If you go down to the woods today you'll be sure of a big surprise. Because youngsters have commandeered them for classrooms.

Pupils of Sunny Bank Primary School in Church Road, Murston, Sittingbourne, now get some of their lessons in a forest school.

They slip out of class to explore nature and wildlife and build dens in a coppice at the edge of their playground. Maria Lougheed is in charge. "They love it," she said.

She developed the project during the Covid-19 lockdowns so reception and Year 1 classes could let off steam while learning.

Our visit coincided with pyjama day, which explained why so many were clad in nightwear. It was also part of Book Week so the five- and six-year-olds were treated to a reading of Stick Man written by children's laureate Julia Donaldson.

Mrs Lougheed went prepared with two two stick men she had made earlier, in the best tradition of Blue Peter.

"Sticks don't have to be sticks," she explained to her awe-struck charges while holding a particularly twiggy example to her head to demonstrate antlers.

Within minutes, the youngsters were let loose on the outdoor "investigation station" as they scurried around in search of things to do with twigs.

The boys soon formed a team and busied themselves hauling entire branches into a corner to build a den of branches around a tree.

Mrs Lougheed explained: "Their topic this term is recycling so they are making use of what they find. We had lots of branches blown down in the recent storms."

Some of the youngsters created wands with coloured wool and others, like Felicity, crafted fishing rods with string and even feathers.

"Can you tie a knot on that?" enquired Mrs Lougheed. "Did you tie your shoelaces today?" Felicity peered down at her Frozen-themed Wellington boots. Probably not.

Another youngster disappeared and returned with a daisy which he proudly presented to his teacher. Whatever happened to apples?

Daniel, meanwhile, was trying to hack through a sturdy twig with a pair of safety scissors. He failed. One suspects he has learned that next time he will need an axe.

Forest schools began life in Denmark in the 1950s before being taken up across Scandinavia. Teachers discovered that youngsters from forest kindergartens displayed strong social skills.

The concept arrived in Britain in the 1990s and is credited with helping children build independence and self-esteem as well as learning about the environment.