On top of the world!

A real hill at a nearby school we visit on a monthly visit.

A few weeks back I decided to put some more bark chippings (mulch) down on the 'forest area' in the playground. This area used to be the grassy part but a couple of really wet terms & we had no grass left only mud. Rather than let this deter us, we put down some old Christmas tree branches & then lots of bark chippings. The children have had so much fun with them, they cook with them in the saucepans & love them around the 'forest floor' - the area really looks like a natural woodland area rather than being part of a school playground. It is surrounded by logs to keep the chippings off the nearby tarmac & safety surface.

Old Christmas tree branches soaked up some of the mud.

A little 'forest' on the edge of the urban playground.

Cooking with the bark chippings.

When I dumped out the new bark it created a mound and before I could start to spread it out some of the children began to climb up the 'hill'. So rather than shoo them off it I decided to get some more bags & create a little hill within the forest area. Once again, the children proved to me that as an adult I need to stop over thinking things. I was convinced it was more of a gradual slope than anything else but to the 3 & 4 year olds it became a MOUNTAIN! They love to roll off the top onto the ground below & when I was able to persuade the groundsman to donate a pile of hedge clippings the mountain grew again. I love listening to the giggles as they play on the hill & it just shows how children can have fun on the simpliest of slopes, it doesn't have to be a giant hill.

Our little 'hill' is providing just as much fun as the big one!