Stop! Freeze! Yell ‘SNAKE’ and walk backwards slowly if safe.
Bush safety education and awareness is an important part of our Forest school program and our Mornington Peninsula Forest School kids had a wonderful opportunity to put this into practice when a large brown snake was recently spotted by some walkers crossing the path they take to the waters edge. Now all our practice came to life as snake safety and wilderness first aide took centre stage.
Child learn best through hands on activities and real life scenarios so this was a perfect learning opportunity!
We imagined the emergency scenario … if our friend was bitten by a snake, what would we do? Look for danger, ask what they are feeling and call for help 000. These real life scenarios are quite empowering and playing out those conversations are great to practice for children.
Snakes venom sits in our muscle not blood stream so keeping still is very important. We practiced making a bush stretcher from sticks and rope to transport our patient!
As our session evolved we discussed other ways to be safe in the bush. Safe hands, safe sticks and safe friends. Then the children got into some deep play revisiting the wilderness first aide.
Scenarios were played out… what if you were walking in the bush and got attacked by a dinosaur! A T.Rex would be frightening but we could fight off a Triceratops.
So many conversations were had on this scenario. Children responding to what, where, when and who… and then getting into action!
The session evolved into imaginary play of grass harvest and nest building, bush hut recovery centre and healing potions concocted… in quite elaborate negational play while some children chose to engage with tools including a saw.
We will revisit this fabulous hands on learning and these bush safety scenarios each week, sometimes through play, other times through storytelling, nature journalling or simply through our discussions during the bush walks.
Our unique and one of a kind Forest School program aims to educate children through child-led hands-on activities and learning, inspiring curiosity, creativity, teaching real-life skills, empowering children to develop confidence, build resilience and social skills.
Our team of highly experienced Forest School educators will support your child’s learning so that they become more confident, curious, capable and are taught to learn how to take safe risks in the bush through climbing, building and using real tools. They will also discover and learn about our natural environment and it’s fascinating wildlife.
Read more about our Forest School program here and our 2024 Forest School programs here.