Forest School: A Bridge for a Child

In our Forest School sessions we are still keeping focus on team work and a collaborative approach.

In Year’s 4 and 5 they were asked: How do I work successfully as part of a team to construct a bridge for a child?

The Rules:

you can use sticks, branches and logs, but no machined wood
the child must be able to pass under the finished bridge lying down and if you want a challenge sitting up
the finished bridge must be able to support the child for at least 10 seconds, whole body off the ground
You can choose the child but they must be from your team

What we expect to see:

Planning: all team members need to understand the plan and their role
Communication: should be positive and clear
Resilience: ability to recover quickly when problems arise

Compared to the Year 2 and 3 challenge these builds were far more robust and intricate. There was a clearer understanding of structure and weight bearing, though there were some spectacular fails in the first 20 minutes or so. For some teams enthusiasm can out way rational thought in this first stage, then through failure the realisation hits that planning, then choosing materials for that plan is key.