What a cold and windy day! Drop off was moved to Pavilion One so we could have a fire in the fireplace. After the students were dropped off with Sarah, they followed the paved path to the pavilion where Kylie had a fire started for the students to keep warm. Sammy and Wendell opted to play around the pavilion and the surrounding field while the other students gathered by the fire. Miles, Beck, and Willa were sick today and unable to join us. After all the students arrived, Kylie led the group in a fire pyre building exercise. Students collected three varying sizes of sticks, pinky, pointer, and thumb widths, and organized them on the picnic table adjacent to the fireplace. All students were very excited to collect and organize sticks. The students were shown how to build an error proof fire pyre that would allow a small flame to grow into a large fire with a single match! After the pyre was placed in the firepit and lit next to the existing fire, Wendell, Charlie, Sammy, Mabry, and Jarrett were interested in moving their play away from the pavilion to the forested hillside leading down to the lake. Boundaries were set and the students were allowed to follow their curiosity up and down the hillside. Annabelle, a student from UGA, joined us, as she will every Thursday, for observation. Jarrett and Mabry became very interested in a tall stump that was decomposing. Jarrett found many old silk cocoons and holes throughout the wood, evidence of insect activity. They were curious about what kind of insects may have created the cocoons and holes. Sammy, Charlie, and Wendell found a different tree stump to incorporate into their play. They became superheroes depositing leaves into the stump as part of their play. Snacktime came quickly. Students gathered by the fire once again, drank tea, ate their fruit and nut snack in addition to cheese that Sarah brought. Sarah read part of our book, “The Eleventh Hour”. After storytime, the students wanted to run across the field in front of Pavilion one to the volleyball court. They proclaimed it was snow and began to make snow angels! Deer and dog footprints were found and Sammy followed the deer prints around the sand. Students broke off into small groups to follow their own interests in the sand. Sammy, Charlie, and Wendell dug a very deep hole in one area while Larkin and Mabry began to dig a hole of their own close by. Students took off shoes and explored the cold sand with their feet. As our time in Forest Kindergarten always seems to fly by, soon enough it was time to pack up and walk back to the visitor’s center for lunch. The children really love their habit of reading books before or after lunch! They gathered in the Visitors’ Center while the classroom was being prepared for an indoor lunch away from the wind. It was a great day!