Goxhill Meadows
We started the Easter holidays with a trip to the fantastic Goxhill Meadows. Goxhill Meadows provides the children with time to be present in nature with activities that support children in a range of ways, including building relationships, improving social and emotional skills, increasing self-esteem and independence. The children spent the day learning about themselves and being aware of their emotions, whilst building their confidence and resilience to try new things. It was inspiring to watch the children encourage one another to try new things and to believe in themselves and their peers.
Cook Stars
The children enjoyed a baking session with Sarah at Cook Stars. Some children that attended were regular bakers, whilst others had never tried baking before. Despite the range of abilities, each child took their time to carefully follow Sarah’s lead and created some delicious Easter cupcakes. They practiced different techniques including folding, mixing, weighing and decorating to create a scrumptious final product.
York
On Wednesday, a group of children visited York. York is a city not far from Hull, but despite the distance, many children from Hull have not visited York. Visiting a new city can be daunting but is an exciting and eye-opening experience. The children explored the history of York and took part in an Easter chocolate masterclass. They were fascinated by the history of York, including the Shambles, Joseph Rowntree and having to pay a peppercorn to cross the bridge! One young person told us, ‘I have never been on a train before. I was nervous,’ but by the end of the day, he told us that he had tried something new for the first time, feels more confident talking to others, is excited to try new things and wants to visit new places.
.jpg)
Maker Space
Maker Space is always a popular experience – it has state of the art manual, digital and electronic equipment and skilled staff that provide workshops which encourage young people to create, invent, explore, learn, think and exhibit. In this session, the children used different painting techniques and acrylic pouring to create their own individual master pieces. The children enjoy learning new techniques, and although some of those techniques are tricky, the children always persevere. One child said that they had learnt something new, done something that had made them feel proud and enjoyed getting messy!
Bempton
The children visited Bempton Cliffs and used binoculars to observe the birds currently living there. They learnt about the specific birds, their habitats, food chains and how they adapt to the different locations throughout the year. They then made bird feeders using natural resources and learnt about the importance of feeding the birds at this time of year. The children were delighted to find that they could add to and adapt their bird feeders throughout the year. After completing their bird feeders, they spent time in nature observing the local wildlife, they spotted a range of birds including sparrows, pigeons, robins, wagtails and many more. This activity encouraged the children to be mindful and observe the world around them. When asked what her favourite part of the day was, one young person said, ‘I loved it all!’
Forest School
The rain did not stop us having fun with Humber Forest School! We explored a new part of the woods – we found minibeasts and learnt about their habitats. The children noticed some signs of spring - the delicious wild garlic, bluebells and freshly sprouted grass. The children learnt that ivy is damaging the trees in the wood, so they used the natural resources to make nature crowns. With the help of each other, they built unique dens. The children were not afraid to get wet and muddy and enjoyed their time jumping in puddles, making delicious food in the mud kitchen and Nordic braiding. One girl said, ‘This is the greatest day ever!’ as she laid on the fresh grass and watched as the blue sky emerged from behind the dark grey clouds, ‘I feel so relaxed!’ she added.
