Fall is here and the Nature Preschool at Irvine is eager to explore the beginning signs of our new season! What do you think can be found in nature during fall? In our classrooms we introduced some clues. Crunchy leaves, hickory nuts and dried cornstalks were added to our discovery tables! We added feathers, acorns and harvested corn to the art tables!
What are seeds? What do they do? These were the questions we were asking this week. The children were eager to collect different seeds outside, but where could we find them? The trails were sprinkled with freshly cracked acorns and hickory nuts. The children discovered each pile with wide eyed excitement and were sure they were right on the nibbling creatures’ tails! There is a large variety of seeds to be found in the meadow. We blew milkweed seeds into the wind and predicted where they may go to spread new life!
All the rain that came this week gave us an unexpected and impressive gift! Fungus everywhere! Including a grand display of large orange fungus at the entrance of the lower trail! The abundance of fungus won over the children’s interests! They had their eyes peeled and spotted it everywhere! They like to let their friends and teachers know by saying, “Fungus among us!” They noticed the fungus grew bigger with each wet, rainy day. The stream is always a favorite spot to explore in wet weather. We kept our eyes peeled for seeds that could be traveling in the water and found some fascinating creatures as we explored!
If you are interested in literature we used in our classrooms this week, check out: “A Fruit is a Suitcase for Seeds” by Jean Richards, “Mushroom in the Rain” by Mirra Ginsburg and “The Story Snail Series” by Anne Rockwell.
Looking forward to more fall adventures next week!
Autumn wishes,
The Nature Preschool at Irvine
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- The leaves in the downstairs classroom are changing with the season!
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- The Chipmunks are making fairy wands in the Woodland Garden.
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- The Chipmunks made a discovery!
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- These fairy wands promote fine motor development, creativity and imaginary play!
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- The Chipmunks are having some wild nature play in the meadow!
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- Painting with feathers!
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- The Chipmunks are having some serious fun painting their hands and feet!
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- The downstairs classroom has opened their autumn market!
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- The Chipmunk class observes a taxidermy fox!
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- Letter F!
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- At The Nature Preschool, we aren’t afraid to get a little dirt on our hands!
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- Making tracks in the mud! I think this was left by a chipmunk student!
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- The Chipmunks react to finding a friend in the stream!
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- The Coyote class is making fairy potions! We mixed color, used tools like funnels and pipettes, and added some glittery pizzazz!
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- The Coyotes built a ramp from bark! They are testing out how different nuts roll down their ramps!
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- This fungus awaits all trekkers on the lowers trail! They have grown with the rain!
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- Miss Meghan points out uprooted plants from fast waters flowing over them during the heavy rainfall!
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- The Coyotes visited the stream and got a little wet and muddy!
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- Some children loving on Miss Meghan! `
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- Three coyotes are in the meadow reading a story!
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- All the classes were interested in finding fungus this week! Our favorite saying after we spot some fungus is, “Fungus Amongus!”
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- Coyotes at the stream!
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- Emptying out a muddy watered muck boot!
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- A sweet Flying Squirrel hanging in a tree!
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- Climbing Squirrels!
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- What do you all see in there?
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- The Flying Squirrels are searching for seeds!
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- “Seed Stew”
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- A Chipmunk making seed stew in a trunk mortar!
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- The Foxes have messy paw from painting with corn cobs!
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- Nature cooking is always so fun!
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- These girls are working together in the outdoor classroom!
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- Fungus Amongus! Should we break out our field guide and try to identify these?
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- They tread carefully and look for seeds that may be traveling by water!
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- The Flying Squirrels are visiting a new area in the stream!
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- Look at the trails! Do you see evidence of heavy rainfall? The children were very interested in this change!
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- Miss Swati and the Foxes are making apple bread!
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- A writing provocation involving stones and lines.
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- The foxes explore the mushrooms near the lower trail entrance!
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- Miss Swati! What do you see?
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- Look how she chose to explore this activity! Great work!
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- After reading this story, we pass around fruits and observe the seeds. How are they different? Are there many seeds or only a few?
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- Rain or Shine, its outdoor classroom time!
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- Painting fungus murals in the classroom!
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- Stories with Miss Sophie in the gazebo!
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- The Rabbits have found fungus!
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- Someone has been crushing nuts in the outdoor classroom!
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- She found some fluffy milkweed seeds!
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- Collecting seeds in the meadow!
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- She is rearranging leaves to make leaf people!
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- Art outdoors! The gazebo is a perfect spot!
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- Miss Meghan and some smiling squirrels!
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- Fungus Amongus
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- Someone has been busy at the art table!
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- Exploring the Garden
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- The Rabbits have a scavenger hunt in the outdoor classroom!
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- Smashing nuts! Rocks make great crushing tools!
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- Did you find everything on your hunt?
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- Circle time in the Rabbit class!
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- Rabbit friends sharing discoveries!
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- He is proud to show off this interesting, nutty discovery!
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- The beautiful mushroom murals!
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- The Rabbits say hello to mushrooms! Have they grown bigger? Why?
