Children enjoyed the first signs of spring on their latest trip to the woods, explains Martin Pace, director, Reflections Nursery & Forest School, Worthing, West Sussex.

On arriving at the forest, the children immediately noticed that the woodland was changing.

Kate: 'The leaves are starting to pop back on!'

Evie R: 'The grass is all new as well.'

On the way to our base in the forest we found the first bluebell and all the children stopped to have a look.

Tadiwa: 'It's a bit purple.'

Kate came up with a new name for bluebells. 'Let's call them forest school purple bluebells!'

Later in the day Poppy and Evie L found another bluebell near the first one that we'd noticed.

Poppy: 'Wow! Two bluebells.'

We asked the children why the bluebells were blooming in just one part of the forest. Tadiwa had a theory: 'The sun? Like the sun grows all sorts of flowers.'

We discussed what else flowers needed in order to grow and the conversation turned to sun and rain. Jackson commented: 'When the plants go into the rainbows they grow really big and reach the rainbow. They are very tall, like giraffes.'


OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

On the way to our base in the forest the children found one of their favourite trees for climbing. Fin climbed on to it with an idea in mind: 'All aboard the minibus!' Everyone climbed on and enjoyed the ride. As usual we made our own fire and cooked organic cheeseburgers for lunch.

After lunch the children played independently. Seb, Kate and Tadiwa played Goldilocks and the three bears.

Tadiwa: 'We are visiting the Grandma bear! Sometimes there is a wolf too. Wolves eat lots and lots of porridge!'

The children also worked together to move a log to create a bridge over our mammoth trap. Then everybody had a turn at balancing on it!

Reflections has operated a Forest School programme for children over three years old since summer 2009. Three groups of up to 12 children go to the woodland by minibus every week (in all weathers) for at least 30 weeks a year. Families are sent a four-page diary of each visit. ?www.reflectionsnurseries.co.uk