27.1.15- First Forest School session for Spring and Winter

This afternoon was the first Forest School session for Spring and Winter group. I was really impressed with how wrapped up they all were! The children were so excited after hearing from their friends some of the activities they may do.

 We started the session with meeting Freya (the puppet) from the era of The Croods and playing a favourite game of ours. We then searched the area for tinder so that we could light the fire.

 

 Before lighting the fire we had to learn the skill of making a spark. A few of the children were anxious about making the sparks but once we talked through the safety aspects and showed them in small groups how to make it they all had a go.

 

 We were experimenting what would light the best out of the range of tinder we had such as silver birch bark, 'old mans beard', cotton wool and bulrush. After finding out that cotton wool lit the fastest we lit the fire.

 

 

The children learnt the rules of the fire circle and how they need to walk around the back of the logs instead of walking through it.

 

We used our senses to investigate what happens to rosemary when that is placed on the fire.

 

Nearer the end of our session we cooked popcorn on the fire and used our sight, hearing and taste sense to see it pop and cook.

 

 

At the end of the session we teach the children how important it is to put out the fire slowly and safely.