Friday, November 9, was a Forest School day. A light rain greeted us at the park, but tapered off after a short while leaving the ground moist and the leaf litter filled with critters. Upon entering the Forest School we circled around the large beech tree and marveled at its height and breadth, noticing how the roots seemed to grip the earth. One child explained that, "The roots go down and suck up water." We wondered if trees might live in families and left that question dangling as the children went off about their activities. Some children headed straight for the binoculars, magnifiers, and garden trowels to begin their investigations. Others formed little groups to plan play scenarios and soon everyone was busy. The water pump continues to provide a challenge as children try various ways to make it work. A group of boys paraded about the forest carrying a large branch and chanting, "We got a big tree! We got a big tree!" A group of three children settled on a log, picked up sticks, and began drumming. They quickly noticed the differences in tone as they struck one part of the log and then another. Leaves were gathered and placed on the log to produce a muffled crunchy sound, then sticks were dragged through the leaf litter adding yet another tonality to the mix. Music!
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| Adventure play. |
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| "I'm investigating!" |
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| Interest in the leaf litter builds. "I see little bugs!" |
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"We got a big tree! We got a big tree!"
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Forest drummers.
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A profusion of mushrooms.
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