Duke's Forest School

This isn’t strictly a forest school activity, but when I came across it it was that cool I had to share it with you guys. Have a look at the video, make one, then see if you can find out how it works and let me know. Have fun, have a go and let me know.

The video explains and shows how to use edible flowers to make your own cordials. Before starting always research whether a flower is edible or not, and always make the cordial with your parents.

Excuse the dodgy filming I had to do it all one handed so I don’t think I’ll be getting any awards, but you can see the process. Also the video doesn’t show this, but I added the juice of a lemon, just to give the cordial a little sharpness. Have fun, have a go and let me know how you get on.

I’ve had to put the video on Youtube as it wouldn’t go on here, just click on the video to watch.

Apparantly dolphins sleep with one eye open, half their brain sleeps while the other is awake. How cool is that.

Use the sheet below and see how many you can spot in your garden. tick them off as you spot them. It isn’t limited to just your garden if they are in next doors or across the road they still count.

Excuse my hat in this clip, my dog had a go at it last weekend.

 

Bug Hotel

When we think of a bug hotel, we nearly always think of those epic constructions seen at stately homes and zoos. They are fantastic and look great, but the insects and bugs don’t really mind what they look like. They simply want somewhere where they can find food and shelter. A lot simpler way to make a small bug hotel, which will still encourage bugs and insects into the garden is to use a plastic bottle.

To make one simply cut the bottom of a plastic bottle, it doesn’t matter what size, then pack it with lots of sticks, leaves both dead and green leaves even pieces of screwed up newspaper. The insects will make their homes in the small gaps between all the bits and pieces. The leaves, sticks and leaves create a super habitat that has both shelter and food.

Once your bottle is looking full you now need to find a good spot to leave it. The best spots would be hidden away in a bush tied to a branch, or tucked away at the back of a flower bed. The hotel doesn’t need to be visible, because it will be such a good habitat the insects will find it wherever you site it in your garden. Don’t let a lack of sticks stop you, corrugated cardboard rolled up works just as well.

While schools are closed I will be sharing a couple of different activities each week for the children to do at home. I’ll try and make these activities that don’t need any special materials or equipment so that anybody can join in. My aim is to involve the children in being outside in the garden in a constructive and beneficial way to both them and the environment.

I would also love it if you could send pictures of things the children have made during these activities so I could share them on this site and hopefully encourage others to have a go. If the children wanted to write something about what they are making in the garden that would be great as well. However it will need to be spelt correctly and use the correct grammar, if it is to be published here.

So to start we have the mud kitchen.

Mud Kitchen

Mud kitchens don’t have to be a big undertaking to set up, they can be very simple. Use some old pots, pans and kitchen utensils, 2 piles of bricks, a plank a source of mud, and as Gordon Ramsey would say, ”Mud kitchen; done.”

The benefits of mud kitchens for kids.

So what are the benefits of this type of play space in your own garden?

• For good mental health, freedom to be children, exploring outdoors and PLAYING freely! It goes without saying, allowing children to be children at times like these is incredibly important. Giving them some freedom to get mucky and creative in fresh air has got to help.
• For good physical health- recent studies have shown we absolutely NEED to have dirt in our systems in order to develop a healthy immune system. Research shows that living in the more sterile world of today combined with the lack of interaction with dirt and mud is causing deficiencies and weaker immune systems in kids worldwide.
• Allowing for curiosity, exploration and experimentation in an open-ended way. Play that is open ended, has no boundaries to restrict where young minds will take their play.
• Mathematical opportunities for measuring, filling and emptying and exploring capacity. Encouraging children to count things, pour things, consider different sizes, create pattern on mud pies, etc will all develop their maths skills.
• Endless imaginative and role play possibilities starting with a blank play space structure which isn’t too prescribed in its usage and allows kids to create in any way that suits their play. Children copy adults in lots of their role play, experimenting and learning how to interact with others and make sense of the world.
• Language development through descriptive words, scientific questioning and exploration, and storytelling through imaginative role play. Obviously greater when interacting with others, but reporting back on what they have done will create discussion.
• Rich and genuine messy, sensory experiences through combination of natural materials.
• Scientific investigation as materials are combined, mixed, transferred and changed. Children will explore scientifically observing changes as they add ingredients and material to mud.
• Gross and fine motor skills development through use of real tools in play situations.

Year 1/2 had there own music festival last week, all the groups improvised their instruments and made up their songs before being ‘Rock Stars’ on the half dome stage.

Even when someone is a bit nervous of performing in front of their class there is always somebody ready to join in.

Mr Holmes was born to perform, with his own twist on a classic to encourage a nervous star.

This week children have been spreading seed bombs around the woods. Hopefully we’ll have more wild flowers this year thanks to some hard working children.

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The children worked as a team in small groups to build there own walk ways above the mud. Such a lot of excellent teamwork, I think it made the dream work.