of opportunities for invitation to play and simply be and compound flexibility Kindling: Playwork, Training, Forest Schools and creative workshops

It is about a 10 minute amble to our site from the gate and we stopped and looked at a few things on the way. Actually a number had already picked out the Bluebells in small patches as we walked along, but when we got the wide expanse where there are thousands of flowers their responses, I have to say, blew me away.

“stunning, beautiful, amazing” and other superlatives “I cannot see the end of them” “SO many”

It made me realise why i do what I do, there are many reasons across a programme, but this left me kinda speechless for a moment or two and gave me that warm glow, you know what i mean!

#forestschool#hampshire#childsplay#woodland#childrenatnatureplay#wildplay#woodlandplay#freeplay#appropriaterisk

Last term we had a really interesting young person who was knowledgeable of the planets and knew so very much about our solar system.

They would frequently be found making the planet with mud , as here with clay, and one time with random sports balls found on the field.

I spent a lot of time with them, both talking planets, I know very little embarrassingly, and building swings as they much enjoyed controlling their motion on the swings we had around the site.

I noticed over the weeks that the balls were always in ratio to one another, some much smoother than others and always had the Saturn rings around, whether using natural materials for the rings but also at times clay and mud.

Fascinating Forest School.

#forestschool#appropriaterisk#woodland#hampshire#childrenatplay#natureplay#wildart

A few weeks a go, we were finding a number of bumblebee fatalities on the grounds where I was running a programme, initially we were putting them in the sunshine as it was cool spring morning but the sun was warm, but we soon realised some of these were dead, a number did fly away.