Mama Beech

We all get the idea that going outside for a walk is good for us. Fresh air, moving muscles, blood pumping... Physically it is great for toning muscles and even losing weight, but the overwhelming evidence demonstrates that it does far more for our wellbeing than just boosting our bodies! As Mental Health Awareness Week is coming up, it seems a good time to look at all the proven benefits of being outdoors. Both for children and for adults. I'm sure I'm preaching to the converted here, but I will include links that help prove the point for those of you who need to convince others elsewhere For Children the benfits come from fresh air in developing lungs, immune-system building microbes from soil, resilience due to seasons and weather, space to move, and endless things to discover which feed their minds and grow their curiosity! It sets the tone for being active for life , and stimulates their need to explore and investigate for themselves - learning. It builds confidence. .....

When it comes to providing activities and experiences in Forest School we try hard to stick to things that we COULDN'T do inside. This isn't a hard and fast rule, but it is guidance. Taking lots of equipment outdoors doesn't feel child led, nor does it feel too much like Forest School. There will always be information to access and equipment to support exploring, but beyond reference books and sheets, magnifiers, binoculars, and bug pots very little is a staple.  Tools are available, that can just be yarn and scissors, peelers, palm drills, or something that needs much closer supervision. There are digging areas and mudkitchens on each site, swings, and platforms, as well as access to climbing.  We do offer opportunities to weave, tie knots, create a nature table, and plant. We may suggest den building or hide and seek. We will respond to requests for litter-pickers, or pond dipping, or whatever activity on site we can accommodate, with support and with equipment. When a ch...

It's THAT time of year. We have 4 weeks of Term 2 left and school is getting busier than ever. Carrier bags of tinsel and costumes are appearing, the Hall has been timetabled for rehearsals, and the children are already chattering about Christmas gifts. It's THAT time of year. Coughs, colds, and fevers are doing the rounds. Children are sneezing everywhere, staff have constant headaches, and the boxes of tissues in the classrooms deplete in a day. It's THAT time of year. Gluesticks and glitter. Christmas meals marked on calendars. School disco preparations. Shopping to do after work. Evenings out. Juggling dates. Watching time gather speed... It's THAT time of year.  Hectic. At basecamp it's different. The rain beats rhythms on the canopy, smoke curls in patterns, the birds twitter away above, we sit as we always sit making sure everyone is mindful of being safe, of keeping others safe, and of exploring exactly what and where they wish.  We have the opportunities to...

Seasonal Adjustment Disorder is something that I've never had to struggle with. I love all the seasons. Each has it's own personality, joys and faults! Sheffield Pk Gardens My favourite season is probably Autumn. As Summer fades, the sun lingers low in the sky and the light becomes golden and shadows streeeeeeetch! Trees turn orange and yellow and red, and a carpet of rust and gold and coffee-coloured leaves builds on the ground. The first frost sparkles. Warm breath steams the air. We're not quite there yet, Summer is lingering this year. The mild weather since the Equinox has allowed exploring the gradual changes of the season to play out in sunshine. It also means leaving the house with boots and jumpers, with coats and thick socks to hand, and heading home in an overly hot car, with the a/c blasting, most of your clothes stuffed into a bag, and feeling somewhat boiled from the climbing temperature. I don't mind piling on layers of clothes in Winter, I love the crisp...

I hate being ill.  OK, I know no one actually likes it, but I hate that while my body sweats or vomits or aches or coughs, my brain speeds through 100 things that need sorting that instant due to my absence, AND the several knock on effects that being away from site causes. This past week I was tired - big deal, who isn't!? As we hurtle towards the end of the school year there is no calm wind down...  just the wind UP to the Summer Holidays! There's the leavers production,  the transition days,  sports day,  school fete,  visits,  the Yr6 water fight,  visitors,  and usual curriculum to squeeze in. July = 3 weeks of school, that's 15 days IN school, throw in an inset and couple of strike days and there's a dozen days left! Now it's July 7th, we're down to nine! In Forest School we are not immune to the pace or changes to the norm. The children who are anxious about moving up or moving on, or are just not coping with disrupted routines, bring ...

Oh my goodness, what a week! We celebrated Save Our Wild Isle Week in so many different ways! In school we were OUT of school, not only taking lessons outside into the great outdoors, such as celebrating the Festival of Holi on the field, but we took opportunities to delve into the nature at Chartham. Classes came outside to explore their immediate environment by doing Tree Surveys (identifying them, measuring them, and getting to know them), some planting, and getting know the wildlife on the grounds. Our regular black & white visitor kept us entertained on the Wildlife Camera Trap... and we learned some interesting things from the pictures... And we deepened the children's understanding of nature INDOORS with eggs to nurture. We're the first to agree that chickens are not wildlife! However, learning to care for all living creatures is essential to dragging the wildlife crisis in the UK back to some semblance of sustainable. In many ways Forest School took a back seat and ...