In English, we are reading ‘A First Book of Nature’ by Nicola Davies. We have learnt lots about nature and this week we went to Gibside National Trust and had a fantastic time. We first got on the coach with excitement and after 20 minutes of our journey, we were welcomed by Rob and his colleagues. We then began our first activity – Art in Nature. We all had to find a stick and use mud to create a picture and children had made trees, flowers and towers. Next, we were given a palette card where we had to find some natural materials and add it to our palette, but Rob gave us a challenge in trying to find materials that are of different colours. After, we walked into the woods and worked in groups of four to build a sculpture using the natural materials. Children had made gates, fire pits, flowers.
After a busy morning, we were all very hungry and had lunch with our friends. We even had an opportunity to have a short break where we could play on the Strawberry Castle area! Then the children’s favourite part came… Toasting marshmallows! With our hats, scarfs and gloves, we sat together around the campfire (perfect for a cold, windy day) and we learnt the safety rules for when toasting a marshmallow. Rob gave us a tip that we must wait for 10 seconds for the marshmallow to cool down before eating them. They were so delicious that the children wanted seconds! Finally, our last task was a scavenger hunt where we had to find some natural materials and add it to our nature crown and stick.
We have certainly enjoyed our trip as this was a whole new experience for many of us, with the activities being focussed on the benefits of spending time outside in nature and children developed skills such as creativity, teamwork and communication. I must say as well, that the children’s behaviour was outstanding as staff had commented on their politeness and good listening skills.
