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.