EYFS fun at Dunham Massey

Kindergarten and Reception classes excitedly boarded the coach, along with their staff and two mummy volunteers, ready for the journey to Altrincham.  We were all armed with waterproofs and wellies, casting worried glances at the weather forecast and keeping our fingers crossed!  Upon arriving and leaving our packed lunches in a lovely stable room, we set off on our woodland adventure!  After stopping for a quick photo opportunity, we were very lucky to witness the large herd of deer being released into the grounds; stags were sporting their impressive antlers whilst the younger animals ran along behind.  We then collected our ‘Percy the Park Keeper’ maps and embarked on a mission to help Percy find his missing tools, collecting stamps as we walked through the delightful grounds.  We saw some beautiful flowers just coming into bloom as well as plenty of shoots and buds, which the children had been learning about prior to our visit.  We stopped to climb and explore some trees; the children loved having freedom to play in the fresh air.  After completing our mission, and receiving stickers to reward our efforts, we continued our walk through the grounds, over a very narrow bridge and eventually making our way back to our stable room for lunch.  The children and grown-ups enjoyed sandwiches, crisps and cookies before leaving the room for the final part of the day.  Mrs Pritchard collected our leftover bread and off we went in search of ducks and geese.  The children delighted in throwing the scraps to the birds, who were very grateful for our offerings.  Before climbing back onto the coach to return back to school, we discovered a natural play area, consisting of fallen trees and logs.  The children displayed courage and physical skill as they climbed, crawled and slid across the play area.  The return coach journey gave us all time to reflect on what a fantastic day we had had and how lucky we had been with the weather … as well as giving some tired children the chance to have a snooze and recharge their batteries!