Zen Tower

We were set the challenge of competing with 2 other groups to build the tallest tower using only natural materials. Our team approached the challenge with a desire to build and create but not to compete. We found ourselves naturally drawn into purposeful roles: 2 builders, 2 gatherers. The process of making the tower became very meditative: we became deeply absorbed in the action and aesthetic of building the structure.

The competitive basis of the task seemed to us to go against what each of us felt and understood about the ethos and aims of Forest Schools practice. Is Forest School the place to introduce competition between peers? What would we be trying to teach through peer competition? Is competition with peers the best way to motivate?

My thoughts and feelings come back to recognising that whilst competition can provide motivation it must also be recognised that wherever there are winners there are also losers: someone experiences success and others experience failure.

Competition between peers is not something I would consciously choose to introduce into a Forest School programme. My leanings are much more towards mutual success and achievement through cooperation.

Fire starter

Logs are pegged securely in a square about 1 metre across to define a safe working space. A bed of finger-width sticks provides a base for the tinder and kindling to rest. Cotton wool and birch bark are covered with fine dry kindling twigs. slightly thicker twigs form a small tipi around the tinder and kindling pile. A magnesium striker is used to generate a spark to ignite the cotton wool; which in turn lights the birch bark; then the kindling; then the small twigs. More twigs are added to keep the fire going until the twigs are large enough to maintain a steady stable fire.

Simple seating

A simple seat using three trees, two lengths of wood and twine. The ends of the twine are tied to the trees using timber hitch knots so that when someone sits on the seat the knots tighten. The lengths of wood are tied in place using clove hitches. The finishing touch was knotted netting to the seat more comfortable.

Homes for our Forest Friends

Introducing Stick Man and Theresa Green...

Today we made forest friends and miniature villages. The children were totally engaged in imaginative and interactive play. It was delightful to see small groups and pairs of children playing together through making their forest figures come to life.

This session I saw the children truly absorbed in free play, each following their own interests and imaginations.

Who lives in our trees?

We wanted to find out what or who was living in our trees so we decided to do a canopy shake. We laid out a white sheet ready to catch the creatures that fell as we gently shook the branches. But first we couldn't resist laying on the sheet and looking up at the canopy. We enjoyed looking at the light shimmering through the leaves.

The children excitedly discovered creatures of all shapes and sizes were living in the trees. Once again for some, drawing was the way they deepened their understanding and communicated what they had found.

One child was totally absorbed in browsing all the creatures in an identification book and ending up nestling himself in his tree with the book and magnifying glass to see the pictures in more detail...

Finding our tree

Thanks to Amanda for sharing this idea which is a lovely way to nurture a deeper connection between children and the woodland.

I started the session by telling the children that there in the woodlands was their very own tree. I told them there was a way to find out which was their tree and to do this they first had to find three lines on the palm of one of their hands. Using a pen they then drew over the three lines they've found. Then they were told that to find their tree they could match the three lines on their hands with lines that they found in the trees. When they'd found a match, they'd found their tree. Interestingly, some children were drawn to the same tree, so I congratulated them on finding one of the 'sharing trees'.

They went on to look closely and explore their tree, to get to know it better. The children were free to use their forest artist books when and if they wanted to. Many children chose to capture wonderful written and drawn descriptions of their tree.

In the following weeks children returned to their trees time again to sit and relax or to play. Their tree had become their special place.

The Sitting Tree

School staff were very nervous at the prospect of some children wanting to climb trees during the sessions. I used a creative tool to steer children towards finding a particular tree in the woods. The tree had many stems which were low hanging and sturdy. It was perfect for a number of children to climb up into and sit together.

A mystery letter was delivered to the children which had inside a puzzling riddle. The children loved solving the riddle and enjoyed exploring the woods to find tree the sitting tree.

At the end of the day children were invited to draw pictures and talk about what they had most enjoyed, the sitting tree was a popular choice...

Marking the boundary

With support the children decided where the boundary of our Forest School was. They took it in turns to choose which trees constituted the edge of the boundary and joined the trees together using red string. The picture shows two of the boys quality control checking the boundary line.

It was a successful and visual way of involving children in agreeing the boundary and made deciding the boundary fun rather than by an imposed rule.

What colour are you feeling today?

The first time I met with the group of children I'm working with we looked at the rings found inside a tree and talked about how you tell how old a tree was by counting its rings. Then, inspired by a technique I've seen artist, Talya Rochester, use we decorated our forest school artist books with a personalised tree ring design.

We started at the centre (the 'heartwood') and choose which colour to use by asking ourselves 'what colour am I feeling today?'.

Flourishing people

I came across this quote while researching and reading about psychological concepts of self esteem, self worth, self image and ideal self. I thought the metaphor beautifully encapsulated some of the thinking that underpins Forest Schools...

Carl Rogers, humanistic psychologist suggests that:

“For a person to ‘grow’, they need an environment that provides them with genuineness (openness and self-disclosure), acceptance (being seen with unconditional positive regard), and empathy (being listened to and understood). Without these, relationships and healthy personalities will not develop as they should, much like a tree will not grow without sunlight and water...Like a flower that will grow to its full potential if the conditions are right…so people will flourish and reach their potential if their ‘environment’ is good enough”

(Sean McLeod www.simplypsychology.org)