The Courts & Forest School Play {Country Kids}

So my favourite break from work, the October half term, is sadly over.
Now we are back on the treadmill and juggling the balls of school, work and family life.
Time to look back on those heady days of being a SAHM and sigh at how I didn't appreciate it at the time!
Anyway, we had a fantastic week with no alarms to dictate our days.
The children were keen to go The Courts gardens, a nearby National Trust location.
It has the perfect balance of gardens, lawns, orchards and Forest School area to keep the adults and children entertained.

Since I have been lucky enough to have my own DSLR camera the girl has been desperate to get her hands on my old compact. She is definitely my daughter as she spent half her time taken boot shots - blogger in the making maybe?!

 The leaves were asked to be explored; kicked, thrown and hidden behind.

The Forest School area here is a big hit with my two and they happily played for an hour. I noted some ideas for work whilst they explored the dens, played in the sand kitchen and clambered over the logs. It made me realise that this kind of area, and opportunity for outdoor learning, should be embedded in schools, no matter how old the children are. I don't think they ever grow out of this sort of play!

 

Linking up with the super Country Kids...

x x x

 



Forest School

I recently had the best training day, quite possibly ever, at work.
It involved, among other things, fire starting, knives, clay, getting personal with trees and cooking on an open fire.
My mind was alert all day.
I couldn't wait to get back outside from the tea breaks.
It was how I would love every day at work to be.
That is my dream.

Here are just some of the activities...

Go on a hunt for colours and textures using coloured Fimo tags and texture word cards.

Get working as a team to make a piece of collaborative natural art. 



Sit beneath the trees with an old CD. Watch the reflections of the canopy and sit in quietness, listening to the sounds around you.

Get close to a tree; hug it, look up at it, listen to it.

Write down every word that springs to mind.

Get poetic.

Grab a lump of clay and whatever nature provides. Make your own forest creature. Make it a den.

Whittle a hazel stick for damper bread - best cooked slowly away from the flames.

Best enjoyed with butter and jam.

I'm looking forward to repeating some of this with the little people.

x x x