The Autumn Chill

As the weather starts to chill, the children have turned their attention to the ways in which nature slows down. The trees lose their leaves ready to rest and store their energy for new growth in Spring, but what are the animals doing?

In Forest School we play close attention to our animal neighbours: we know that the Squirrel has been burying acorns in the long grass and have found last year's forgotten larder as new oaks begin to sprout; we know that the birds are trying to gain fat and are building up their nests to get them through the cold weather; we've even found amphibians hiding away in our log pile. But the group we never see are our nighttime visitors, the nocturnal animals, who busy around after dark, snuffling and digging to unearth their favourite suppers.

Many of these - hedgehogs, bats, frogs and toads for example - are also hibernators, so to help them snuggle up for the winter the Butterfly children have been building Homes for Hibernators. Using hammers, nails and timber off cuts the children have built bat houses and hedgehog hotels to be housed in the Forest School Woodland.

Also this month the children have been paying their respects and making poppy-coloured god's eyes to mark Armistice Day.