Owlets Forest School Cambridgeshire

What is Forest School? | Forest School Association

Many people walking past our Owlets Forest School would probably say that it just looks like children playing in the woodland area!
There is so very much more happening underneath the surface!

It is about building on the uniqueness of the child, community building, celebrating an individual child's success; nature connectedness: tool and ropework and wellbeing & resilience.
Have a read :)

More info: https://forestschoolassociation.org/what-is-forest-school/

What is Forest School? | Forest School Association Forest School is a child-centred inspirational learning process, that offers opportunities for holistic growth through regular sessions. It is a long-term program that supports play, exploration and supported risk taking. It develops confidence and self-esteem through learner inspired, hands-on expe...

Happy Holi: Festival of Spring. We also have Spring equinox on Monday 🐰

We have some colourful things tomorrow!

Spaces available this Saturday morning (10-12pm) and afternoon slot. Please WhatsApp on our FB page or e-mail: [email protected]

Pewter! Melted down and we used clay as a mould. You can also use sandstone.
Saturday sessions available am and pm. Easter days 4/5/11/12 open too :)

Hi,
If you or you know someone who would like your child to attend Owlets but £15 is something that you cannot afford, can you message me please. We have allocated some free spaces in the afternoon and offer a six week rota 1-3pm 🦉 Please spread the word!

We now hold Saturdsy am and pm sessions: 10-12pm or 1-3pm. Please WhatsApp for bookings.
Today the children loved the bubbles in our bubble making bucket! They also made animal prints from clay. Lots of games and ropework too!

Sorry not many photos today but you know you have had a fun time at the end of the day when your phone doesn't recognise your fingerprint anymore, due to mud and you have racked 24,000 steps on Fitbit!
A lovely sweet boy made a worm home for a worm poking out of the soil. The whittled fox was the guard protecting the worm.
We decorated wooden mushrooms and spotted fungi and read books about mushrooms. Of course, we also cooked pancakes and had a pancake Obstacle race!

Owlets children spotted some some turkeytail fungi from the bracket fungus family. Of course we needed to read this book and decorate our own this Saturday :) Saturday sessions open for 10-12 or 1-3pm
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/fungi/turkeytail

We made alder ink today by boiling our alder cones for 30 minutes. The children helped us keep the fire alight by collecting twigs and showing us: 'a good 'snap' of a twig created good kindling'!
We had a lovely sing song with our hot chocolate and read: ' Why we love trees'; we had a chat about the trees near to where we live, and how they appeared during last week's storms- luckily they were still rooted 🌳
Other things we did: child-led games/ activities; spotting turkey tail fungi; chatting about lichen, from the lovely parent: Lucy!
#Forest school community.

You may have remembered I made Oak Gall Ink in the summer. Did you know you can also make 'Alder' ink. Keep your eyes peeled, the Alder cones are out now!

I have made some natural alder ink for the children to take home on Saturday!
This is a lovely website highlighting recipes:
https://www.hobbyfarms.com/5-natural-ink-recipes-2/

Found this and thought useful to share :)

Half-term sessions have now ended and we have loved it! We enjoyed the wind today; one boy made a frisbe and wanted to throw it inbetween the laser beams he had created without hitting them. We also had vegan sausages with tomato ketchup on the BBQ (the ketchup also hid the crunchy bits!). We moved to the meadow (Trumpington) the last hour due to the increase in wind knots; we made wooden cookies and saw lots and I mean lots of mole hills.
SATURDAY SESSIONS NOW OPEN for bookings every Weekend!

Rain always brings a different kind of play and huge amounts of curiosity. It was absolutely brilliant and the children enjoyed themselves!
We had hot stones to warm hands (first picture); brought in green topics such as recycling, by collecting the rainwater caught around the forest: scooping it up from the tarps and adding this to our buckets of water. We also had a game of who could collect the most raindrops in our mouths ( I lost). We rolled down our mound and got covered in mud, but the children were absolute free spirits, it was joyful . Oh, we also did parachute games and songs.

Today, we hammered nails; we made dream catchers; we did a string walk where your partner needed to steer you whilst blindfolded (team work!). We toasted marshmellows and whittled our roasting sticks, lots of games; sit-spots and natural paint; camps and dens; swooped like owls to catch the mice! Lots of fun 🦉 spots available Tues morning and Wed afternoon

What beautiful day. The children made dragon eggs as a follow-on from Lunar New Year. We found a sit-spot and bird watched. The children played games and had hot chocolate and a sing song
The children spent ages creating a human train with rope: the children were leading others around the forest floor: dropping and picking other's up! Particularly enjoyed going through the tarp shelter, as you would if you were going through a tunnel!!
The children enjoyed fire lighting and made a vase of sticks from a hole they spotted in a log ( last picture)

Owlets Forest School Cambridgeshire Cannot wait to take these into our Forest school session! Spaces available this halfterm: Monday, Tues, Wed. Visit FB page and WhatsApp/ email: [email protected]

Some more pictures from our session yesterday!

Lunar New Year: We played a game where the children had to hunt for the lost dragon scales (leaves) and added these to the dragon's body (bottom right) .We also made tigers out of toilet roles. We played with woodland creatures. The children loved the tight rope and played a game of crocodiles catching them if they fell!
Of course, to go with the tiger theme, we read 'When the Tiger came for Tea and then made songs up afterwards. Beautiful day!

Owlets Forest School - How Are You South Cambs

Thank you H.A.Y.S
https://www.haysouthcambs.co.uk/activities/owlets-forest-school/

Owlets Forest School - How Are You South Cambs Wild Minds is an 8 week course for young people with mild/moderate mental health challenges. Taking place in Milton Country Park, small groups learn bush craft, survival skills, paddle boarding, yoga and mindfulness with experienced instructors. No experience necessary!

Happy Lunar New Year! 🐅
Xīnnián kuàilè" (新年快乐)
Gong hei fat choy" (恭喜发财)

We have spaces for next Saturday Forest School & spaces for half term: 13/14/15th Feb- choose: 10-12pm/1-3pm or 10-3pm

I have done my hour of bird watching as part of this weekend's Big Garden Birdwatch 2022. Can you see the female Sparrow in the bird bath?! I am sure that was the first thing you spotted!

Hi Parents/Carers,
Have you thought about becoming a Forest School Leader?
Please contact Huathe who are offering the Level 3 Forest School Leadership course in Landbech.
I did my training with Elizabeth and Carole and hugely recommend them :)
Contacts:
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
Mobile: 07964569149

January: Wolf Moon

Who saw the Wolf Moon tonight? First full moon of the year 17.01.22 🐺

https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/wolf.html

January: Wolf Moon January's Full Moon is named after howling wolves. In some cultures, it's known as the Quiet Moon, Severe Moon, and the Moon after Yule.

Hi All
We are now opening our half-term bookings for the: 14th; 15th and 16th of February: 10-12/1-3/10-3pm.

Please WhatsApp/ Messenger us for more info/booking, or e-mail us on: [email protected]
Thanks 🦉

As Forest School Leaders, we always need to skill-up! We did this just on Sunday through being members of The Forest School Association- Cambridgeshire!
I am not a natural weaver but these little wonders are brambles, minus the thorns!
Thank you Wildflowers Forest School for a helping hand and thank you Fireflies for hosting x

Sorry, forgot to take photos today!
Alongside child-led freeplay; in readiness for the Big Bird Watch at the end of the month: https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/; we made a huge bird's best from leaves and hid worms (wool) around the forest and the children looked for these and added these to the nest!.
We also talked about: Wassailing (practised for centuries) during our hot chocolate/ warmed apple juice time and sang to our fruit trees (an apple in the middle of the log circle!): https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/ritual-and-revelry-the-story-of-wassailing
Finally, we all talked about the benefits of being outside and 'the children of the forest' just knew the benefits themselves!!
The children were offered the chance to complete the 100 hour challenge (each square represents an hour of outside!). Once brought back to Owlets, we shall leave a note to the fairy tree and see what they come back with!! 🧚‍♂️
For more info: https://www.1000hoursoutside.com/

Many will have leftover Xmas trees, or a place in their local community to deposit old 🎄. I have 12 🎄 tops to take with me on Saturday. Here we have made a whisk or, it could be a wonderous wand!
We now have pm slots 1-3pm this Saturday @ Owlets (Trumpington Meadow/Byron Wood) available. Apologies, morning is all booked up. Please go to our FB page and WhatsApp/message for afternoon sessions. 🦉

We had a birthday Party at Owlets and a parent was kind enough to provide the following review and provide consent to share it on Facebook! Thank you C:

Thanks for a fabulous party. You and your crew did a wonderful job. Each one of your helpers were wonderful with the children. Patient and fun and creative. B and his friends had a wonderful time.
Thanks very much

If you would like an alternative birthday setting, please WhatsApp!