May half term started with a trip to Bempton Cliffs and the children were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of some Puffins nesting on the cliffs. The children had a guided walk of the bird watching spots and spent time identifying the birds and they even learnt how to determine the age of Gannets. They loved the challenge of spotting one in each age range. The afternoon was filled with mindfulness, the outdoors and bird feeder building. Building the bird feeders proved to be challenging - but the children persevered and each took home their own feeder to hang from a window.
The following day was spent at Goxhill Meadows - a therapeutic animal farm. The children had a VIP experience on this day, they were able to spend time with an equine vet who was vaccinating the 6 ponies. They had the opportunity to use a stethoscope to listen and locate a horse's heartbeat. One child found this quite challenging due to a previous experience, "I thought vets just put animals to sleep," but now has had her perspective changed and learnt about the importance of animals visiting the vets.
One child in particular felt nervous to approach the ponies, but by the end of the day was leading them over obstacles and learnt about the importance of non-verbal communication. They had a fantastic day!
The final experience of the half term was at Forest School. Forest School provides the children time to be outside in nature and feel free. Unstructured time outdoors helps children develop crucial physical skills, problem-solving abilities, and gives them time to work together and be creative. Time out in the forest fosters resilience, encourages imaginative thinking, and provides a vital space for social interaction and emotional well-being. The children always leave Forest School feeling happy, accomplished and covered in mud!
