On Pause

Working 'Term Time Only' doesn't mean I won't end up being around children at Half Term, nor does it mean I won't be surrounded by forest on my days off! 
With Covid still lurking it is safer - even if not demanded in all areas - to meet outside, and nowhere is better than amongst the trees! For those of you who have not attempted shinrin yoko, I can highly recommend a family stroll or a solo adventure through the woods!


A week's hiatus for Forest School, but still the chance to enjoy the woods and the trees, and the turn of the season! I will happily wander alone too. Wellies and waterproofs, fresh air and a chance to unwind!


I love Autumn, even the dull and grey bits! The wet and puddly bits are great if you're dressed for it, and damp weather pretty much guarantees you the space to yourself as others stay home! But if you haven't been out in the chilly air and returned home damp, then the hot shower, hot chocolate and huge sweater wasn't appreciated to the fullest! Last weekend it was a hot coffee in a pub that had it's log fire crackling. Today it was a take out cup of tea and a pumpkin trail to wander. 

But the best days are those with the sun low in the sky, golden light, long shadows, and glowing Autumn colours! Although frequently cooler than the damp days, these somehow seem more cheerful.
Dressing for these requires layers and layers of clothing. Frequently with waterproofs over the top. Nothing kills the mood quicker that cold toes! Good thick socks also stop wellies from rubbing, and if feet stay dry and warm it takes longer to feel cold all over.


Next week is the dawn of Term 2 in Kent and we have over 400 trees arriving! Scheduling their planting is going to be a bit of a juggling act! The physical digging will help to keep everyone warm and hopefully the damp season to come will keep them all well watered.

It's also a great time to look out for those wildlife details that Autumn reveals. Fungi suddenly starts appearing, loving the damp and the decaying leaves, acorns and chestnuts are still falling, and as trees lose their canopies the light gets through and you get to see more - if you look!





Autumn is glowing at Chartham too, and the trees we have now are changing into their Autumn colours. It's always a great time to introduce science into Outdoor Learning! Collecting a rainbow of leaves, checking out the 'seeds' that carpet the floor beneath trees, looking at the forest in a new way as things get sparse and hidden areas come out of hiding. 




Bird-watching is suddenly much easier, as are finding tracks in the mud, and enticing animals with food to visit our spaces. Keeping active and interested is the main defence against the weather! Outdoor Learning is about to be in short sharp bursts for our pupils with Forest School on pause till 2021. 
The children have enjoyed the Forest School they have had since September, but things are going to alter a little and work with the seasons. It would be wonderful to have campfires for every session during the cold months, but as there is only one Forest School Leader this limits all other activities! So we will keep moving and hopefully keep enjoying outdoors as much as possible as we move toward Christmas.

Of course Autumn will rapidly fade into Winter. The colours will vanish and the temperature will drop, but that process, that passing of time is amazing to watch and brings with it specific learning opportunities and experiences to enjoy. Watch this space to see what we do!

But for now, let's hold on to Autumn. 
There's more colour waiting to arrive. 
And more woods waiting to wander


Location: Canterbury, UK

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Indoor Forest School

Image
On rare occasions, we need to cover a Forest School session INSIDE. It may be because the weather prevents a session, it may be a staffing issue, it may be an introduction for children who will find the outdoors challenging, but whatever causes it, there are times when setting up activities in a classroom is suddenly needed. I've said before that I have a large IKEA blue bag that I keep certain activities in, these are not necessarily ones I can/will use in Forest School, like jigsaw puzzles, colouring, cutting out, etc. It's fairly quick to add some of the nature table items, bug ID, and bird guides, etc. into the bag to make what is basically 'nature learning' feel a little like Indoor Forest School! One week in December started with me under the duvet with a fever and headache, and a PCR test pending. School canceled Forest School because waiting each day to decide what the following day's timetable would be was too hectic. So once back in on the Wednesday indoor...
Read more

Stormy weather

Image
At the risk of sounding even older than I actually am "We have way more storms than we uses to"! Which may or may not be statistically true, but definitely a lot more have impacted our Forest School since 2021 than before. (Red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning!) Often, these charge in overnight or at weekends leaving me tip-toeing onto site to see what damage has been done. Frequently they gather pace at 4pm leaving the school day clear for sessions, and sometimes, the gods are smiling and they blow themselves out in the morning before the first class is due on site! They always make their mark though. Torn parachutes, flapping tarps, tree debris everywhere, litter blown in, on one occasion a 6ft trampolines rolling across the school. Field... There's the risk assessment required to ensure the site is fit for use, and damage to manage or remove. We're never totally unscathed! Sitting on a plateau at the edge of the South Downs doesn't help. The wind rush...
Read more

Outdoor Learning

Image
In my own head, I separate Outdoor Learning and Forest School.  They are interconnected but to me, FS offers activities and supports what the children choose to do, whereas OL has learning intentions and aimed-for outcomes. Year 3 are currently looking at the Stone Age as a theme, and I was asked if I would provide activities to support this. In doing so I would have to remove the children's usual choice, their opportunity to follow their own interests & learning outside, and the ability to respond to what they discover and expand on it. This isn't a 'bad' or 'wrong' thing, but it isn't Forest School. Hence approaching it with a different ethos. In giving 21st Century children a tiny taste of life over two million years ago the week began with a definite learning intention. I went with 6 activities that every child could try on rotation. They would end up with perhaps 10 minutes at each exercise in life long ago, after a chat at basecamp that explained w...
Read more