I got up early this morning to do a recce of the Chopwell Wood outdoor classroom. Pulled on some warm clothes and set my satnav which made a 20 minute journey take 45 minutes! I parked in the main car park and followed the “Tree Trail” towards the classroom. Began to think about how the Tree Trail could be used as a resource. At the end of the trail, I located the road leading to the classroom. I was surprised to find it is an actual building. A lovely volunteer from Friends of Chopwell Woods let me in and showed me round. I then did a tour of the nearby nature trail. There is a small circle with log bench seats. I need to check that fires can be lit here. On the trail itself there are some wonderful ceramic sculptures. More importantly the wood is full of fallen wood, mosses, pine cones and other great resources for play. The site is gently sloping and a bit crowded underfoot. I reflected on how my evaluation of the wood had already changed thanks to the Forest Skills course. Then I thought about it and realised that the first question I need to ask myself is “Is this a great place to play?” The rest is about the way I manage the risks and set the boundaries for that play to take place. I think about my own childhood and the parenting style I adopted with my own kids. There is much that I can draw on to find an authentic ethos to Tyggwhistle.
Forest School