I was not able to get to the start of the session, but I have heard that news was told and the decision to play Four Corners was taken and then it was played.
By time I arrived Jam Jars were being glued and decorated with coloured tissue paper.
Whilst some finished off and tidied up Tegan led some Handkerchief Games.
We lit the the lanterns in the middle of the circle and sang the Circle Song.
Leaders: Tegan, Tim, Debbie
Helpers: Elsbeth, Emily
Elfs: 15
Woodchips: 1
A very well attended session. We started with Circle News, and introductions as we had two new Elfins: Jay and Finn, and one old leader Brian who most remember as a leader last year. Connie met Cork Paul at here school. Leto brought in an enormous puff ball!
We played a game of Hedgehog's Homes.
Where the number of homes was reduced each round.
Until all the hedgehogs were in one home!
The next game was Fox and Rabbit where all the children were in pairs, and at any one time there was one rabbit and one fox. A rabbit could join a pair to escape the fox, and a new rabbit would leave the pair. If the fox caught the rabbit then they swapped. This was great game with much shouting for the rabbit to shelter in a particular lair.
The last game was Bat and Moths. We were all bat conservationists, helping the blindfolded bat to catch the moths. Whenever the bat emitted an echo of Bat! the moths had to reply Moth!.
As the conservationists slowly wound up the parachute to help the moths!
We ended with the Circle Song.
Leaders: Tegan, Tim, Debbie
Helpers: Elsbeth, Kiara, Brian, Paul
Elfs: 15
Woodchips: 5
We started with Circle News. Debbie and Millie have moved house, Flora had made a wooly pad on a peg loom, Xanthe had been to Legoland. Tegan had cut her partner's hair!
Tim brought in two fungi, in plastic boxes. The first Avenging Angel (Amanita virosa) is the most poisonous British mushroom. The second Shaggy Ink Cap (Coprinus comatus) is the only edible mushroom which cannot be confused with anything else. (Children were warned never to pick fungi without an adult).
We then did animal charades: what animal am I?
Everyone then made a hanging bird feeder from apples, cheese, nuts and pop corn.
We played a game of Duck Duck Goose.
We ended with the Circle Song.
Leaders: Tegan, Tim, Debbie
Helpers: Elsbeth, Kiara
Elfs: 15
Woodchips: 2
We nearly called it off due to the rain, but twelve Elfins made it to Shotover. There was a great rainbow. Katy and Flora said they saw bats.
We started with a windy, stand up, circle news. Some had to shout to be heard over the wind.
We set off through the wood, Tim nominally at the front and Tegan at the back.
We were aiming for the Sand Pit,
which we found through Izzy's excellent sense of direction.
We climbed trees
and played on the swings
and in the stream.
For the journey back everyone was given a number, so that we could do spot checks in the dark.
When we got back to the car park we lined up in number order.
Rob said there had been loads of bats in the car park!
We ended with the circle song.
Leaders: Tegan, Tim
Elfs: 12
We started with Circle News. Sadly the hedgehog found by Magnus died, if you see a hedgehog during the day it is likely to be dying.
Katie had nine eggs from five chickens.
Flora and Katie showed the flag they had made at Elfin camp.
We then played a great game of Wink Murder in which one person is the detective, who is sent out of the room whilst the murderer is selected. When the detective returns they stand in the middle of the circle whilst the murderer carries on their dirty work by winking at members of the circle, who fall back dead. The detective has three goes to guess the murderer. Everyone who wanted a go was either a detective or a murderer.
We finished our leaves from last session, messy but convincingly autumnal.
We even had time for some parachute games!
We ended with the circle song.
Leaders: Tegan, Tim
Helpers: Lisbet, George
Elfs: 13
Woodchips: 2
Some of us went on Elfin Camp at Dry Sandford.
Saturday was nice and sunny. We started with a Circle led by Camp Chiefs Ian and Charlotte.
We did activities:
Lantern Making
Sowing, Flag Making, Tin Can Cooking, CD Painting, Boat Making
Fire lighting
Merrymoot
Teddy Bear Play
Tumbling
Singing and bed.
Breakfast was a bit dark!
We went for a walk through the fen,
not getting too close to the ponies,
who seemed almost sorry to see us go.
We started with Circle News, which went very quickly: little news during school time. Magnus and Nia have looked after a hedgehog.
We then got on with the business of the session by going outside and collecting fallen leaves to act as templates for our cardboard ones.
The leaves were made more realistic by having string stuck on as veins. The whole was then covered in glued tissue paper.
Everyone did a great job of making and still had energy for a game of Dead Ants.
During the final circle we gave a Woodcraft Whoop to Jago and Tessa for helping so well with tidying.
We ended with the circle song.
Leaders: Tegan, Debbie, Tim
Helpers: Lisbet, Kiara
Elfs: 16
Woodchips: 2
Pioneer: 1
