Getting to know the elder tree

We met the elder tree today. We smelled her flowers and leaves. We touched her smooth young bark and her older bumpy woody bark. We wondered.

We heard stories and had a letter from the elder tree via the grandmother tree. We created with her elder sticks. We made tea out of the elderflowers.

Elder sticks & Enquiry Based Learning

We offered the children some elder sticks and asked them what they noticed and what they’d like to do with them.

At the heart of Forest School lies a philosophy that values curiosity, connection, and child-led exploration. Enquiry-based learning is not just a teaching strategy within this approach; it is the very essence of how learning unfolds in the woods. By embracing the natural world through an enquiry mindset, we not only deepen our relationship with nature, but also with ourselves and each other. What can I do with this? How can I make that happen? What is this? Why is it like that? Look at what is underneath the green layer. Feel what is inside.

They each take the affordances of elder in their own direction.

Play evolves from previous weeks

We had so much going on that continued from previous week’s play. There was lifting heavy logs, group drumming, fairy village building, gathering of resources, discovery of new plants, sticks that became other things, hiding in long grass, necklace making, tool making, creativity and lots more.

Notice all the communication and teamwork going on in lifting heavy logs in this video.

Sit spot and reflection

Hiding in the long grass is a lovely way into sit spot.

And we end with a sit spot and sharing what we noticed and what we’re grateful for.