This week in Forest School, Second Class have been learning all about one of autumn’s most famous trees, the Horse Chestnut, also known as the Conker Tree.

We started by sharing what we already knew about the Horse Chestnut and its shiny brown seeds, the conkers. The children enjoyed comparing the Horse Chestnut seeds with the Sweet Chestnut, noticing how different they are in shape, size, and even their prickly shells.

Then we received a very special letter from Grandmother Tree. She told us that her favourite job at this time of year is to support play by dropping conkers on the ground. Grandmother Tree encouraged us to make our own conker games and reminded us that playing is the most important job we can do.

Following her advice, the children made their own conker game. They tested their conkers by putting them in water, carefully drilled holes through them, threaded strings, and got ready to play. Soon, the meadow was full of laughter and friendly competition as conkers clashed and cracked.

We also had the option to make natural soap from conkers, which the children loved exploring. Den building, creating their own games, and swinging continued to be popular choices, and it was wonderful to see how much confidence the children have gained in their swinging each week. This time, they even challenged each other to fall off safely and roll.