Babes in the Wood 14
This was the last BIW session for a while. As a group we decided to save the last set of sessions until Spring (unless we can secure more funding before that time). We will probably do a pre-Christmas session or a last minute snowy day session should the opportunity arise.
Today’s group comprised some children who started the programme as babies and have now grown in stature and confidence in the woods. Following the set up routine we enacted the “Soup Stone” story. This time the main character was an itinerant scarecrow, out in the world seeking his fortune whose hunger pangs lead him into tricking an old lady out of a bowl of soup, a slice of cake, a cup of tea and a snooze in her arm chair. Children took turns adding vegetables to the soup pot and in the end stirred the whole lot round. At this point I stopped the story “to let the soup cook”. While engaged in bulb planting, Lisa swapped the vegetables for real vegetable soup and lit the fire.
While the soup was cooking, the children each took a trowel and planted wildflower bulbs around the glade where we had started our sessions back in the Summer.
Once the hard work was done we all settled down to a plate of “Stone Soup”. The children all thought that the soup looked very tasty and every single one of them had a bowl full to eat!
Then came the fun bit, we had brought a bale of hay into the woods to stuff a scarecrow. Previous experience with a hay bale taught me that the act of cutting the string and allowing the hay to expand was enough to entertain children and bring squeals of delight. The group did not disappoint with some “mums” getting in on the action too.
Eventually we dragged ourselves away and began to make the scarecrow. He would look after the bulbs we had planted and guard the woods over Winter.
At the end, everyone stayed to help clear up the hay and pack up the site.
On one hand having one less weekly session helps to take the pressure off of an exhaustive schedule but over the last few months it has been delightful to watch these children grow and to form a bond with them. The parents, carers, childminders who have brought them along have been a pleasure to spend time with. They have launched themselves into the activities and helped out on numerous occasions during the sessions.
Sometimes, something just seems like the right thing to do and that is Babes in the Woods