Last week, albeit out of season, children were captivated by apple pressing. They engaged with every aspect of the process.
At last, each child arrived back at the plat proudly bearing a bottle containing the slightly sharp product. Their faces told their joy.
The new year began with an icy week for the children. Every day a temperature of minus degrees centigrade was registered. The conditions determined some of the children’s activities.
The children learnt how to keep warm in cold weather: layers of clothing, hot drinks, keeping moving, holding the hand of another, and feeling the warmth of a fire.
There are some vegetables that cannot be left in the ground in the frost without some damage being done to them.
So we had the first crop to be harvested at Tarly Pit. Radishes were pulled and sampled. The rabbits had a feast. It was a harvest worth recording.
Children enthusiastically collected wood for the fire pit. They got warm on the coldest day just by gathering fuel.
Then they learnt to treat the fire with respect without being afraid of it. They safely stoked it with fresh supplies of wood.
Our little people would miss out on so much learning without the experience of that freezing cold week.
An unexpected fall of snow in the night made for a very different experience for everyone.
We started the day by finding tracks in the snow made by birds and animals.
Then we followed the route of water (from melting snow) being diverted from the plat to the woods where waterfalls thundered.
Then a warming fire with melting marshmallows went down so very well.
It all started with talking about boats in the Bible: from Noah’s ark to Peter the fisherman, from Jonah trying to escape from God to Jesus stilling the storm that threatened to sink the disciples’ craft.
The children found their little logs or pieces of bark and sails of leaves, assembled their boats, and painted them.
Here are a few of the vessels lined up ready to take home.
The moment of truth was when the attempt was made to float the boats on the pond.
Some capsized, others did float. Imagine the delight when some sailed away.
The children are involved in as much gardening as possible. For example we have been creating a new no-dig vegetable bed.
Before the children started this term, an example had been set and a bed had been made and seeds sown. Cardboard from large boxes is laid to inhibit the growth of weeds. Then a good layer of compost is added and evenly spread.
The result of the work of children is a pleasing appearance and a good ground for direct sowing and quick growing.
Children were keen to help to prepare a display of poppies for the act of remembrance on 11th November.
Using scissors, glue sticks and paint was a valuable exercise in basic skills.
Then, a little earlier than 11 o’clock, they gathered around the display for an explanation. Of course, they cannot understand much of what it is about, but they can begin to form impressions that they will carry with them to a later stage when they can grasp the meaning of the annual commemoration.
The seriousness with which the occasion was greeted by little ones was impressive. And, of course, they could see that cutting and pasting can be useful and purposeful.