Today we set up targets for the children to throw at. We decided to make our own mud balls to throw. The children worked together to hit the target and competed against each other to throw the most or see who could throw the farthest. The children explored the school grounds natural environment today and developed a new skill. Throwing mud at a target was a way for the children to experiment with cause and effect, as they learn’t their actions affect the trajectory and impact of the mud.
Today at Forest School the children learnt some interesting Hedgehog facts and why they hibernate.
They hibernate as a way to conserve energy and survive through the winter months when food is scarce. During hibernation, a hedgehog’s metabolic rate slows down, and its body temperature drops significantly, which helps it to conserve energy.
Hedgehogs typically hibernate from late autumn to early spring, depending on the climate and availability of food. Before hibernation, they will need to build up their fat reserves by feeding on insects, slugs, and other small animals.
Once they have enough fat stored, hedgehogs will find a safe and sheltered spot to hibernate, such as a pile of leaves, a burrow, or a log pile. They will curl up into a ball and enter a state of torpor, which is a deep sleep-like state. During torpor, their heart rate, breathing rate, and metabolism slow down, and their body temperature drops to match the ambient temperature.
Hedgehogs can remain in this state of torpor for several weeks at a time, waking up briefly every few days to drink water and possibly move to a new location. When the weather warms up and food becomes more readily available in the spring, they will come out of hibernation and start to feed and regain their strength.
Overall, hibernation is a survival mechanism that helps hedgehogs conserve energy and survive through the winter months when food is scarce.
We looked around the school playground for any signs of hedgehogs but sadly didn’t find any. We then decided to make our own hedgehog using natural materials such as twigs and clay soil. Enjoy the snapshots.
Playing with leaves requires physical movement, such as running, jumping, and throwing. This can be a fun and engaging way to get exercise and the improve the children’s overall physical health.
The texture, colour, and smell of leaves has provided a rich sensory experience for the children at Forest school today. This can be especially beneficial for children who are still developing their sensory processing skills.
Playing with leaves sparked creativity and imagination in the group today. Children can use the leaves to make art, build structures, or play imaginative games. Today they decided to bury each other in the leaf piles they had made.
This was a fun group activity, encouraging social interaction and cooperation. They worked together to collect and pile leaves, and took it in turns to be covered in the leaves.
Overall, playing outside with leaves can be a fun, engaging, and beneficial activity for all the Reception class children.
