Welcome Winter

Winter is officially here! Well, according to the calendar anyway. The Nature Preschoolers opened their senses to the subtle signs of winter all around! We spotted bare branches, identified birds in the bird blind and noticed the changes to the stream. The rain provided some of the very best sensory play! We made mud pies, splashed in puddles and were up to our elbows in the slimy, cool mud in the outdoor classroom! We heard rain drops on our hoods and felt mushy leaves under our feet as we hiked the trails. Our noses filled with the smell of winter spices as we added them to our play dough, opened a spice market and made spice cards to take home! Family visitors joined us to share winter traditions. We sang songs, shared stories, made winter ornaments and cooked up several tasty winter treats!

Some of our favorite activities included:
– Pajama Day and meeting the baby possum!
– The Coyotes  went on a hike with a wetlands professional! Another family visitor made winter ornaments with them!
– The Rabbits made tasty winter treats with a family visitor!
– The Chipmunks had imagination stations outside under the deck! They traced thier bodies with chalk, painted on the easel, and cooked up a snack outside!
– The Flying Squirrels visited the stream! They had fun balancing on logs and wading in the water!
– The Fox hiked under tarps on a rainy day! They listened to the raindrops, made forts and pretended to “be nature” and huddled as a rock!
– The Bears explored the outdoor classroom and identified birds in the bird blind!
– Miss Karen visited the classrooms and read stories!

Winter break has begun! School will be back in session after the new year! As 2015 comes to a close, Nature Preschool looks back on all we are grateful for – our students, their families, our community and of course, Mother Nature.  We are thankful for this mild welcome to winter, and yet are still dreaming of the magic of snow!

Until 2016,

Nature Preschool at Irvine Nature Center