Meadow Browns - Bugs, Building & Burrowning
Back in the woods in the summer and the sunlight was casting beautiful shadows through the leafy canopy. The Meadow Browns were excellent at remembering their Forest School promises and the ways in which they could keep themselves, each other and woodland safe. This meant there was plenty of time to reacquaint themselves with the woods and to play.
I gave the group a challenge which was to see how many different animals they could discover and to record their findings on the board. They found a slug, a beetle, a spider, a woodlouse, a centipede and a worm as well as hearing a variety of bird calls and spotting holes that they decided might belong to either rabbits, badgers or foxes - a good investigation for the future perhaps. They were also very interested in the mushrooms that were enjoying the warm, wet autumnal weather.
In week one I particularly like to observe the child-led play to discover where their interest lie. There was some excellent den building which involved team-work, measuring, balancing, compromise and problem solving. There was a mining for mud project and an ingenious use of a bucket hat for a 'special, interesting green things collection"....another investigation perhaps.
The session finished with the introduction of a game of 'VANISH' which they were rather too good at. I am going to have to brush up on my seeking skills!!
Until next time!!!
