The year 4 children have zipped up, moved around and hunkered down this half term and learnt how to be resilient when the weather is less favourable.  We’ve learnt how to keep warm by keeping moving, the importance of keeping dry underneath our waterproof layers and that dirt washes off!

They have been a resilient team and, appropriately, the focus of the half term was on team work. We worked in the first weeks on building obstacle courses and then developing communication skills and trust to lead each other around them blindfolded. This involved assessing risk for someone else, a good deal of patience and empathy.

The wind kept us out of the woods the following week but didn’t stop play- we played with catapult building, problem solving and sharing ideas around how to fire a ping pong ball, create stable structures and, importantly, get the furthest distance from our contraptions.

The groups had their first foray into whittling with knives, including safety talks and developing safe knife handling skills.

We looked again at fire lighting and also building a small fire, collecting resources from trees on site and learning how to start and safely manage a small fire in a tin, with varying levels of rain related successes- but sometimes we try even though we know we may fail, and then reflect on what we’ve learnt.

The children did an impressive job of developing their knotting skills and all listened to my roller coaster story to remember how to tie a clove hitch knot, awesome for swing making, tying onto trees and roof racks- we are preparing our campers of the future!

All of this was interspersed with frequent tree climbing, rope swinging, den building, fort building and play which is helping children begin to develop their own skills in assessing and managing risks for themselves, in a supportive outdoor environment.

A big thank you to all our grown up helpers as always, who also managed rain, mud and cold feet with good humour and enthusiasm!  They were rewarded with big smiles and hot chocolate and marshmallows with the children,

Miss Brown

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