Christmas Cards (2014-11-24)

We started by playing games, helped by two visiting Venturers Beth and Rosie.

We held out News Circle: Dylan will grade for his second stripe blue karate belt next weekend; Kique has gums and feet; Ivo fought with his friend Anton at break; Rafiq slept over at William's; Ximena saw brilliant dancing in the rain on Saturday outside the Natural History museum; Luke found an orange snail; Morrigan went swimming with her grandma; Isis told us that Dylan had pinched her in the eye in the car to the session; John had the biggest breakfast ever at OxFork; Emily went to the Beetroot Cafe on the Cowley Road; Theo, eventually, remembered he had a new game on his dad's iPad; Joe went to Insomnia, a gaming get together; Raffa has been helping someone write a story; Oliver had Kique come over for tea this evening; Natty is a Gummy Bear; Polly has a new plush rabbit from a cake sale; Jay made pizza at cookery club; Beth has joined us from Venturers to help with the session; Izzy has her piano test coming up; Imogen got new boots at the weekend; Rosie, also a venturer, was impressed with how quick and to the point our news is; Lena watched Madagascar at the weekend; Matilda told us that it was Thanksgiving last Thursday, but that her family had celebrated it on Saturday; Tim had his nephew staying Saturday night and went to watch Flora dance with the Ark T Dance group outside the Natural History Museum.

Emily explained that we were going to make Christmas Cards to sell at the Winter Fair in support of Helen and Douglas house, where Isis, Ivo and Dylan's dad works and where very sick children get extra care.

We had card, cutters and sparkly glue.

When the cards were finished the Venturers led a great game of Stick in the Mud followed by Dead Ants.

We had a quick circle, in which we decided to sing Charlie was a Pigeon after we had sung our Closing Circle Song but sadly we could not overcome tradition and the session ended at the end of the song. Next Week we will sing it before!

Leaders: Emily, Tim
Helpers: Ximena, Raffa
Venturers: Beth, Rosie
Elfins: 20

Flutes with Mr Finch (2014-11-17)

We started by playing Dead Ants.

We held our News Circle: Isis scratched her thumb at play time; Kique played with two Japanese boys at Dance Camp; Oliver had Kique around; Daniel also went to the Dance Camp party on Saturday; Rayan went to Snakes and Ladders with Lena; Ivo had issues at after school club; Rafiq found a mini torch; Natty is going to his cousin's house; Morrigan is playing a new penguin game; Imogen a lego set; Polly went to the beach at her Grandmother's house; Raffa went to the Dance Camp party with the Japanese dancers; Luke has new shoes today; Ximena went to the gym and has been tired all week; Jay has been planning his party at which there will be a showing of How to Train Your Dragon II; Ester, who joined us for the session, found a stop watch with Milly; Milly created a Natural Spa with Ester; Debbie is going to the Oxfam Fair Trade Fair; Dylan has had auditions for the Christmas play; Joe went bowling on Saturday; Emily went to Stroud with Tanja and other leaders to attend the Area Network meeting; it is Mr Finch's second session with us, he came three years ago and made Scrap Instruments, and this session he is going to show us how to make flutes; Matilda went to her piano teacher's performance and had a sleepover; Lena went to a friends house and made a Vomit Pool; Izzy showed us the new Nick Cope CD which has her singing on it.

Only six children at a time could make flutes, so the rest of us organised ourselves

to play Wink Murder.

In groups we

all

made

flutes!

Leaders: Debbie, Emily, Tim
Helpers: Ximena, Mr Finch
Elfins: 21

Games and Songs (2014-11-10)

Both Rana and Tim have had operations this week, but we had Raffa to help.

We started by playing Octopus.

We then held our News Circle: I have had surgery on my nasal passages and so asked everyone to be a bit gentle; Isis had a wobbly tooth which came out when she ate an apple; Kique went to two parties with Dance Camp friends; John went to his friend Milo's party and fireworks; Jay learnt a song at school which he taught us; Debbie is fostering a kitten called Toby; Millie has made a den in her bedroom; Chimena went to the South Park fireworks; Luke held a cockroach at the Natural History museum; Emily planted onions at her allotment; Jasmine and Rayan had a sleep over at Rayan's house; Izzy went to Rayan's to play; Matilda's wobbly tooth came out; Ivo went to the South Park fireworks; Raffa has two new kittens Slipper and Juno; Rafiq got some bubblegum from Tesco's; Polly has a pet mouse; Morrigan got some hair lights from the fireworks; Imogen held a hissing cockroach; Natty learnt how to make paper snowflakes; Theo went to Cornwall; Oliver went to an Ice Hockey match and will go to Greece next summer; Jo has his birthday next Wednesday; Daniel played tennis at Florence Park; Dylan has been playing on his Raspberry Pi.

We got the parachute out and played Popcorn.

Everyone had a go in the Washing Machine.

And finished with a game of Sharks and Lifeguards.

We then sang songs, with them being recorded on Tim's phone. The quality of the recording is not great!
Morningtown Ride
Blue Lake and Rocky Shore
I like the Daffodils
We are the Woodcraft Folk
Link Your Hands Together

Leaders: Debbie, Emily, Tim
Helper: Raffa
Elfins: 22

Campfire and Popcorn (2104-11-03)

In preparation for the Campfire we collected twigs from the Warneford Meadow.

A few of us started the campfire early to get it ready for cooking whilst the rest of us held our News Circle: Isis went to her Grandma's house; Daniel went to Keyhaven and saw a tree house; Freya had her birthday on Friday and party on Saturday; Izzy went to Freya's party; Emily drove to Freya's party; Natty and Imogen stroked a crocodile at the crocodile park; Polly went to her Grandma's birthday party where there were two cakes; Morrigan went to France to see her Grandma and went to a zip wire park; Oliver is in the Ice Hockey team and is practicing on Sunday and Thursday; John's brother, dad and granddad have had their birthdays this week and he saw his two month old cousin; Theo has lost a tooth; Jay was eight yesterday and got an ant hexbug as a present; Ranan also drove to Lena's party; Rayan made loom bands at a friends house yesterday; Yasmine got a crystal at the museum; Ayoub has had an eye test, been to the dentist and the museum; Rafiq went to Kique's house for a sleep-over and hurt his lip on the way to the session; Joe went to his great uncle Aubrey's house in Norfolk; Ivo found a stud popper in his pocket; Tim bought a google watch for his birthday and picked wild mushrooms in the park this morning.

We explained the rules for lighted sparklers and what to do if there was an accident and then went outside to light them.

We cooked popcorn using two methods: mostly in a wok with a lid, in a little sunflower oil, but also in a clever wire cage.

We went back inside, as it was quite cold, and sang from some song sheets Emily had printed out.

We sang We are the Woodcraft Folk, Dorcas, The Worm Song, Blue Lake and Rocky Shore and Mornington Ride and a couple of rounds.

We were in fine voice for our Closing Circle.

Leaders: Emily, Rana, Debbie, Tim
Helpers: Yasmine, Chimena
Elfins: 21
Woodchips: 1