What a fantastic time the Junior and Senior Infants had during Term 1 at their Forest School sessions with Ciara Hinksman- the founder of Forest School Ireland!
We played many different co-operative games, learned the cardinal directions of north, south, east and west and found out how to identify plants such as dandelions, Lords and Ladies and dock leaves.
We got to let our creativity shine when making figurines/ objects from clay, painting pictures of the nature around us, and making yo-yos, watches and necklaces from wooden discs that we cut from a branch.
Ciara showed us how to assemble the hammocks and the swing which we really enjoyed taking turns in and chilling out in. The cuddly toys also proved to be a very popular addition each week!
Our gross motor skills and problem solving skills were certainly put to the test with all of the climbing, the raking and the challenge to build a shelter using tarp and rope. Lots of patience and determination required!
We made great use of Ciara's magnifying glasses and insect identification keys by going in search of bugs. We were excited to find plenty of creatures crawling on the trees and lurking under rocks on the forest floor!
All of these activities have benefited our ability to communicate with each other, take turns, work as a team, use our imagination and solve problems. A big thank you to Ciara for facilitating and to Ms. Madden for organising this wonderful learning experience for us.
