We kicked off the session with the introduction of ‘Stealth’ – a firm favourite for every Forest Schooler so far! It’s a mixture of hide and seek but with the complication of having to try and get back to the ‘base’ without being seen. This group were fantastic – there were some future Olympians on the field – with both their speed and agility they managed to show in the game! Everyone listened to one another well and respected decisions.
Once we had caught out breath, had a snack and a drink we discussed metamorphism that has been going on in our very own pond. Whilst pond dipping, we have caught many damselfly and dragonfly larvae and now we have spotted many adult damselfly and dragonflies. But how do they transform from creatures that live under the water to flying about above and around the pond and breathing air? They undergo metamorphosis. Unlike butterflies, damselflies do not hide away inside a pupa to transform into their adult form. Instead, they shed their skin several times as they grow, changing shape a little each time. This process is called incomplete metamorphosis, and it occurs in grasshoppers, crickets, bugs, dragonflies, and cockroaches. Some of our lovely governors who have been lovingly looking after the pond area, found lots of exoskeletons at the weekend and we found lots more! Isn’t nature amazing??
After learning about how cool some of our pond animals are, we had many activities to choose from – hammocks, pond dipping, making up games involving sticks, using a pulley to lift a heavy bucket, creating bubbles, muddy kitchen and finally crafting using willow and wool. One person has become so expert at whittling with a peeler and butter knife, they were given the opportunity to use a knife, which was super sharp, to whittle with. They handled the risks carefully and sensibly, and were really successful in their whittling of hazel.
And just when we though Forest School couldn’t get any more exciting, Mrs Butler shared the news that Sian Parsons from Relax Kids, had donated some money to our Forest School. This money was donated from the skaters who attend her Tuesday Skate night event. Mrs Butler had finally purchased something with the money. Our very own Kelly Kettle! This means we can hot chocolate whenever we would like as we can boil water wherever we are on the school grounds without needing a big fire. Thank you so much to Sian and the skaters for their generous donation. This will get used and appreciated loads!!
