Rainy Play at the Native American Site
Monday was our first rainy day in a while! The children showed up dressed in their rain gear ready to explore and play. We spent some time in the outdoor classroom following the water as it trickled down the rocky path. The children were disappointed that the runoff pond wasn’t full yet!
After talking to the children, we agreed to check out the Native American site. We hadn’t been there in weeks and we could stay dry in the longhouse. As we made our way down the rocky road, the children collected fallen paulownia and tulip poplar flowers, hoping to give them to their parents when picked up. We also stopped and checked out some birdhouses along the road. Everyone LOVES to find eggs and even better, baby birds inside the boxes.
At the Native American site, we huddled in the longhouse drying out over snack and a native American story. We had brought the kelly kettle and planned on making some hot tea for the group. Everyone was VERY impressed by the flames shooting from the top of the kettle!
Ready to warm up again, the children put on their jackets and set off to explore the site. We checked out the wigwam, discovered a new gathering circle, and jumped across the stumps around the fire ring. On the way back to Irvine, we had two girls singing, “I Hate Rain” and then breaking out in giggles! These children truly have great attitudes about the outdoors and embrace all weather.
Not Very Far
As the semester comes to an end, we have asked the children for places they really want to visit (or revisit). Surprisingly, some girls wanted to visit the Woodland Garden. I say surprisingly because we meet next to it every day! Listening to the children, we gathered our things and headed over to the gardens. Once there, we decided on snacks and a story at the benches before a game on camouflage.
A new game for our forest dreamers, several of the children were unsure about playing. However, the thrill of the game proved to be too much. One of our friends made his first hiding place among the backpacks and jackets. This was a great idea! The children did a fantastic job hiding but holding their places was just too much for them! We even found one boy creeping down the trail!
After a few rounds of the game, we continued to circle around by way of the ponds. Frogs and tadpoles NEVER get old! Our favorite find was a juvenile pickerel frog! This was the first time I have found a pickerel frog at Irvine so everyone was excited. We spent the remainder of class exploring the ponds, checking out the frogs, and trying to catch the elusive tadpole!
