Setting up the Den room before the children arrive is an important job, as it ensures activities are ready to be explored by the children throughout the day. Today I prepared a painting activity; I popped sheets of paper on our easels, poured paint into paint pots and had brushes at the ready, waiting for our children to get involved.
Read moreClimbing the Fort
We have enjoyed a great week on Forest School and we feel very lucky with the weather we experienced. This week the tree house (fort) has been our main play area, using our climbing and balancing skills to move around.
Read moreA Natural Canvas!
It has been really great to see so many children involved in mark making out in the paddock. Stereotypically, boys can often be reluctant to take part in mark making but this week many of our boys, and girls, have shown interest.
Read moreWanted: Full Time Early Years Practitioner
Wanted: Full Time Early Years Practitioner
Read moreBeneath the Waters
Over the past few weeks we have been focussing on our native, nearby bugs and understanding how and why we should be kind to them. This week we have taken our nets to the pond to see what pond life we have in our waters. Before we entered our pond area I discussed with the children our pond rules and what we need to remember to stay safe around water.
Read moreGarden play in the sun
At Free Rangers I am the Burrow Forest School Guru but that doesn’t stop me being involved with things the Burrow do whilst I’m out of the room! When I come back I am often greeted in the garden by children asking me to ‘play’ with them and often I think “I wonder how they expect me to play?” shall I be a fireman? Build a train?
Read moreFirst…let me take a selfie.
So…it’s become apparent as of recently that some of our Burrow children like to look at themselves, so what’s better than getting our front facing camera on on our laptop! So on goes the front facing camera and here are some of the poses and expressions we managed to capture!
Read moreForest School Holiday Club - Red Fox Report
Another Holiday Club has zipped by faster than your wild children down our zip-line. It was another fully booked week of absolute madness and fun. Here's what we got up to!
Read moreTotally Wild
This weekend we were lucky enough to host a foraging workshop, led by the brilliant James Wood, from Totally Wild UK. What his man doesn't know about wild foraging opportunities isn't worth knowing!
Read moreTommy Thumb
Providing children with appropriate support and materials to enable them to develop (further) skills and independence is a key feature of the Foundation Stage and Forest School. This belief (philosophy) underpins all that we at Free Rangers do.
Read moreSun, sun, sun
I thought this week it would be nice for you all to see what we have been up to over in the Baby unit, and we've spent lots of time in the garden! So this week in the Nest and Warren we have been out enjoying the sunshine! (That's right, the sunshine!) We've applied lots and lots of suncream over the past few weeks and we now all smell lovely!
Read moreChucky Pigs
Now that the weather is warmer and the April showers have passed we've noticed lots of 'bug' life in the paddock over the past weeks. Which of course meant it's time to do our annual bug hunt to understand bugs and what to expect from them, how they move, how many legs they have and how they change throughout their life cycle.
Read moreInCredible Edibles - Making Wild Tea
Little pinkies out! Let's have a cuppa! Anyone fancy a brew? Our Forest Schoolers however haven't been drinking any old builders swill. We've been foraging for the freshest most delicious greenery in our paddock to make some delicious conceptions to sample!
Read moreWhy do Woodlice have Moustaches?
Have you ever seen a Pond Snail egg sack? The poisonous jaws on a Centipede? Perhaps the tongue of Slow Worm? Well neither had many of our Forest Schoolers until we went creeping for crawlies (or crawling for creepies!)
Read moreWe've flown the Nest!
Madi and I have flown the Nest, but don't worry we haven't gone far! We have flown over to the farmhouse and into a new nest, which is bigger and brighter and boasts direct access on to the great outdoors. Myself and Madi are very excited and are still nest building and working out how best to use the space, or even how our little ones find fit to use the new space.
Read moreBalancing and climbing on the Timber Trail
What a lovely few days we have had exploring our natural surroundings and making the most of the sunshine! Last week the children loved the timber trail so we decided to carry the planning over to this week.
Read moreMove. Think. Play. Like a Bug!
If I asked any of our Forest Schoolers which space they like to play in the most, I would know. It's simple really. It's the space that offers the most diverse options for play. Our Tree House gets an absolute hammering from the children, but then again so does the rest of the site...
Read moreA bit of what we’ve been up to…
We’ve been enjoying the variety of weathers; rain, sunshine, snow and hail! As we all know we take any weather in our stride and make sure it doesn’t stop us, so on go our waterproofs, wellies and even at times, our sun hats! We’ve been exploring our surroundings, spending as much time as possible in the garden and in the paddock.
Read moreApril Forest School Holiday Club
It's incredibly rewarding to know that you're on the right path. Our Holiday Club continues to grow in popularity and the same faces keep coming back, so we're glad we're doing something right.
Read moreFly Swot Painting!
We are always looking for new ways to encourage mark making so with a bug theme ‘Fly Swot’ painting seemed just the ticket. The Den children were offered fly swots dipped in paint and invited to swot the canvas. Some children took to it with greater enthusiasm and vigour than others!
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