Birds, feathers and the Summer Solstice

In late June, Cat stepped in to look after Robyn's tribe for two days whilst Robyn attended a forest school paediatric first aid course. To make the most of the occasion, the Mighty Wilds and Magic Mighties joined forces — and something truly magical was born.

To bring together the different age groups and make the two days feel fun and special, Cat organised an immersive art workshop centred around the enchanting theme of birds and feathers.

Over the two days, the children were taken on a wonderful creative journey. They gathered together to listen to a Native American folk tale, "How the Birds Changed Their Feathers", before exploring and handling real feathers first hand. They tuned their ears to birdsong, discovered the extraordinary world of paper bird sculpture, and learned intricate cutting and folding techniques to craft their very own paper feathers.

The vision was a beautiful one — that by the end of the two days, every child would feel so inspired by the birds and feathers they had explored that they would create their own piece of a bird costume, in whatever way their imagination led them.

And on Thursday 18th June, that vision came to life. The children proudly paraded their stunning costumes at the Summer Solstice celebration in the field, with parents and siblings gathering near the sports pitch to take in the spectacular bird display.

After several cold, wet and windy days, the sun had other ideas — breaking through the clouds for a glorious two hours at just the right moment. It was the perfect ending to a truly memorable couple of days making and creating.

Following an initial bird call and introduction from Cat, the birds emerged from the ferns and long grass, each taking flight and making their way around the sun, a giant papier-mâché creation made by the youngest children. Each child had their own bird sound, from baby owlets to roaring eagles, each flew galliantly around the sun.