Snow Days!

I love a Snow Day. By that I don't mean a day off work because the commute has become epic, I mean a day outside in, or after, a decent snowfall! 

It's not something that happens too often in South East England, and when it does it rarely lasts, so when the temperature dropped at the weekend it was exciting!

Sunday is not a Forest School day - or a School day for that matter, but it was a busy day for children as they ventured out into the snow that had fallen overnight, and was still falling! There was a lot of fun had by all. Children and their families were out with a sled, or a tray, or anything they could find that would slide down a slope! 

People finally saw their wider communities, socially distanced, but in the same parks, on the same commons, doing the same things, side by side in shared celebration of snow! 

Children who have spent much of this term stuck in front of a screen were outside from 9am until the sun went down.
Outside in the fresh air.
Outside using forgotten muscles.
Outside doing something for no reason except for the thrill and the joy of it.
Outside seeing their friends and neighbours around them.
Outside laughing.

Snow ball fights were everywhere!
The entire point to be socially distanced far enough away to avoid the icy drip of flakes down your neck. The running and evading making cheeks red and keeping the chill away. Families of snowmen, snowwomen, snowchildren, and snowbabies grew from the ground up in gardens, on window sills and open ground.

A quick break for lunch was a well earned warm meal, no snacking or picking for a change, and at the end of the day - the best excuse ever for a hot chocolate, and for most, a really good night's sleep.

The mental health boost many of us, children and adults, felt by experiencing the snow was much needed, and a reminder of what normal looked like.

For some pupils Monday and Tuesday have also been snow days. For us it was school as usually, and Forest School in a winter wonderland!

Being the last week of term we were due a Forest School Celebration: Toasting marsh mallows, a campfire, hot chocolate for all... The sudden icy transformation just made it much more apt, and continued the weekend fun into the school week.

Our number's were down. Some parents had to work from home because of the weather so kept the children home too. Other's felt the journey to school (atop a hill) too difficult on ungritted surfaces. I'm sure some just felt the lure of a duvet day!

Setting up Forest School was a different experience! Getting snow off of the parachute - which was only still 'hanging' because it has a huge wooden tripod beneath it - took a lot of effort! Ensuring the fire was up and roaring to help it thaw and to raise the temperature at basecamp to above zero took some time! Everywhere was damp, everything was either speckled with snow driven sideways against it, dusted in frost, hanging with icicles, or hidden beneath 3 inches of snow!

There seemed little point in the usual activities, the ground was too solid to dig, bug hunting was not going to be easy, and even though the birds were being vocal, and were very visible, the snow was going to be the biggest natural resource we had!

Over two day, seven bubbles, Reception Class through to Year 6, came out and had snow ball fights, made snow angels, looked for animal tracks, used twigs and berries to make art, built snow people (and a snow dragon - above!), hunted for icicles, raced, ran, jumped, and fell into piles of snow! 

We kept sessions to around an hour, and ended with Marsh Mallows to toast, and Hot Chocolate to warm us through. The fire was a place they could return to to sit quietly next to (observed) to warm up a bit, and Star Jumps were a must to get the circulation going in toes and fingers again, to get the blood pumping and warming little bodies through.

Children seem to just be getting on with lockdown life. Adults direct the majority of their life anyway, the restrictions now are just further restrictions (on top of 'no you can't go to bed at midnight, or have Haribo for breakfast) that they accept even if they don't like them!

There have been bursts of fun and laughter throughout Forest School since this all started almost a year ago, but it's not until presented with a basecamp of rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes all round that you realise how much of a rarity such shared joy has been. 

No grown up has enjoyed the train cancellations, the closed roads, the slow traffic on motorways, having to alter their work plans at little notice again, the dead car batteries, or hiking up the heating!

Maybe they've rolled their eyebrows at wet dogs caked in snow, wet clothes on every radiator, numb children who need a warm bath. 

Hopefully at least enjoyed the scenic aspect.

There are families, and individuals, struggling with heating in this weather, others who won't get paid if they can't work, those who fear slipping or falling in the snow, the magical sparkle of frost can tarnish quickly when money is tight. 

I would urge anyone in a position to do so to add a bit extra to the foodbank donation boxes in supermarkets right now, extra funds for utilities reduce the shopping budget for many. Check that older independent neighbours have still been able to get out, that elderly ones are OK. This is day 5 of life under ice and snow, but many people shop every couple of days, may not have had supplies in when it arrived, and in the case of the lady next door to me, usually 'tops up her electric card' on a Monday, but can't get out of the house. 150 metres is a long way on icy pavements with two walking sticks!

For the most, children have loved this sub zero, icy, freezing, winter weather. Even if cold and wet afterwards, they went back outside for more the next day! This is the most 'freedom' they have had for months. 

Personally, I'm not looking forward to the thaw. The slush turned ice. The roads like ice rinks, and the pavements that require clinging to garden fences and skidding along for travel!

But right now I'm just enjoying that reflective glow that lights up the landscape, and the kids faces. It was great to have Snow Days IN Forest School, and a brilliant way to end this term.