Group 1 - Mrs West
Survival Week – Day One
What a fantastic first day of Survival Week we've had!
We started the morning by making God's Eyes, learning about what they are and why they may have been used. We discussed that, in a real survival situation, we probably wouldn't have brightly coloured wool to use, so why were we doing this activity? This led to some brilliant discussions about using the natural resources around us. The children suggested that twigs could be used for many different purposes, such as building shelters, creating kindling for a fire and making tools. We also talked about how, in a survival situation, it's important to keep our minds busy and stay positive. Although we used wool today, we discussed how twine or other materials found in the forest could be used to create something similar.
When it came to demonstrating how to make a God's Eye, Mrs West needed to send out a little SOS... thankfully, Mrs Burke came to the rescue!
The children showed fantastic focus throughout the activity. Many began using lolly sticks to practise before moving on to real twigs as their confidence grew. It was wonderful to see so much resilience as they tried to remember the weaving pattern and persevered when things didn't quite go to plan. Some children even made more than one and were keen to help others master the technique. They enjoyed it so much that several chose to continue making them during wellbeing time after lunch!
Next came one of the activities everyone had been looking forward to... the climbing wall. Wow... it certainly looked big when we first walked over! There was a real buzz of excitement, and every child gave it their best effort. Before they started, we talked about success not always meaning reaching the top or pressing the button. Instead, we focused on challenging ourselves, recognising how far we'd climbed and celebrating our own achievements.
It was incredible to watch the children grow in confidence throughout the session. Some children initially climbed just a couple of steps before coming back down, only to return later and press the button right at the top! Others thought they would only have one attempt but ended up tackling all four different climbing routes. It was fantastic to see so many children pushing themselves outside of their comfort zones, encouraging one another and celebrating each other's successes. Of course, Mrs West couldn't resist having a go too!
The afternoon started with some wellbeing time, where we continued our survival theme by reading our class text all about real-life survival stories. The children were fascinated by the incredible true events and enjoyed answering questions, making thoughtful links between the stories and the survival skills we had been developing throughout the day. It was a lovely opportunity to slow down, reflect and prepare for our final activity.
After wellbeing, we headed to Forest School, where the children worked in teams to design and build survival shelters. They were given access to long branches, string, tarpaulins and any other natural resources they could find around them. The teamwork, communication and problem-solving on display were brilliant. Some groups even decided to completely redesign their shelters halfway through as they evaluated what was and wasn't working - a fantastic example of resilience and adapting their ideas. It was lovely to see every group approaching the challenge differently and making the most of the resources available to them.
What an amazing first day of Survival Week! The children have already demonstrated resilience, teamwork, perseverance, creativity and problem-solving, and it has been wonderful to see so many of them stepping outside of their comfort zones and encouraging one another along the way.
We can't wait to see what adventures tomorrow brings!
