Promoting aspirational thinking, and using a metaphor of nurture and growth, this activity is a great way of supporting your pupils in thinking about and articulating their hopes and dreams as they prepare to transition to high school.

Forest of Dreams

Instructions

(1) Explain to the pupils that they are going to be thinking about their forthcoming move to high school – and some of the hopes and dreams they have for the future.

(2) Tell the pupils to discuss their hopes and dreams on their tables, jotting their ideas down on rough paper.

(3) Tell them that they must now pick one of their ideas – one that is achievable. They should discuss with their tables what they could do to nurture this hope and make it come true – again jotting their ideas down, before picking one strategy (which must be realistic).

(4) Hand out the Trees, one per pupil. Give pupils a set amount of time to use one side of their Tree to write down/ illustrate the hope they have chosen – and the other to write down/ illustrate the route to achieving it.

(5) Share everyone’s ideas – and display the cut-out Trees. At its simplest and easiest, you might simply pin the Trees to a display board – but you could also attach the trees to lolly sticks and fill a seed tray with soil, with each pupil planting their tree in it.

(6) At the end of the term, return the Trees to the pupils – as Aspirational Bookmarks to be used in high school.

 

Download the resource here

Forest of Trees R-Y1 / P1-P2

Forest of Dreams Y2 / P3

Forest of Dreams Y3-Y5 / P4-P6

Forest of Dreams Y6 / P7

Forest of Dreams Tree Template