Wear, Tear, Weather, & Clothes

This week Christmas has arrived at basecamp! The 400 trees are in the frosty ground, the top of the lopped holly bush is our festive decoration, Reception Classes had a story around the campfire, and next week's celebration for the end of term is almost ready to roll!

Last week I pointed out the pitfalls of Forest School 'Lite', short sessions of outside learning in that it foregoes some of the routine and reduces the activities available. It was, and still is, a great way to get classes outside, and children react well to it, but this week threw up the other difficulty - over use! 

The soil is eroding around basecamp as foot fall has gone from 2 or 3 classes a week to 16, the mud can be fun, but also needs managing. This has a knock on effect for the school cleaners when classes traipse endless mud back into the building!

This was not helped by me allowing Year 6 to mud slide along the ground! They did get very muddy and very wet and very cold. We have in the past, and on that day, had conversations regarding suitable Forest School clothing. We don't provide overclothes, although because of covid we couldn't anyhow at the moment, so children bring clothing from school. For the majority this is a pair of jogging bottoms and a sweatshirt - easy to throw on and easy to throw in the washing machine once it gets home! For a few this comprises of their own waterproof over clothes that protect them and allows freedom of movement. For one or two, and it is mostly older children, it seems to be sports clothing, even shorts, and old trainers. 

The weather has also got significantly colder. Our site is a plateau and there usually a breeze of some strength or another freeze drying the rain and mud to hands and faces. The need for long trouser, long sleeves, hats, gloves, and waterproof coverings is growing!

Today quite a few children found out for themselves the cause and effect of a cold, breezy day, once caked in wet mud! Hopefully the experience will teach more than my words have. We cut the session short so they could go inside and find dry, warm clothes. Which they were both relieved about, and dismayed at as they felt they were missing out on their Forest School (Lite!) session!

I don't know if the experience will actually help, but maybe physically being wet and cold will give a point of reference for those who refuse to bring a coat outside, and those who think wellies are not a sophisticated enough form of footwear!

When it comes to resources things are also feeling the wear and tear! I've lost 3 guide books, (well they were eventually found, although more like papier mache on discovery!), all the wooden spoons from the mini-mud-kitchen area, and most of our trowels and hand forks are bent or broken. On Tuesday a hefty, adult size garden fork gave out too!

The equipment is now being used by over 350 children a week, wiped down in between, sanitized and on occasion bleached overnight, but usage is up by almost 500% and is taking it's toll on resources, at a time when the budget for replacement is zero!

Next week is celebration week so there will be campfires - which are great for melting mallows but does little to keep everyone really warm. 

The Hot Chocolate will help to warm us through, but isn't a daily feature anymore while we run Forest School Lite, so the New Year and Winter may well be overly chilly! 

There are up to 5 groups a day outside, the logistics of having enough hot chocolate and clean cups with sometimes just a 15 minute turnaround time is hectic! It works for a celebration because it is the focus of that session We may find some kind of compromise for this in 2021 - but right now the lack of time plus the complication of covid bubbles makes it very difficult to do! 

With only one qualified Forest School Leader if we light a campfire then the FSL can't leave the fire pit area, which reduces the amount of activities available and removes one member of staff from observing, supporting, and encouraging the children.

So lots of moving games will be on the activity cards! And lots of nagging for warm appropriate clothing - especially footwear! Last Winter was surprisingly mild - and dry - during Forest School sessions and looking back over the last few years it seems to alternate between being mild one year and freezing the next. 

We will probably change sites because of the mud slick evolving at the moment and to give the 'baby trees' the chance to put down roots without being knocked over! There are vague plans for Spring, different planting and a focus on more wildlife, but that warmer weather often doesn't kick in until Easter time so dark mornings, dark evenings, frost, winds, rain, sleet, possibly snow, and lots, and lots of mud is what we will need to navigate first!

None of this is a bad thing!

Dark mornings = watchable sun rises

Dark evenings = hot shower, fleecy blankets, and new books

Frost is BEAUTIFUL!

Winds ARE annoying if too strong but = kites and windsocks and windmills

Rain = a maze of healthy, growing trees

Sleet = a way to appreciate that campfire even more!

Snow = My favourite and my best! Snow angels. Snow painting. 

Snowmen, Snow women, SNOW FAMILIES!

Mud = perpetual stock for the ever popular and overly used Mud Kitchen!

To quote Billy Connolly "There's no such thing as the wrong weather just inappropriate clothing" - well that's the printable version anyhow!

So here's to a good end to Forest School this Term, and here's to more good times outside next Term!