Author Archives: debwilenski

Places ‘in waiting’ – inhabiting the woods

Posted on May 22, 2012 by debwilenski

Alongside the children’s dynamic physical exploration of the park and woods, and their imaginative journeying through invented narratives, there has been a strong interest in inhabiting specific places in the woods.  The thick tangled undergrowth, the dips and hollows, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Exploration, friendships, Inhabiting, Sense of Place | Leave a comment

The Story that Didn’t Want to End

Posted on March 17, 2012 by debwilenski

Jamie’s Monster  –  observations and reflections from Kate Cowan (Teacher in Greenfinch Room and project co-ordinator at the nursery) Within his Nursery classroom, Jamie was usually one of the quieter members of the group, often seeking out support and reassurance … Continue reading →

Posted in Exploration, friendships, Imagination, Narratives | 1 Comment

A Giant of a Man

Posted on March 13, 2012 by debwilenski

Whilst searching for records of an old house which used to stand in Homefield Park, I came across this fantastic ‘true story’ of the Histon Giant, Moses Carter (1801 – 1860).  It immediately reminded me of Ellis’s story “Once there … Continue reading →

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More stories from the woods

Posted on March 12, 2012 by debwilenski

Many stories have followed the first ones in the woods.  There have been stories of danger, fear, bravery, and rescue; mysterious stories of night time, shadows, and the dark (Greg’s third story multiplied the possibilities brilliantly: “Once upon a time … Continue reading →

Posted in Imagination, Narratives | 1 Comment

The power of suggestion

Posted on February 22, 2012 by debwilenski

Mapping the emergence of story making in the woods – the connections between stories and between story-tellers – I’m struck by the generative power of Greg’s first narratives.  They were told clearly and excitedly, with a smile of someone who … Continue reading →

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Stories from the woods

Posted on January 30, 2012 by debwilenski

    On her third visit to the woods Ruby asks if she can borrow my notebook. She has settled on a log under the “tent”, a tarpaulin strung overhead in the trees in the place where Ruby and Greg … Continue reading →

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The Hole in the Tree

Posted on January 22, 2012 by debwilenski

The hole is high enough to see easily, but too high to look into directly.  Some of the children have moved logs over to climb on so they can get closer.  The way up is adventurous – sometimes slippery, still … Continue reading →

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The world in a log

Posted on January 6, 2012 by debwilenski

“To find new things, take the path you took yesterday”  John Burroughs (American naturalist and essayist, 1837 – 1921) We’ve been thinking about how children are exploring the woods and park, and as they re-visit, about the patterns that are … Continue reading →

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Exploring the park

Posted on November 26, 2011 by debwilenski

HomefieldPark, as we discovered in our first meeting, is a place of many places.  One entrance is flanked by two enormous plane trees, covering the ground with yellow papery leaves and hanging thick with spiky seed heads.  There is a … Continue reading →

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