It was a brisk autumn morning, and some of our Wildflowers weren't too thrilled about being outside in the cold! This led to a good conversation about how we can prepare ourselves for forest school as the seasons change. We talked about checking the weather forecast, looking at the hourly temperatures and wind, and dressing in layers. Hats, neck warmers, gloves, and splash pants can make a big difference in how comfortable we feel outdoors.
We decided to head out for a walk to find some sunshine and warm ourselves up. I also had a little mission in mind! While walking the dogs, I'd spotted some beautiful red burning bush leaves that I thought would be perfect for a future art project.
As we collected leaves, we revisited the principles of the Honourable Harvest: Greet, Ask, Listen, and Thank. Partway through, I caught myself and realized we should be looking for leaves that had already fallen rather than picking them directly from the plants.
I don't mind making mistakes in front of the children. In fact, I think it's important for them to see that adults make mistakes too, and that we can recognize them, acknowledge them, and adjust what we're doing.
After our walk, we spent some time warming up in the dome. The girls experimented with the magnetic poetry words I'd made, creating their own little poems. Some even offered to help cut out new words to add to our collection. I love when the children help create the resources we use at forest school. It gives them a sense of ownership and lets their ideas shape what's available for everyone.
There was also colouring, plasticine, and wooden peg people to decorate. One girl proudly showed me her peg person and announced, "She's dressed for the weather, she has layers and a neck warmer!" I had to laugh. Our morning conversation had clearly stuck with her!
After lunch, we settled in to listen to a few more chapters of The Enchanted Wood before heading out on another adventure to the Blackfriars Community Gardens.
Along the river, we kept an eye out for "Shadow," the big fish we've spotted on previous visits. Unfortunately, Shadow was nowhere to be seen. One girl guessed that he'd swum away, while another wondered if perhaps a fisherman had caught him. We'll have to keep looking on future visits!
Once we arrived at the gardens, the girls decided they wanted to catch some bugs. Almost immediately, they managed to catch two butterflies! Out came our field guides as they worked to figure out what kinds they'd found.
They began collecting flowers to create a "butterfly buffet" for their visitors, but before long, we noticed a patch of flowers where butterflies were already gathering.
We settled into the beautiful autumn sunshine and spent some time simply watching the butterflies and bees feeding on the flowers. After a chilly start to the day, it was lovely to sit together in the warmth, observing all the activity happening around us.
Eventually, we made our way back to the dome, where the girls worked on their nature journals before pickup.
From conversations about dressing for the weather to poetry, butterfly investigations, and some quiet time in the sunshine, it turned out to be a wonderful autumn day.
Thanks for a great day, Wildflowers!
