A birthday in the rain

We started a new term hoping for spring like weather and we almost had it, for ten minutes! I’ve run three FS session this week and have been watching the weather forecasts intently and until today I’ve escaped a soaking.  After a slow start and having to convince everyone although the sky was blue it would be a good idea to take a coat out as showers were forecast we made it to the FS site.  Until now the shelter tarp has always lived at the bottom of the big red bag but it seem like today was going to be the day we needed it so armed with rope, tarp, mallets and tent pegs we went of in search of two trees to erect the shelter between.  Once we strung the rope between the trees the children unfolded the tarp and flung it over the rope.  Pulling the four corners tight they banged in tent pegs and tied off the guy ropes.  With the addition of a ground sheet we were ready for what ever the heavens had for us.

Now we have been running FS for a while and we have a core group of children who come I wanted to see what rules they thought we should have at FS.  With a large piece of fabric the kids wrote out their own Forest School Charter using fabric crayons so we will be able to hang it in the FS site.  We have so great new rules now; you must be kind, you’re not allowed to stomp, don’t touch mushrooms, don’t be naughty and have fun to list a few.

At the end of last term as we sat around the fire in tee shirts thinking that summer was here and decided to stop having hot chocolate in favour of squash although with the change in weather I had brought the old faithful with me today.  Instead of building a fire we used a Kelly kettle that works by having a bowl in which the fire is lit, then over it the kettle sits.  The kettle has a double wall so the flames go up the middle and heats a jacket of water around the column.  It can be safely used by the children who feed the fire by placing sticks on the top of the kettle and letting them fall into the fire keeping their hands away from the fire.  A number of the children had a go at this as they helped prepare the hot chocolate.  Just as the kettle boiled the clouds opened so we rushed into the shelter for snack time.  As the rain drummed on the tarp and water started puddling on the outer edges of the ground sheet we sang happy birthday to one of the boys at the top of our voices so we that we could be heard.  He declared this to be the best birthday ever whilst eating his second biscuit (wet days = 2 biscuits (Kate’s rule)).

As the rain eased off some of the group went of to work on dens and others remained to play in the shelter until it was time for home.  Next week wood cookie badge making and in the following weeks climbing frames ready for the assault course at the end of term.