What a wonderfully Wintery way to start 2025, we are so happy to be back in the forest with our favourite crew! Frosty grass, crunchy mud, frozen puddles and a chill in the air have given us plenty of opportunities this week to see our landscape through a different lens, especially in the mornings. The common that we know, love and often forget to really appreciate in all its forms was transformed this week into a pale and crisp terrain that stretched as far as the eye could see, and we were just about able to pretend we were in the countryside for a moment or two! Our focus this week has been on shapes and patterns, so we have been observing both the natural and human-made world by trying to spot these phenomena in unusual places. Whether it was road signs or frozen spiderwebs, tents or tyre tracks, the children were on the hunt for 2D and 3D shapes and motifs.

While there was plenty of verbal discussion about the shapes we recognised, we also decided to put our knowledge into action with some tool work, making stars, triangles, squares and hexagons by hammering nails into blocks cut from branches and twisting elastic into lines and patterns. Children had to concentrate and use both care and strength to place, hammer, pinch and twist, allowing them the opportunity to fine tune their hand-eye coordination and their gross and fine motor skills! The aching elbows and furrowed brows were worth it, as the kids went away with some beautiful creations and a huge sense of pride. We too, are proud of their efforts and persistence!

We are so pleased to be back together for our first full week of the new year, and we look forward to many more adventures ahead in 2025. Have a wonderful weekend and see you all next week, wrapped up warm and ready for more adventuring!

Little Forest Folk
Wimbledon Village