FOREST SCHOOL.

Forest School has just finished its second year and allows our Year 4 children to visit a nearby wood in order to experience a range of activities and skills.

Here is a series of children’s comments, photographs and accounts of this year’s activities.

Imogen writes:

We walked to the Forest School down a steep hill which led to a gate. Then we walked through the dark forest and then we walked up a very muddy ramp.

After, we sing a song going down the hill and frighten Mrs. Davis. Once at Easter we had an Easter egg hunt which Molly and I came second.

I like Forest School because we learn how to tie knots and other skills we can use in the outdoors. We also play rope games and find firewood and make shelters.

Jack has written:

Forest School takes place on a rota system every Monday, so that each of the three groups has their turn. There are 10 or sometimes 11 people in a group from our class. We get changed and then we start our walk to the forest.

When we get there, our Forest School teacher, Mrs Davis asks people to go through the rules of the forest. Then she splits us in to little groups or partners and sets us challenges such as: doing knots, making shelters out of string, rope, sticks and leaves, standing on ropes and sorting yourselves into height order, smallest to biggest and collecting firewood, logs and stones to make a fire.

At the end of the lesson you play games like the flag game. This is where two people guard the flag and the rest have to get to the flag without being tagged. We also play hide and seek which is where somebody has to count to ten while the others hide, if you’re seen you’re out. After that we walk back to the classroom, collect our bags and go home.

Mason has said:

It’s all about nature and great fun! You learn all about animals, where they live and to always respect the countryside. What we learn from Forest School we use when we go on walks with our parents.

TRUST ME AND YOU WILL ENJOY IT!

Rowan has written these comments:

My mum teaches Forest School every Monday at our local wood. At Forest School we do lots of fun activities and learn lots of outdoor skills. In previous sessions we have done fire building, making shelters, treasure hunts, rope activities, trust games, making dream catchers and lots of other fun games.

I enjoy Forest School. We learn lots about the forest and my favourite thing was making dens. The one I missed was one I would have loved as they cooked marshmallows on a fire.

So said Adam.

This is what Giles says about it:

We have three groups and every Monday one of the groups will go out into a forest and do lots of activities such as toasting marshmallows over a fire, playing games like hide and seek, tying knots and treasure hunts. A lady called Ms Davis and Mrs Horton supervise us as we do things. Group One always start on the first Monday, the following week Group Two go then the final week Group Three go. The rota starts again with Group One.

You only go when you are in Year Four.

The games we play are great fun. One of the games we play is the flag game. There are two people guarding the flag. The flag is a long stick with a plastic bag attached to the top. The rest of the people have to try and pull the flag out of the ground.

We also play hide and seek tag where someone is on it and if they see you they have to tag that person.

We enjoy Forest School very much.

Callum has written this about Forest School:

The trees are interesting because of all the different textures of bark.

All the activities are fun because you usually get to explore the forest and find out how to survive if you were trapped.

My favourite activity was when we built shelters; we had about half an hour to build a shelter out of garden string, rope and anything that we could find that was natural. I really enjoyed it.

When we arrive we go through the safety rules: Never run by the fire, Go at once to Ms Davis if the whistle is blown, and if she blows twice go to camp, Never go off alone, If you are trapped shout help.

Next we do activities like shelter building, and house decorations. Then last we play games like “Catch the flag”. This is when you have to touch the flag without getting tagged. It is great!

I think Forest School is great because you get a chance to get out of the classroom and do outdoor activities. Forest School can teach you some outdoor skills and also have lots of fun at the same time.

Thank you Ms. Davis and Mrs. Horton.

I absolutely love it because it teaches you to work as a team and could help save your life in some circumstances.

Forest School is good because it’s fun and Ms. Davis and Mrs. Horton are the best teachers in the world.

I would like it if there were more games and fewer activities.

You go off into the woods to play games and build stuff – it’s great fun!

It’s fun. It’s joyful, even when it is raining …

or snowing!

Forest School is fun, I like the things we do. It is good to be outside where there is lots of space.

I have enjoyed running around in the wood, making camp and playing games.

I love and wish I could do it more often.

Fun. Energetic. Cool. Muddy. Soggy.

I really enjoyed everything about Forest School especially learning outside of the classroom.

Ms Davis forgot the marshmallows.

I wish Forest School was every day because it’s so great.

Forest School has helped me to enjoy school. Fun activities for all to do.

It is extremely fun and I enjoyed it a lot. I was most interested in building shelters.

Fantastic! You just don’t want to go back to school when the lesson ends.

It’s brilliant! I highly recommend it to anyone because you discover new knots, new games and everything. It’s very, very, very fantastically brilliant.

I think you would love to go because you learn and have fun.