Saturday 4 May 2013

Forest.


We had a letter home from school yesterday to say Zac's class is fundraising for a school trip to Westonbirt Arboretum, which is not far from here and is really wonderful (I hope they'll be looking for parent helpers!) We took Zac there as a baby to enjoy the autumn leaves, and couple of years later we won a family ticket in the pre-school raffle and had a really fantastic day out; one of those rare ones where nobody got grumpy (not even daddy!) You'll indulge me if I include some of the pics:

































You can see why the boys loved it. Lots of opportunities to climb and balance, to hide and jump out, to explore shady places out of the sunshine, to smell the flowers and feel the different textures of the trees. It's a massively multi-sensory experience and you don't have to be quiet or move calmly, you can go wild!

We don't go there often enough (I'm afraid this is mainly because we can go to the forest near my parents' house for free, which Westonbirt is not) but there is no doubt that kids benefit enormously from a bit of time in the woods. It's basically a natural playground with added benefits.

Here are some of our favourite things to do in the woods:

The cousins give Zac a climbing lesson.
Climb.
Is that a koala or a child?
Finding the perfect tree to climb and seeing how far you can get gives you a great sense of achievement and completely connects you with nature. I used to love climbing trees. Sitting high up in the branches and looking down on the world below is a magical sensation. Of course little children can't get very high and shouldn't be encouraged to unless you're pretty certain they've got the motor skills and confidence to go up and down safely, but even if they are a little taller than you they get that lovely impression of superiority!

Build Dens.
In a bracken-covered shelter.
Using natural materials to build a den is much easier in a forest than in your back garden. There are generally plenty of big sticks or branches lying around to make a framework which can then be covered in smaller twigs, bracken etc.
Making a frame
The boys are just getting to the age where they can build one pretty successfully themselves, but the forest we usually visit often has dens that older children have constructed and abandoned and they loved to tidy those up and move in themselves.

Look for creatures.
There are plenty of creepy crawlies to find in a forest, and there's evidence of larger creatures too. We like looking down holes to guess if it is a mouse, rabbit, fox or badger who might be living inside. Sometimes there are bits of fur or footprints to give you a clue. The boys think it's hilarious when we look at droppings to work out who has passed by. You can look for tracks or other clues- like nibbled nuts, and if you're lucky you might actually spot the creature that nibbled them.

Pond dipping.
Pond dipping with granny.
As I mentioned in my post about tadpoles, there's a great pond in the forest we visit. It has frogs, newts and all sorts of invertebrates living in it, so if we're heading in that direction we always take an icecream tub so we can investigate which creatures are inhabiting it at that time of year.  It's also fun to paddle around in and when it freezes over you can throw sticks onto the ice which make an incredible sound as they skid across the surface.


Go for a bike ride.
Forests and woodlands are often great places for a bike ride because they
generally have good tracks that are traffic free, so you can let your little ones zoom off without worrying they're going to encounter any vehicles. And if you're really lucky you can find a place for an off-track adventure where they can really test their biking skills.
Biking in "The Dip"

Have a picnic or barbecue.
Kids love eating in the great outdoors, and it can be anything from a snack on a rug in a clearing to a full on family barbecue at the "picnic site." Maybe it's the fresh air that improves their appetite, or just the freedom of being able to eat with your hands and never mind the mess. There's something especially sociable about all sitting together on a rug for a bit of nosh.

Go Foraging
Wild raspberries- yummy!
If you know what you're looking for you may be able to find a tasty treat growing in the forest. (See my old post on foraging)
Again, we try to go equipped to collect these goodies, but the boys generally scoff what they find on the spot so our tubs/poly bags often come home empty.


I'm sure there are lots of other possibilities in a woodland. To be honest we generally just set out for a walk, and depending what we find on the way we may get diverted into a bit of tree-climbing/den-building etc. So if you go down to the woods today, I'm sure you'll be in for a pleasant surprise!

Just found this lovely post about playing with sticks,which seems to link well if you're going to be surrounded by the things!
http://www.housingaforest.com/sticks-natures-perfect-toy/

21 comments:

  1. Lovely post and photos. The woods offer so many opportunities for play for kids.

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    1. Thank you Rebekah, I feel really lucky that we've got a good one within easy reach.

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  2. Lovely post & your photos are gorgeous. There is something very appealing about eating outdoors isn't there?

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  3. Definitely yes- we're planning a BBQ this afternoon now the sun is finally shining!

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  4. Some of our favourite activities in here. We had the school found for pond dipping in our lakes last year, and my kids are forever den building, swinging and climbing in our woods. Nature really does have it all when it comes to play for kids and you show them beautifully in your pictures here. I would love you to share on my Country Kids linky. You will see a matching kids in the tree photo there this week too!

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    1. Thank you. I'd love to link up. V jealous of you all on Bodmin Moor. My mum grew up there and we spent many a happy holiday with my grandparents who lived in St Breward. It's a blissful part of the world!

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    2. OMG Coombe Mill is just outside St Breward, do you know where we are? Between St Breward and St Tudy! Thanks for linking up.

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  5. Sounds like a great place. We love taking advantage of the great outdoors too! I'm yet to try pond dipping but I know there are places near by where you can give it a go so need to take my wee man. He is just getting an interest in the creepy crawlies and I'm trying my best not to be squemish! As for sticks...we are professionals here!

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    1. Pond dipping is great fun. Some of the creatures they find look like mini aliens! Be prepared to get wet tho!

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  6. Brilliant post and I definitely want to do pond dipping with my two.

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    1. Thank you, hope you find lots of interesting creatures!

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  7. We're lucky enough to live near a lots of lovely woodland too. Your photos are gorgeous!

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    1. Thank you. It's turning out lovely and sunny here now, can't wait for the boys to get home from school so we can go for a walk!

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  8. We went out as well just to soak up the sun! Looks like you had the most awesome day out here =) #LetKidsBeKids

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  9. There's nothing like a great family day out in the local woods. I'm looking forward to when my son is able to ride a bike, so we can cover a lot more ground. Great post. #letkidsbekids

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  10. Gorgeous photos, we love doing all of these things :) #LetKidsBeKids

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  11. Forests are great places for loads of fun. Mother natures playground is definitely the best for everyone!
    Thanks for linking #LetKidsBeKids

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  12. Wow. Fab pics, that's a great pic of squirrel, too! I tried really hard to get a good shot of a squirrel - it wasn't easy lol! x
    #Letkidsbekids

    http://mumx3x.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. Haha Sarah! I did zoom in quite a long way. Think he was high enough to know there was no need to scarper! x

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  13. What a lovely post, really enjoyed reading. Your photos really look wonderful, we love just exploring and having adventures in local forests.

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    1. Thank you! We're spending a lot of time in the woods at the moment checking out if the bluebells are opening!

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