At the Nature Preschool, we relish time to play and explore in nature, no matter the weather. We play in rain, in puddles, in heat, and chill, and on some magical amazing days we play in SNOW! This week while most area schools were closed due to the 3” of snow, the Nature Preschool was open and we were all thrilled to have a true Snow Day.
Bundled up in layers, snow pants, hats, mittens, and boots children arrived ready to explore and leave their mark on the quiet uninterrupted blanket of snow on Irvine’s meadow, trails, and Outdoor Classroom. We asked families to meet us in the Outdoor Classroom rather than inside for our typical imagination stations in order to capitalize on our time in the fluffy glittery white. With sleds in tow and sparkles in their eyes, children bounded in and it didn’t take long for shrills to fill the air and the landscape to be crisscrossed with sled tracks, footprints, and snow angels.
After lots of time relishing the whoosh of down-hill sledding, our classes embarked on treks of discovery. They followed the tracks of our animal friends, used rulers to measure their size/depth/and the distance between steps. Using identifying guides, they took a stab at trying to identify the animal that made the mysterious shapes. Deer, rabbit, bird, chipmunk, and fox were all found! As true nature lovers, they made snow feasts for their friends and indulged in a bit of snow tasting themselves.
It is days like this that make our hearts soar and glow with warmth—days filled with wonder, joy, and a fair amount of good luck. Hooray for snow days! The full day class had so much fun that they didn’t come inside for lunch until nearly 1pm! 🙂
Check out pictures from the last few days of playing in the snow!
