Being outdoors and getting fresh air is so important to little ones, and making it enjoyable for them too. That’s why we love venturing to the woods and seeing what we can find. There is so much to see and do that it is an endless amount of fun for us all.
We went along to a Rewildings Forest School stay and play session and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s a lovely quiet spot located just of Ryden’s Way in Walton on Thames.
Forest School is an outdoor educational approach that supports children to develop self-esteem, independence and confidence through child-led play in an outdoor environment. Forest school follows a holistic approach that encourages children’s imaginations, build’s self-esteem and creates the desire to understand, learn and respect the natural world around them. Through exploration and discovery the children are able to enjoy and self-initiate their own learning.
When we walked through the doors to Rewilding it was like we had entered into a forest wonderland. There were so many exciting activities hidden in the woods that both little ones couldn’t wait to get stuck in. From digging, climbing, exploring, using tools, mixing, building, reading, searching for things and painting. These activities are designed to foster and grow self-confidence and develop their physical, emotional, cognitive and social skills.
Noah headed straight to the painting area where he was able to decorate his wooden egg with a choice of colour, and he spent a lot of time steadily painting his pattern on the egg. Isabella decided that she wanted to make some potions so she headed straight to the mud kitchen area. She was able to pour different potions into the pots, mixing all the ingredients together and generally making a mess.
There was a very impressive bug hotel area set up, and we had various fact file sheets to help us identify the creatures and magnify glasses to spot the smallest creepy crawlies. Noah is very interested in bugs so this was great for him, he did try to catch a few to get a closer look but the bugs weren’t too keen on cooperating.
Isabella still likes to hold things when she explores, and she quickly made friends with a worm – even giving it a little kiss.
As this was an Easter special session we had some other crafts which we could do. We were able to make crowns out of twigs, and then we decorated with colour twine, such a simple activity but both little ones enjoyed it. Then we were able to make the Easter chick den, this was a lot of fun for Noah as he got to use the hammer.
He was able to hammer the nails into his chosen log, use the twine to make the fence and then fill in the nest for the chicken to sit on. He was in his element building this, and was so chuffed with the end result.
There was so much to explore that we in fact ran out of time to do every activity. We did come across the pirate ship and the hidden treasure – this was a great role play experience for the children and we all had lots of fun sailing and escaping from the sharks. If you fancied some quiet time then there was a book corner, and a hammock to relax in.
The highlight for both little ones has to be story time by the campfire. We listen as a story was read out, and we’re able to toast our marshmallows on the fire pit (of course accompanied by an adult) and make delicious s’mores. From the children’s reaction they were very scrumptious, so much so that they wouldn’t even share with me so am basing this on their reactions and the fact they vanished within seconds.
If you love the outdoors and exploring then I would highly recommend that you do pop along and try one of their sessions. We love exploring outside and Rewilding Forestry school has a lot to offer.
