Craighill Primary School, Tain

This week we went mountain biking along the forest trails at Aldie Burn in Tain. We divided the class into two groups. While half of the class went on the bikes, the others did Forest Schools activities. Then the groups swapped places. The mountain bike trail was fun. The activites were good too. We were listening quietly in our “special spot” for five minutes, then racing sticks in the burn. We measured 200 metres along the water and timed sticks as they flowed along with the current. Out of twenty sticks, only one stick made it to the 200 metre line in about 4 minutes. Tomorrow we will try to work out approximately how many minutes it would take for the stick to travel a kilometre, if it were to travel in the water at the same rate of speed.
We noticed that the water flowed fast in some places and slow in others. Sometimes the sticks spun round in circles and other times they went under the water. Sometimes they got stuck along the river or with each other.
Forest School Trip 2 on PhotoPeach

Our P6/7 class went to the forest for the first time last week. We gathered beech nuts, horse chestnuts and lime seeds. We sang a song about the forest and played several circle games: Based on the first name initial, we gave ourselves an animal name and action, which we then used to call to each other in a ball throwing game. We learned to tie a few knots then played an interlocking handcuff game. Then we walked along a rope to spot the man made items hidden all around the rope walk. We played 1…2…3…Where Are You? using the trees to hide behind while gauging the angle we needed to use to hide ourselves from the seeker.
Forest School Trip 1 on PhotoPeach

Congratulations to all of last years’ P4/5 class who were presented last week with their John Muir Awards. You all worked very hard to get the award. I am proud of you.

The boys and girls made their fourth trip to the forest school today. The activity was to build a home for their main character in their woodland fairy tale, using natural materials found in the forest. They brought with them their plasticine figure and some junk from school, which they used to great effect to create unique and fantastical neighbourhoods.
Though we had planned to do some conservation work–we thought we might have time to make shelters for capercaillie chicks–we simply ran out of time and only got the one task completed. The children had a chance to play the squirrel game and crows and buzzards while they waited for the second run of the mini-bus.
Starting, as ever, with silence for a few minutes as we listened for birdsong and wind; next came the squirrel game, which involved running around to gather pine cones; finally are photos of the children as they began to make their homes–this first slideshow gives examples of the activities we did.

Forest School Trip 4 on PhotoPeach

The second slideshow, gives a photo of each child standing next to their masterpiece.
Fantastic Neighbours! on PhotoPeach

Our latest trip into the forest school area was great! We learned a bit about knots and played a knot game; we found a private spot and sat in silence to listen to the sounds of the forest for three minutes (We are getting better at this!!!) and we made stick pile shelters for the protection of capercaillie chicks in the Spring, which have to fend for themselves after they are born. With predators such as foxes and sparrow hawks, they need all the help they can get! While we were there, some crossbills flew into the trees above us and we stopped to listen and look for them.
Forest School 3 on PhotoPeach

We had our second trip to the forest school today. We played a few games, gathered leaves and picked blaeberries from a new part of the forest. Tomorrow we will make blaeberry (Scottish wild blueberry) jam! We also gathered leaves and twigs for mask making, which we will use in our drama sessions where we are working with Shakespeare’s great play, MacBeth. Watch this space for the Birnam Wood!!

Forest School Trip 2 on PhotoPeach

Our class is working toward the Discovery Level of the John Muir Award this year. In our first outing to the Forest School, the children took part in a variety of activities before they gathered seeds from the trees for planting. Here’s a sample of some of the things we did.
Forest School Trip 1 on PhotoPeach

The class went to the forest school to do some activities on Friday morning.  We all had a lot of fun, despite the weather.  I forgot the class camera but went back on Sunday to take these photos.

The main activity of the day was making shelters for a forest animal.  The kids paired up to imagine a forest animal–either real or fantastical.  They had to give the animal a name and a story:  What they looked like, what they sounded like, what they had for abilities and powers, what they ate, what their habits were, whether were they friendly to other forest animals–these were some of the things they had to decide.  They then had to go off and build a home for their animal, no higher than waist height, using natural material scavenged from the forest and suiting the needs of the particular animal they imagined.  Unfortunately, I could only find 10 of the 13 shelters made to photograph.

Other activities included the “Angles” game–another version of “Red Light” or “What’s the Time Mr Wolf?”, but played in the forest, taking advantage of the natural hiding places and angles of perspective. We also walked along a rope and tried to count as many unnatural objects as possible littered around the rope path–an activitiy designed to raise awareness of different types of littering.Forest School on PhotoPeach

I thought you might like to see all the photos of our trip to Cairngorm Mountain Park.

Cairngorm Mountain Park visit on PhotoPeach

Our class had the opportunity to visit our local art gallery where our art teacher, Mr Westacott, had an exhibition. Over the past four years, he has been sketching and etching heritage trees in Scotland. We had a chance to look around his exhibition of prints and then go around other parts of the gallery. Mr Westacott talked us through the process of how he made the etchings on copper. We asked him a few questions and then we had a chance to sketch our favourite tree.