Autumn 1 Week 7
Muddy Magic in the Forest School Kitchen!
This week, our little adventurers fully embraced the joy of open-ended, sensory play by hosting their very own outdoor "Bake Off" challenge! Clad in their waterproofs and wellies, the children dove hands-first into the earth to whip up an impressive assortment of forest school mud muffins.
The woodland floor transformed into a bustling kitchen as the children experimented with texture, scooping rich soil, pouring rainwater, and carefully adjusting their recipes to achieve the perfect consistency.
To add the finishing touches to their culinary masterpieces, they scavenged the clearing for natural decorations, topping their creations with a delicate dusting of dry sand, fallen leaves, crunchy bark, and colorful pinecone pieces. Beyond the wonderful squelching fun, this collaborative activity provided a rich environment for social-emotional learning as the children naturally practiced sharing limited pots and pans, negotiated roles, and communicated their creative ideas. It was a beautiful reminder of how a simple bucket of mud can spark immense imagination, build fine motor skills, and foster a deep, joyful connection to the natural world.
They also created imaginative textured "clay tree faces" using mud, twigs and leaves, delving deep into the forest to select carefully different natural decorations for their creations.
Our children have also been going completely bonkers for conkers this week! The woods have been alive with excitement as the children scavenge through the fallen leaves to hunt down these glossy, brown treasures hidden inside their spiky green shells. Beyond the thrill of the chase, these natural gems have sparked endless creativity and learning. We’ve seen fantastic teamwork and focus as the children use hand drills to develop their wrist strength, carefully threading conkers onto string to make beautiful necklaces, traditional conker games, slithering snakes and even conker spiders!
Starry Night creations!
Our classrooms have been transformed this week as Kingfishers put the finishing touches on their spectacular Starry Night masterworks! Inspired by the legendary painter Vincent van Gogh, the children experimented with texture, layering, and movement to bring their own night skies to life.
Using short, expressive brushstrokes and playful, swirly patterns, they captured the swirling winds and glowing, shimmery stars exactly as Van Gogh did. It was wonderful to watch them channel their imaginations, blending rich blues, deep greens, and radiant yellows to give each landscape its own unique and magical energy. We are incredibly proud of their focus and creativity—just take a look at the stunning paintings!
In Jigsaw this week we discussed the importance of the Jigsaw charter that fits perfectly with our behaviours for learning. Bringing our class charter to life, Kingfishers showcased the class agreements and rights-respecting principles they co-created and promised to follow this year through pictures, learning firsthand how their choices build a supportive community and support them in their learning. We love seeing them model these positive behaviors every day, and define both our classroom and school culture!
"We need to listen to each other when we are talking and use our kind words"
"We must look after the equipment and be respectful"
"I will help others when they need help"
This week we couldn't have been prouder when a group of Kingfishers travelled to Park House to take part in a Multi skills event, representing the school in a range of different sporting activities. They all did amazingly well, had fun and tried their best, representing the school extremely well!
We couldn't be prouder!
Have a brilliant weekend, everyone! The children did an amazing job this week, and they have definitely earned a rest. I hope your weekend is filled with fun, laughter, and plenty of relaxation. See you next week for our final 3 days of the first half of the Autumn Term!
