It was another chilly autumn morning at forest school! As the children arrived, we had some visitors at the bird feeder, including chickadees, a red-winged blackbird, and a red-bellied woodpecker.
We decided to head down to The Flats, somewhere we hadn't explored in a little while, and the children were eager to get back!
Our first stop was underneath Blackfriars Bridge, where everyone quickly found something to do. Some children were busy throwing rocks into the river, others were challenging themselves to climb the dyke, and a few spread out a blanket to enjoy some colouring and a game of Spot It!
I love how differently the children choose to spend their time when we're out together. Some are looking for movement and physical challenges, while others are perfectly happy to settle into a quieter activity, enjoying the outdoors in their own way.
From there, we continued along the river toward the Blackfriars Community Gardens. Along the way, we spotted a kingfisher! We also noticed two mystery birds down in the shallows that we weren't able to identify. Even with our field guides, there are always new things to discover and questions we don't immediately have answers to.
At the gardens, the children checked out the community sharing box and Little Free Library, both of which have become familiar stops on our visits. We also had the opportunity to meet some members of the community, another lovely part of spending time in our neighbourhood.
A train passed by, which always catches the children's attention, and two boys went searching for Finn, the garden cat we've met on previous visits. Unfortunately, Finn was nowhere to be found this time!
We also discovered some mushrooms and pulled out our field guides to investigate what kinds they might be.
When it was time to head back, the children worked together to pull our wagon home. It's a simple task, but one that gives them plenty of opportunities to cooperate, share the work, and figure things out together.
Back at the house, the afternoon unfolded in several directions. Some children picked raspberries, others experimented with our magnetic poetry, created nature art, or enjoyed some free play.
Meanwhile, another group of children was busy creating an entire nature restaurant!
They put a wonderful amount of thought into their restaurant, creating signage, decorating the tables, and even putting together a full menu of nature-themed items. What started as imaginative play became a shared project, with plenty of opportunities for creativity, planning, and collaboration.
These are some of my favourite kinds of forest school moments. The children take an idea of their own and run with it, adding details and building on one another's contributions until they've created something much more elaborate than anyone originally planned.
Between our return to The Flats, familiar neighbourhood stops, mystery birds, mushrooms, and a very creative restaurant, it was a full day of exploring and playing together.
Thanks for a great day, Sprouts!
