Class R Visit the Gruffalo Trail at Thorndon Country Park

Class R had a delightful experience at Thorndon Park yesterday, where we were truly fortunate with the beautiful weather.

Our day began with the children enjoying their snacks, which provided them with the necessary energy for our adventures. We embarked on a journey inspired by the story of 'The Gruffalo'. To our surprise, we encountered 'The Gruffalo child' and the children delighted in giving him some leaves to munch on. Our next stop brought us to a snake, where Sue, our ranger, shared fascinating insights into why snakes have patterns on their skin for camouflage. A few adventurers, alongside Mrs Nicholson, had the chance to cover themselves in leaves to experience camouflage first-hand. This was a wonderful, joyful moment of throwing leaves about!

The children were then presented with a challenge to find a fallen tree trunk to create their own snake patterns, and they utilised their creativity to make unique designs using the natural materials around them.

As we continued seeking the owl, Sue explained the reasons behind the characteristic 'hooting' noises they make. The children formed two groups, boys versus girls, to see who could emulate the different sounds the best—an engaging activity that brought lots of laughter!

We also spotted numerous squirrels in the forest, and the children had the opportunity to mimic the squirrels as they climbed down trees head first, which was a rather amusing sight!

Before our final quest to locate the fox, the children participated in a challenge to build homes for the little woodland creatures. This task required teamwork and communication, and I must say, all groups excelled! The homes made were thoughtful and carefully constructed, showcasing their collaborative spirit.