FOREST SCHOOL CLUB DECEMBER

 We had a lovely day in the cold sun exploring the woods, climbing a hill and seeing a buzzard fly across our heads on the top of the hill.
We also made wreaths and used a drill for making holes in shells and wood.

In the next session I am going to try using different drills with brace and bits to make woodland animals.
A few of the children are now older and need more challenging things to make and do. We will be exploring the woods more and venturing further afield.

I have just applied for funding for more equipment to be able to make shave horses and the tools to whittle on one. Fingers crossed as this would really allow some of the older children to develop a skill through out the months.

October 2012

FOREST SCHOOL CLUB ON THE BEACH

Today we went to the beach where we made lovely sand sculptures and ate pancakes on a fire. We looked at seaweed and coral and collected driftwood.

  

Inspecting coral found on the beach.

  

We made cats and fire works as well as a tortoise.

October 2012

MORE FOREST SCHOOL CLUB
We are starting a second Saturday of the month Forest School Club as well as every first Saturday of the month for children who want more days with us at Yellowcraigs.

I am hoping to start Fridaya in Dunbar with families and their children in the morning and older children in the afternoon at the community woodland.

I will also be starting a forest school type club in Portobello on the last Friday of every month, morning and afternoon same as Dunbar either on the beach or in a local woodland.
Waiting to hear from the council about availability.

October 2012

Making fires, ropes and bows and arrows!

October 2012

Sally and I were asked to run a Forest School birthday party in Edinburgh.

We made bow and arrows, we built a den and we eat some delicious sausages and marshmallows . . . 

A great success and a lovely 'thank you' from Vari Powell

I want to thank you and Sally for bringing Forest School into town! The party was an absolute triumph. Parents have been stopping me in the street recounting second hand tales, and children have been writing up complete bow and arrow making instructions for their parents (should they need them!). I am so grateful for your organisation, your ability to encourage the children to think and work as a team whilst den building, and the balance you bring between safety and adventure! I am still staggered by the fact that 10 working bow and arrows were made. You are both just brilliant.

Vari Powell 

September 2012

Today we made bread with cheese,whittled our sticks for marshmallows using knifes and potato peelers and made seed bombs with local clay.

Putting our fire out.

Rolling our clay seed balls.

Toasting marshmallows

Whittling with a knife using a safe position.

Some of our seed bombs.

August 2012

NEW DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

The Saturday Club will start up again on each first Saturday of the month starting the 1st of September - for 5 year olds and up.


The October Holiday club will be on Friday and Saturday the 19th and 20th of October for 6 year olds and up for 3 hours.
10 to 1 pm

£15.00 per session - rather than the usual £10.00.

July 2012

 SUMMER FOREST SCHOOL - WEEK 2

Making dens, walking on a tightrope, playing games, tug of war, making clay animals and toasting marshmallows.

Today we made dens again and had another snail race with the largest snail being the winner. We had a tug of war and curled up into tiny snails and had our own race to see who could be the last to get to the edge of the rope.

We went for a short walk and looked at colours in nature and tried to make pigments out of mud and plants. We are going to try to do this with gum arabic in future so that it stains. paper.

July 2012

SUMMER CAMP - WEEK 1

This week we have been making dens, cooking popcorn over an open fire, learnt some knots and kept a diary of what we have done. We climbed and played with rope as well as making spiders webs.

On the day it rained we had snail and slug race and walked through the woods to find various insects.

The group got on really well and we hope to see them again. Thanks again to Sally for helping.

JULY 2012

July Summer sessions are fully booked now apart from the 1st of August Where we have 2 spaces left. We are happy to put you on a reserve list for our October holiday sessions.

Our new holiday sessions will be for 5 years and up.
These will start up again on September the 1st.

JUNE 2012

Today we did some Happa Zoming - a type of printing using leaves and flowers collected in the woods. We all took turns making a film which will be edited and posted here soon  . . .

We made popcorn again and made flags with our prints to play a game with. We also had fun building a den.

Thanks again to Sally and Meika for their support and help. 

We will be having a break in July and August from our Saturday club as we are running our summer club then. The dates are the 23rd, 24th and 25th of July as well as the 30th, 31st and 1st of August. 

There are still a few spaces available. Please see our main website for details.

May 2012

SATURDAY CLUB

Today was a lovely day. There were many challenges and all the children enjoyed this. We practised walking on a fallen beech tree and then we walked on a rope. 

There was lots of co-operation and helping each other to balance and stay up.

We made popcorn and tried to make small willow baskets. Meika came to volunteer with us which was a great help.

 We saw millipedes and a daddylonglegs!!.

We made minibeast faces with our clay on trees.

We loved our popcorn and we painted on trees using charcoal left over from the fire.

We also went on a minibeast hunt and found two amazing red spiders that looked as if they were made of velvet!

APRIL 2012

The Easter Club

Today we painted easter eggs, went on an easter egg hunt and best of all walked on a tightrope. Everyone was really into doing this. Some of us fed the kelly kettle and we had hot ribena when the water had heated up inside the kettle.We also played hide and seek and hid behind some big old trees.