Mama Beech

This week has been a bit manic. We are co-arranging the Level 3 Forest School Training which is happening next term at our site, and the admin around it arrives in fits and starts and takes up more time than expected when the emails ping in!  Meanwhile, usual sessions are going ahead across the school and need provision and development.  Across the week I have engaged the groups to help alter the Mud Kitchen a little. It is simply a makeshift structure of pallets, but they like using it - a LOT! So we discussed what they wanted to add, worked out how to add it, and then the children helped create the changes. This has ranged from planting a small hedge to hammering nails and using the bow saw to cut wood.  Children from Year 1 to Year 6 have had an input in the design, which will remain quite fluid to ensure it can easily be changed at a later date. The children decided they wanted a table, a sofa, and a way of 'serving' food to people not in the Mud Kitchen. So far, the ...

There is an unwritten yet universal law that states if it's Forest School Celebration Week, and four days of campfires to burn, the hottest day of the year so far will dawn! The children obviously don't mind, but as the Forest School Leader cannot move too far from the fire, adults have the fun of Eau De Bonfire on all clothing and hair as well as the sensation that human melting is actually possible! Planning this week is fairly easy - prepping it takes a little effort. As we are currently still doing shorter sessions for 14 classes ensuring I am prepared for a 4-day campfire plus treats tends to involve a full car boot and a bit of heavy lifting! Although we DO have trees, and a small amount of woodland we don't have anywhere near the natural resources on-site to fuel a fire from 9 till 3 from Monday to Thursday! So we bring in kindling and firewood. Then there are the treats. The consensus amongst the children is 'Marshmallows please!", so we need 14 bags of tho...