Emotional dayToday was a crazy day. It began with workers cutting down three trees. The trees were healthy and beautiful. Two of them were part of and inquiry a week ago on why half of the tree was green and the other half was orange. It's twin was totally orange. The pine tree was just beautiful. Their destruction made us feel sad.
Then T told us there was a surprise waiting for us at the camp. He had gone on the weekend and left us some creatures to find. The boys had a blast find all but one. Then we noticed our came was all disheveled. Our sitting square was no longer a square. The fort was missing a roof and a wall. The worst thing the bows they worked so hard on were gone. Nowhere to be found. Another surprise was Kelly had brought us some new tree stumps and branches to add to camp. We worked together and rebuild almost everything. What will happen tomorrow?
0 Comments
Since one of our families has ventured to the forest for a family hike I thought you all might be interested. We have left a yellow string tied to a sign to show you the way in. If you park your car and head over to Theal house that is where you begin. As you walk down the dirt road there are many stops along the way. The second trail entrance will take you to the junior and senior camps as well as the big bridge. If you continue down the road at the first bend you will find the dead raccoon. (Mind where you step) Farther down the road you will pass the lake lookout also known as the cage (storm drain gate). Farther down the road you will find the trail to the lake and a spot we like to call rock island. Farther down the road once you are near the blue football goal posts you will see the entrance to camp. Down the trail to the right is camp. If you turn left you will find the broken car. Beware there is poison ivy growing on the car. The leaves will be gone but the vine is still there. If you are feeling adventurous the trails marked by white rectangles are a part of the Bruce Trail. The trail with blue markers or arrows is a mountain bike trail. As long as you never cross a bridge you will eventually end up back on the dirt road. EXPLORING OUR FORESTWe have been finding so many different footprints and poop. I know no bathroom words but when you are not using them in a rude way it's okay. On Thursday the boys used a tracking guide to determine if the paw print was a fox, coyote, wolf or dog. They decided it was a dog. Then they pretended it was a wolf. Written by S Robitaille
We explored the big bridge this week. The boys realized you can see through the slats and see new things. What lives in the water? Are there any creatures down there? What is happening to the plants around the bridge? Why are they changing? So many questions, so many guesses, so many answers. Written by S Robitaille
Loose parts, what are they? They are random items that can be used in multiple ways. Currently the boys are making labyrinths. Sometimes they use pinecones and sticks a pretend food or tools or art. Here are some pictures of different loose part activities the boys have created. Written by S Robitaille This week the boys made some interesting things. I wanted to try to make a Wigwam but the boys have their own ideas. They made some amazing things.
The weather was very windy on Thursday. We decided to move to a different site for safety. On our way W found a curved branch and held it while declaring it was a bow. Other friends wanted one too, so Susanne found enough for everyone. The boys made bows with Roxane at the new camp when they weren't exploring the fort or building a new one. Over all it was a fun day. The next day the boys finished their bows and made some arrows. We brought a jack-o-lantern to the forest for a science experiment but used it for target practice instead. Some of the bows cracked on the first try so we used duct tape to mend them. The boys used electrical tape to decorate. The bows have no force to shoot, the arrows are mostly tossed about 2 feet. There have been a lot of rules created for safety. It is a lot of fun. There are branch stumps in the fort and the boys have hung their bow on them. Written by S Robitaille
On tuesday the boys drew pictures of their pets that have died. These pets were both real and fictitious. W's spider "caught the virus, got sick and died". T's cat died a while ago and he still thinks about it. R drew a butterfly. E drew a . B drew a . Z drew a . They wanted everyone to feel the love and care they felt for their dead pet. Even if the pet was imaginary it deserved remembrance. This reminded me of The Day of The Dead. We looked on the internet and found a National Geographic website, 10 things to know about The Day of The Dead. https://api-nationalgeographic-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/api.nationalgeographic.com/distribution/public/amp/travel/destinations/north-america/mexico/top-ten-day-of-dead-mexico?amp_js_v=a6&_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQFKAGwASA%3D#aoh=16048818222714&csi=1&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s We learned that people remember their loved ones by building altars at home or at the cemetery. The boys liked the idea of decorating with flowers and candy sculls. They all went to their seats to create paper versions of marigolds and candy. I added some harts and an electric candle. I put their loved ones pictures in frames. We used the top of a shelf and put it all together. The boys are proud of what they have created. Pet memorial |
Details
AuthorSusanne and Roxane are Registered Early Childhood Educators, Forest School Practitioners and National Geographic Certified Educators. Archives
August 2021
Categories |