Have you ever cooked seaweed? Not the kind you get from many takeaways (which is usually cabbage) but actual seaweed? Well you are in luck, the British and Irish coasts are abundant with edible seaweeds (just check the sea water quality!) so it’s all a matter of taste. In fact, until very recently, cooking andContinue reading “The One Where We Cooked Seaweed”
Category Archives: Beach School
Wild Paper Making
The Beach Schoolers latest adventure in to sustainable crafts has been making their own paper. We have been taking advantage of the dry and sunny weather here in East Kent and making recycled paper. I prepared some pulp, made from used brown packing paper (soaked for several hours and then blended using a hand blender!)Continue reading “Wild Paper Making”
Clay Work
The Beach Schoolers and Kirsty @throughthehedge spent some time this week exploring natural clay. Clay is often overlooked in early years and schools for being a bit messy and unpredictable but it actually has the most incredible soft responsive sensory qualities. Clay lends itself to open ended creativity because children often need lots of time working withContinue reading “Clay Work”
Tips for Adults in a Child-Supporting Role at Beach and Forest School
The Forest School philosophy is about connecting children (and adults) to their natural environment, creating opportunities to develop creativity, confidence, resilience and learning, as well as promoting ways in which children can experience risk. Forest School is often described as a child-led process, but I think it is much more helpful to think of itContinue reading “Tips for Adults in a Child-Supporting Role at Beach and Forest School”
The Power of Playgroups
Playgroups have fallen out of favour in the UK in recent decades – they no longer appear to be seen as a valued place for early education for a number of reasons – the ‘schoolification’ of early childhood education has led to a rapid devaluation in the power of play. In the UK, the diversionContinue reading “The Power of Playgroups”
Six ways to make friends with the Wind
In our house we have a love/hate relationship with the wind – we admire the power of the wind to drive the many turbines out at sea, providing us with green electricity. We’re in awe of the power of wind to pollinate plants and disperse seeds. I am rather fond of the wind’s ability toContinue reading “Six ways to make friends with the Wind”
The Magic of Loose Parts – How to incorporate Loose Parts play in to everyday learning
Ever got frustrated that your child was more interested in the box than the Christmas present that was contained inside it? It’s because children have the most amazing unhindered imaginations. They are creative people that are able to make that simple box in to absolutely anything and everything. This is what we mean when weContinue reading “The Magic of Loose Parts – How to incorporate Loose Parts play in to everyday learning”
Under 5s Beach School dates – Spring/Summer 2020
We’re looking forward to waking the Beach School up from hibernation. If you are looking forward to it as much as we are, here are our dates for the Spring and Summer: Lenten Moon Term (March) Friday 13th March and Friday 27th March 2020 (all 10am to Midday) Booking opens Monday 3rd February 2020 MothersContinue reading “Under 5s Beach School dates – Spring/Summer 2020”
September at the Beach School
There was only one session of Beach School this September as I headed off to West Wales to have my own personal coastal adventure. However, we fully embraced our time on the beach with rockpooling, printing, kite making, homemade ‘telescopes’ and endless rounds of salt dough pizza. Enjoy the slideshow of our September adventures:
Beach Schooled: Sand Play
We don’t have a lot of sand on the beaches we use for Beach School here in East Kent. But when it appears with the ebbing tide it is always a huge draw for our participants. And rightly so – sand is an absolutely glorious learning material. No preparation required, just get stuck in. PlayingContinue reading “Beach Schooled: Sand Play”
Holdfast Beach and Forest School - East Kent, UK 