There are very few forests in Iceland today. According to the Icelandic history books when the Vikings settled in Iceland they trees covered the land from the mountains to the shore, however this is no longer the case. This is one of the reasons we feel so lucky to have a woodland surrounding our home. It was planted by my father in law over the last 30 years. It provides us with endless opportunities for exploring, games, playing and lots of picnics. Here are some photos of our garden adventures throughout the year.
Walking through the trees to collect pine cones
A horse shoe music tree
Enjoying marshmallows at the camp fire.
Running through the trees
Playing hide and seek
Swing from nature and reused materials made by my stepsons
Play ground made by my stepsons (notice the hammock on the right)
Winter picnic
It was great for their gross motor skills to walk through all the snow
We certainly has a lot of snow that year
All of the trees mean we have plenty of falling leaves in the autumn. Great for playing in, leaf rubbings, and art work or just adding to the compost.
And all those leaves need clearing away. Every autumn we spend a few days, raking up the leaves. We even made up a song to help us pass the time: We’re raking up the leaves, we’re raking up the leaves, we’re raking up the leaves, they´re red and yellow and green.
During the winter months the trees look rather magical with their snow covered branches. This is our troll bridge. Be careful when crossing…
Raking in the garden
Plastic tools often break or do not do the job they are designed for. Make the experience better and buy metal (or even real) tools. But make sure they are the right size for children.
Outdoor learning in the early years 