Year 5's Forest school sessions

What a fantastic time Year 5 has been having at Forest School! Our recent sessions have been packed with fun, hands-on learning, and, most importantly, the development of our key learning powers.

We saw fantastic examples of reciprocity and resourcefulness as the children tackled ambitious building projects. The natural environment became a limitless construction site!

Bleu told us all about their amazing creation:

"Me Vinnie and Alfie built a kingdom out of ropes, wood, bricks and tarpaulin. We also were roleplaying and Vinnie was king."

Working together to design, gather materials, and construct a shelter requires incredible teamwork, communication, and creative problem-solving—the very definition of reciprocity!

A core part of Forest School is learning to use tools safely and respectfully. The children were incredibly focused when being taught how to use a hand drill.

Patricia shared her brilliant resourceful project:

"We made necklaces out of conkers - we used strings and we used a hand drill to make holes in the conkers."

And the children showed great attention to detail when discussing safety rules:

Isabella reminded us:

"We learned how to use plam drill safely. You need to wear a glove and you need to hold the item securely."

This attention to safety is something we practice across all activities, especially when exploring the boundaries of the forest area.

Tree climbing is a favourite activity, helping the children develop physical confidence, spatial awareness, and the ability to assess risk. But safety is always the priority, showing the children's responsibility and listening skills:

Dominic said:

"We need to ask an adult to use the tools and then when we climb trees we have an adult with us."

Penelope added a key rule:

"When you're climbing a tree you can't go too high and you need to be able to reach the adult."

 

Year 5 is truly embracing the challenges and opportunities of the outdoors, proving they can be reciprocal and resourceful learners in every environment!