Our week in the forest

Who’s that nipping at our fingers and noses this week? Oh! It’s Jack Frost!

Autumn is giving way to winter before our very eyes and before we know it there won’t be a single leaf left in Fishponds Woods! Between the onset of winter and the fires, we will have a very bare area to play. Thank goodness our children have the amazing imaginations they do to turn twigs into screwdrivers, trees into cat perches and ladders into trains.

Trains have been a key feature of this weeks play for the children with a huge variety of different imaginings for the resources in the forest. Our children have used face painting to become pendolino trains from Italy and alphabet trains from books, and squeezed themselves between the rungs of ladders and wandered round the forest as Thomas the Tank Engine and friends. All on board for this role-playing in the weeks to come!

We have been great treasure seekers this week. There were adventure walks a plenty (including two different walks on one day!) and with the mysterious introduction of a treasure map into the forest, the children have explored almost all the secret places that our forest has to offer. Choosing the right equipment for treasure hunting was very important and the children were very considered in their choices. Spades, trowels, sticks and buckets were all enlisted in the hunt for all the pleasures the woods hold for them.

Marshmallows over a fire and hot chocolate have been essential to keep the cold at bay this week. Little treats for the children, but something that teaches them great skills in fire safety (we walk around the edge of the fire circle, not through it) and correct stances when roasting a marshmallow to ensure the children are stable, comfortable and managing their own risks. This has been very important for our new children and it’s always a good reminder for those who have enjoyed many a marshmallow in the forest. These are great learning experiences for the children, all with a tasty reward!

News

Christmas Forest Party:
Monday 19th December
Remember to RSVP by Monday 21st November!

Stir It Up Fundraising for Crisis:
Support us by buying a jar or two of our Little Festive Folk mincemeat stirred by teeny tiny hands. To donate and find out more click here Justgiving. They will make wonderful Christmas presents for Grandparents.

Mindfulness:
Our practitioners are enjoying their weekly Mindfulness sessions and look forward to sharing what they learn with the children. Read more about why mindfulness is important from a young age on our blog.

Reminders

As we are rapidly approaching the end of the year, please note that the first day back for the Spring term will be Tuesday 3rd January.

There is an inset day scheduled for Friday 6th January, nurseries will be closed on this day for essential staff training and planning.

Parents may notice the following acronyms appearing on observations soon. The team will be using these to reference the 7 areas of learning as per the EYFS Curriculum;

CL Communication and language
PD Physical development
PSE, personal, social & emotional development
L literacy
M Mathematics
UW Understanding the world
EAD Expressive arts and design

What to wear

Next week is forecast to be rather chilly again and although we'll keep the children moving around lots, please do dress your little one warmly.

Check out our recommended winter kit list.

Make sure to clearly label all items of clothing.

Team Update

We are very sad to say that Colleen will be leaving us next month. We will all miss her and would like to thank her for her continued hard work in the forest. We wish her all the very best in her future adventures. Colleen's last day will be the 8th December.

Enjoy your weekend!

Little Forest Folk
Wimbledon