My Scilly Trip - Wednesday in the Woods

Today we were up and out and over to the site that's used for Forest School, and a team of us set it up ready for day one...


We had 30 x 3 - 8 year olds exploring the environment, trying the slacklines, and being creative. 


Arts and crafts, including Happa Zome, books and stories and props, trees to climb, dens to build, tools to use, paths to investigate, and ferns to crawl through!

The mixed age group works well, with children gravitating towards activities they have their own interest in instead of following the others. Other children found friends old and new and made groups to work together.

Forest School is Forest School wherever it is set, the opportunity to work alongside peers and try new things is par for the course, and being immersed in nature is pretty easy in this stunning environment!


Children who are visiting the islands, those who live here, those who are new to any kind of Forest School, and those who bring their experience with them, all have the opportunity to enjoy some level of freedom in amongst the trees. 

For many, the ferns are head height, the trees tower above, and the walk from the where the cars park feels like a hike through deep, dark woods. For some this is their only experience of being surrounded by Forest whilst for others this is a well known playground.

Regardless of how familiar the children are with the area they all seem to feel at ease very quickly, and plunge into discovering as nuch as they can.


Children's acceptance of being outdoors is something that needs nurturing - whatever the opportunity or weather!

The weather, however, has behaved! No rain, not cold, and no heatwave like last year, so a campfire was built...


Bananas and chocolate, as well as the prerequisite marshmallows were on the menu!

We are all knackered now, although when we got back into Hugh Town, we changed and went for a sea dip and used up what energy we had left! But after fish and chips seated on the sand we found the get up and go to walk up the Garrison and watch the sun set...

Tomorrow, we have a session with older children, 8 - 14 years old, so some differentiation of activities and a few totally different ones too!

Here's to another brilliantly exhausting day!

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