Forest School at Discovery
Forest School is a favourite play for the children at our Devon Nursery, Discovery. Whether that’s a classic mud pie, a splash in the puddle or a new pal Mr. Slug: we want to teach our children about the importance of the world around them. Not only does nature play encourage curiosity, it also helps children experiment, problem solve, ask questions, make hypotheses and develop inquisitive minds.
Forest School Activities
We’re lucky enough to have 4 gardens here at Discovery that all 4 rooms make use of, but there’s something mud-tastic about our Forest School Garden!
The youngest children in the Retreat have been amongst a sensory exploration, investigating new natural materials such as leaves, mud and sticks. The staff encouraged the children to play how the children wished to build confidence and bravery in playing with nature. The children showed great curiosity and even started babbling “ooo!” as they explored.
The Explorers have taken their motor skills with them all the way to Forest School with a transporting activity. The children took initiative and found sticks, leaves and flowers to add to some pots and pans to create some magic potions. Some of the children used spoons to stir the pot and asked for some “water.” The staff took the children to the hose to fill up the pans so they could continue their creations!
For our oldest children, the Inventors, our Forest School session was full of clay hedgehogs and oil painting, but mother nature had another lesson in mind! Down came the rain and out came the thunder. With pure bravery, the children listened to the thunder as they danced in the rain. They were very inquisitive and asked “What is thunder?” The children and staff found out together that thunder is created when lightning passes through the air and a thunderstorm is like a big waterfall of electricity.
We love Forest School here at Discovery. Let us know what ideas you have for future lessons!
