January

As mid‑winter settles in, our Forest School sessions have focused on how we keep ourselves warm and well in the colder months. The children have been tuning into their bodies - noticing cold fingers, understanding the importance of layers, and learning how movement, shelter and warm drinks help us stay comfortable outdoors. This has naturally led us to think about the creatures who share our woodland space and how they manage the winter chill. As part of the Ruby Robin Award, the children have been exploring what birds need at this time of year and how we can play our part in looking after them.

We have also been preparing for the Big Schools’ Birdwatch by learning to identify some of our regular visitors and making fat balls to help them through the coldest weeks. Mixing seeds and lard has been a wonderfully sensory (and messy!) experience, and the children have taken great pride in hanging their feeders around the site. These small acts of care help the children understand the interconnectedness of winter life - how we look after ourselves, how we look after the wildlife around us, and how the woodland continues to thrive even in the quietest part of the year.

Christmas

As winter settles in, our Forest School sessions shift into a quieter rhythm, observing the world around us. With leaves fallen and branches empty, the children have become tree detectives, noticing silhouettes, bark patterns and the wildlife that thrives in the colder months. We have learnt about Evergreens standing out with the vibrant colour and life. This has led us to wonder how these resilient trees keep their colours over winter and why they’ve long been symbols of hope and continuity during the darkest part of the year.

As we move towards Christmas, the children have enjoyed wreath‑making to display inside and outside the nursery. We have used natural materials from the woodland floor and the children have twisted willow, and woven in evergreen sprigs to create beautiful pieces. Our beautiful wreaths carry the story of winter learning - hands busy, senses alive, and a deepening appreciation for the quiet magic of the woods.

Autumn

This term is flying by in Forest School in a whirlwind of autumn leaves. We have explored colour, shape and texture and experimented with autumn seeds. Can you find a conker or a prickly sweet chestnut? What about an acorn? The children have been delighted by their seasonal finds and have continued to develop their listening skills and curiosity to explore this fantastic season. As the weather gets colder we have talked about how we will keep ourselves warm as winter approaches so you may get requests for Forest School kit - any questions do let us know.

As the weather continues to chill, this month we have turned our attention to our animal friends and the ways they keep themselves warm in the woods. First up were our hibernators. The children learnt this new word and explored what it meant and who could possibly dislike the cold so much that they would go to sleep until spring. We built hedgehog houses and minibeast hotels for frogs and other amphibians. The following week we talked about a different approach to the cold weather - migration. We imagined disliking the cold so much that you will fly for thousands of miles to find some sunshine. We made welcome geese and goodbye swallows to celebrate these amazing creatures and their holiday habits. Finally we thought about the creatures that stay, the ones with big bushy tails to snuggle under, the ones with nests to line and the ones who live in big families for warmth. The children’s curiosity has been so impressive on this scientific journey, it’s been a pleasure to watch.