Portobello family group and over 6 group

Had a lovely day playing and dying eggs for easter ,good Friday. We even found a nest while looking for hidden chocolate eggs.

We tried whittling with carrots first and went on to work with pine which was quite tricky but we made a spear, and a wooden knife.

We liked climbing trees and making rope swings. We even took one home that we had made ourselves!

 We dyed eggs in beetroot and red cabbage juice nd used leaves as a resist.

FOREST SCHOOLS UPDATE

Looking forward to meeting people for the first family forest school at Figgate park tomorrow. The opening to meet at ten or 1.30 for older children is at Baileyfield road.
Hope to see every one there.
We will be decorating easter eggs using plants and natural dyes and hunting for easter eggs to put in our birds nests.
Fingers crossed for good weather...

Forest club at Yellowcraigs March

Yellowcraigs forest club,using bow saws,drills and knifes.

making animals with legs and ears as well as beaks and wings.

NEW DATES FOR SUMMER SESSIONS,DUNBAR AND PORTOBELLO CLUBS

NEW DATES;

Summer sessions;3rd and 4th of July for 3 hour session
Also in August on the 7th,8th and 9th each day for 3 hours.

Come and enjoy the woods in the summer, learn how to make animals out of wood and make fire torches. Eat wild food and make campfire bread.

NEW DUNBAR DATES AT COMMUNITY WOODLANDS;5th Of April morning and afternoon. Bookings welcomed.

PORTOBELLO CLUB AT FIGGATE PARK;29th Of March.Morning and Afternoon.Bookings welcome

February Forest Club

Here we are pulling and knotting rope to make our own tarp dens.We tried to work out how to keep it up and how to shelter us.

Today we made pancakes round a fire,set up a slackline and had a go at working with rope and knots. It was too cold to sit around and learn the new knot, round turn and two half hitches but everyone managed to use some knots.

We Used feathers to decorate our den.

We pulled hard to get the slackline as tight as possible.

We were lucky as it was a lovely sunny day and the den building took over and we also built a bridge across a small river.We were lucky to have Anna and Andi helping us.

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.