Tender Shoots-Forest schools

Tender Shoots-Forest schools Tender shoots' aim is to help children, parents and schools get the best out of life and each other through offering forest school sessions.

Tender shoots' aim is to help children, parents and schools get the best out of life and each other through forest school sessions.

It was great to have The Habbit Factory with us this afternoon at stepping up as we focussed on our communication and li...
22/06/2026

It was great to have The Habbit Factory with us this afternoon at stepping up as we focussed on our communication and listening skills. Zoe encourages the children through games to act as one person or create one image, among other activities. This encourages the children to slow down and listen carefully, it also encourages awareness of others. The children worked well to take on different roles. We also began thinking about which characteristics are our strengths, we will spend more time exploring this next week.

Rowan class had a good morning learning about the water cycle today. There was a breeze for most of the morning which he...
22/06/2026

Rowan class had a good morning learning about the water cycle today. There was a breeze for most of the morning which helped keep us cooler. We had plenty of water activities including making pictures using spray bottles, making boats/rafts, drawing with ice. Then we enjoyed cooling off by shaking water on the tarp and finished off with a water challenge. The whole class worked together to transport the water along guttering into a bucket. The children leant that the guttering needed to overlap and be higher at the beginning than the end. Well done everyone.

Today it was time for a new group of children to begin the stepping up program. They began by establishing their group r...
15/06/2026

Today it was time for a new group of children to begin the stepping up program. They began by establishing their group rules about how we work as a team and treat each other. We learnt about Lewis and Clark mapping America as a pair and how Sacagawea helped guide and support them. Then we spilt into 2 groups as Lewis and Clark and undertook some challenges under the guidance of Mrs Eve and Alison. Communication was key in both the blindfold challenge and the crossing the water challenge. It was great to see some children compromising and adapting their ideas as the challenges developed. Well done everyone.

Rowan class spent their morning thinking about things we love in nature. We started with a game of ‘go find it’ and then...
15/06/2026

Rowan class spent their morning thinking about things we love in nature. We started with a game of ‘go find it’ and then went on a hunt with our heart finders. The children said they loved the sky, the leaves, the trees and the grass.
Then everyone had the opportunity to make their own vase of wildflowers. There was time to explore and the children found some ladybirds and spent time being still by the pond in the hope of spotting some frogs. Some frogs and tadpoles were seen too.

This week was art week. I began by reading a book called ‘I Can See Nature’s Rainbow’, which explores the colours of th...
12/06/2026

This week was art week. I began by reading a book called ‘I Can See Nature’s Rainbow’, which explores the colours of the rainbow and where they can be found in nature. The children enjoyed sharing their own ideas, including purple lavender, the yellow sun, and brown mud.

The children then created their own nature-inspired artwork through natural mark-making with chalk and charcoal, sticky art using collected natural materials, and a collaborative ground-art mandala.

Once finished, we displayed their creations in our Forest School Gallery around an oak tree, celebrating the wonderful creativity on show.

To end the session, the children enjoyed playing the requested chasing game, ‘Foxes and Rabbits.’ 🦊🐰🌿

Rowan class were very happy to be back at forest school today. The rain held off meaning we were able to explore making ...
08/06/2026

Rowan class were very happy to be back at forest school today. The rain held off meaning we were able to explore making sounds with instruments and then made our own woodland instrument too. We learnt about when to play or stop following a conductor. The children enjoyed the opportunity to learn about maypole dancing and welcoming the summer in, hopefully we’ll have some more sunshine soon. There was time to dig, use the swing and play foxes and rabbits. It was good to see the children lead their own learning as they each followed their different interests.

It was wonderful to welcome Walnut Class back for their second block of Forest School sessions. Today's session was insp...
05/06/2026

It was wonderful to welcome Walnut Class back for their second block of Forest School sessions. Today's session was inspired by the traditional tale Little Red Riding Hood.

We began by reading the story together before setting off on our own adventure. The children followed a trail that led from Red Riding Hood's house all the way to Grandma's cottage. They were very careful not to leave the path, as they didn't want the Big Bad Wolf to gobble them up! Along the way, the children navigated a series of obstacles, using their balance and coordination to weave their way through the "forest".

To sharpen our listening skills, inspired by the line, "Oh, what big ears you have!", the children wore blindfolds and sat quietly, tuning in to the sounds of nature around them.

Next, we focused on our looking skills with the phrase, "Oh, what big eyes you have!" The children took part in a nature scavenger hunt, using binoculars and magnifying glasses to explore their surroundings. One child discovered a ladybird, while others spotted lots of tiny leafhoppers. They even managed to spot a mushroom.

We also visited the school pond, where the children were excited to see many tadpoles and some tiny frogs.

Finally, we explored the phrase, "Oh, what big teeth you have!" by enjoying a healthy snack of different fruits, just like the treats Red Riding Hood carried in her basket for Grandma.

This week was Beech Class’s final Forest School session in Year One, so we celebrated with hot chocolate and delicious s...
22/05/2026

This week was Beech Class’s final Forest School session in Year One, so we celebrated with hot chocolate and delicious s’mores cooked over the fire.

We began by talking about how to stay safe around the fire. Many of the children could remember the important safety rules, including sitting in the respect position, staying a safe distance from the fire, and tying long hair back. They also remembered that we need oxygen (air), fuel (wood), and heat (a spark) to make a fire.

After putting the fire out safely, we talked about why May is such a special month for nature. We discussed how spring is now in full swing, with plants growing, new animals being born, and insects such as bees and butterflies becoming more active. I explained that May Day is celebrated on the 1st of May, and that one traditional celebration is the maypole dance. The children had a go at holding the ribbons and dancing around the maypole to traditional folk music. They then made their own mini maypoles using sticks and colourful wool.

It has been a pleasure getting to know your children over these ten sessions, and I hope they have all enjoyed their Forest School experience.

Stepping Up had a busy day on their trip. They were inspired by the story or Rami a refugee who had fled Syria and arriv...
18/05/2026

Stepping Up had a busy day on their trip. They were inspired by the story or Rami a refugee who had fled Syria and arrived in Germany where he managed to make music on his violin that he had taken on the journey with him. They undertook a survival challenge where they made shelters, hammocks, skipping rope activities and pretend fires. The day finished with a celebration around the fire making hot chocolate and cooking s’mores. There was time for some self reflection at our graduation time where we thought about the characteristics we had been developing. Well done for that team work skills developed.

This week’s theme was Animals in Nature. I had a bag of soft toy animals that live wild in the UK, and the children had ...
15/05/2026

This week’s theme was Animals in Nature. I had a bag of soft toy animals that live wild in the UK, and the children had to try and guess what was in my bag. They were able to guess many of the animals, including a bat, a deer, a rabbit and a squirrel.

A few children suggested animals that live in the wild in other countries, such as tigers and koalas, but I explained to them that although they are wild animals, we do not have them living wild in this country.

The children were shown a selection of different animals that had been made using clay and natural materials, such as a hedgehog, a bird and a worm. Using these as inspiration, the children were then given their own piece of clay to make their own creature. We had a wide selection of creations, including a caterpillar, a butterfly and a snail.

The children learned a new game today called Squirrel in a Tree. At first they found it quite tricky, but they soon got the hang of it.

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Romford

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