On a cold, wintery morning, 15 children from the reception class at a school in Manchester line up by their classroom door for their Forest School session. They’re a third of the way into a year-long Forest School programme. The children wonder what they’ll find in their little enchanted woodland today… 

Is the tight rope there again? What about that amazing swing from last week? Are the ladybirds still lazily lying on the leaves of the trees? 

As these thoughts race around in the children’s heads, their excitement at going to Forest School can clearly be heard, as upon seeing Charlotte, their Forest School Leader and without any prompting, the children collectively burst out into song and sing, “This is the way to Forest School!” This is how their sessions begin each week, standing around in a circle, welcoming everyone in.  

The leader and the group clap their hands and sing about the weather today – luckily for them it’s not raining (not that rain would ever stop them!) and it’s bright but cold. Of course, the cold won’t stop them from playing out either. 

They also sing about what they’ll play today. One child shouts out, “I’m going to look for worms!” as another exclaims, “The tight rope! The tight rope!” at the same time as a third and fourth squeal simultaneously, “Mud kitchen!” and, “Floor is lava!” 

Finally, they sing about what they’ll say today. Sentences such as “look after the trees” or “play nicely with each other” or “care for the animals” are commonly heard in the third verse of their Forest School song and as the weeks have passed by, and the children have become more confident in thinking of new things to say, including some phrases of gratitude for being outside with their friends. 

Upon entering the miniature woodland (which is giant in the eyes of a four-year-old!), there is a gargantuan Sycamore tree, a smaller Ash tree along with some Elder and a beautiful and sturdy standing deadwood tree which have all provided hours of fun during the last three months.

On today’s Forest School session, these trees are concealing at least 10 of Elvis’s golden coins. There are also a few scattered around the floor and a couple can be spied resting in between the knots of the tight rope or wedged in between the branches of the Elder tree. But how will the children get to them? And most importantly, how will they look after them? 

One boy grabs a container from the mud kitchen, “We can put the coins in here!” he proudly exclaims as a few of his peers nod and shout, “Yes!” in agreement. 

The leader stands back and watches the magic of Forest School unfold… she is there primarily to facilitate the activities, respond to any requests of help and encourage children to explore their interests. 

Some of the children get to work, looking for Elvis’s coins. Others are more interested in walking the tightrope, making a delicious mud soup or going on the swing. This is the beauty of Forest School; children are encouraged to have independence, take risks and make their own learning choices. 

A little while later, a group of four children who have been using some tarpaulins to build a den are deciding what to do with a handful of Elvis’s coins that they found nearby. One boy wants there to be a door on their den so that it is secure. The leader suggests that the wooden planks might be useful. Soon, all four children are negotiating the best way to build a door to their den, working together to move the planks. 

Meanwhile, another child has just discovered that Elvis’s coins are not made of gold. They are in fact chocolate coins! “I’m starving! I just want to eat one!” she says. The leader steps in after observing and holds Elvis’s letter up. “Elvis’s letter says that he wants you to look after his coins though. What do you think might happen if we ate them?” 

A moral dilemma unfolds as the group flock towards the leader to discuss what to do with the chocolate coins. “How about we put all the coins in the bucket and wait and see if he comes to collect them later?” one child suggests. 

At last, a conclusion is reached; the chocolate coins are placed in a bucket and put inside the classroom to keep them safe. We would all either await Elvis’s return to collect them, or a phone call to say that we could eat them!