On Friday our Primary 2 pupils took part in "Forest School" in Parkanaur.
Forest School has an important role to play in connecting children to nature and encouraging them to:
- Work as part of a team
- Build confidence and self-esteem
- Explore all senses
- Develop communication skills
The children had a fantastic day at Parkanaur and enjoyed finding out about nature, animals and their habitats in the forest.
The children took part in a Nature Scavenger Hunt and used their binoculars to spot the wide range of living things in the forest. They worked well as a team and enjoyed ticking off their checklists as they explored the forest!
Forest School stimulates imaginative play through hands-on engagement with the natural environment. Through a wide range of outdoor activities the children were encouraged to be creative and develop their problem solving skills. They had opportunities to make a home for a hedgehog, do bark rubbings and used natural materials to create a beautiful piece of art work.
The children particularly enjoyed playing "Wish-Sticks". On their journey through the forest the children crossed the bridge over the river. Each group had a turn throwing their stick over the bridge into the river and making a wish. We hope all your wishes come true P2!
To conclude their adventures, P2 had the opportunity to explore the magical Secret Garden! They loved admiring all the signs of Spring including the beautiful daffodils! In the garden, each team was given some beautiful "Story Stones". Story Stones are great story-telling prompts and help to develop children’s communication skills, promote their language skills and encourage their imagination and creativity.
Each group was given three stones with a picture of an animal, setting or object on it. The images sparked the children's imagination and prompted them to create their own stories. At the end of the session the children loved sharing their stories with each other and the staff!
We would like to thank Stephen, Jodie, Paudrig and Ellen for facilitating the fabulous Forest School for our Primary 2 pupils. We had a fantastic day. Learning outdoors is so much fun!
