Boats

I just love the innocence of this photo and had to share it. On our way to our latest adventure.

Last time we took a trip to the forest we went exploring in the stream and two things happened. One: we hadn't had rain in a while, so the stream had dried up. Two: a homeowner yelled at the children through her window telling the children to stay away from her fence. That was embarrassing to say the least... especially since we weren't anywhere near her fence, plus her home backs onto a public green space!

This time around we decided to keep away from that area of the forest and knowing that it had rained quite a bit the last couple days, there was a pretty good chance that there would be water. Since the children eagerly race towards the stream each time we visit the forest, I wanted to ensure that the children stayed in one area of the stream (away from THAT end of the stream), so I brought along some styrofoam trays a grandparent had so graciously donated.

We quickly discovered that, although there had been quite a bit of rain, the stream did not hold as much water as we thought, and the 'boats' just kind of sat in the water. Not to worry though, it was neat to try out different areas, and to scoop the water with the trays... seriously, these children don't let anything stop them!

In the process we found ourselves soaked to the bone and loving every moment!

Some children tested out their boats with cargo to see if they could float as well 

In the end we discovered that nature has it's own way of making boats, we found a large cluster of pine needles that were able to float down the stream, this caused a lot of observing and a need to go collect our own needle boats... natural is always a better way anyhow! 

Those trays we useful in so many ways that day, and became a great carrying tray to bring forest treasures back to our school!

Woodsy Wanderings

Every spare moment after the children head home i've been busy outside, taking advantage of every ounce of the sunny weather to get going on our outdoor classroom. It's been a lot of fun, and a lot of hard work, but oh so rewarding! Point is, there may be days that we're not posting, but the effort will be made, let's hope it gets done!

Here's a photo journey of our latest forest explorations. We decided to follow the stream to see where it led to. It was a great way for some of our 'newer' walkers to hone those skills. It was hard work... even I struggled (mostly because I kept getting trapped by the blackberry bushes). We headed back to the school wet and well satisfied that we had gone on a real adventure!

 

The forest is quickly becoming the number one destination of excitement. Next up, barefoot wading!

Nature's Playground

*Just a disclaimer... my batteries in my camera were dying, so some photos are a little blurry.*

Earlier in the week we took a trek out to our local forest. This is a new experience for some of the children, and of course part of walking in the forest is exploring and discovering hidden gems, and that's just what we did.

The younger children worked very hard to keep up with the big guys, and they made a valiant effort, because the big guys found something awesome!

Of course sticks picked up along the way are always part of the trip!

Also part of the exploration is discovering new things and being curious about these new things.

This tree was COVERED with fungus. I don't know who was more interested, me or the children.

At the end of the path that we explored was a little wooden bridge, underneath we found a little stream.

Climbing over those fallen logs proved a challenge for the smaller children. Of course part of the reason I love exploring the forest with the children, is that it helps them to be aware of the uneven ground, and develops their gross motor muscles without them even knowing it! This is a weekly trip for us, so I foresee the younger children leaping over the fallen logs before too long.

A little further down the stream was a lush green area, also accompanied by a bridge, and some natural 'waterfalls'. 

This forest is home to so much potential, and experiences!