It’s high autumn in the forest, and our forest kindergarteners have been enjoying every moment of it! The beauty and abundance of falling leaves have created so many opportunities for play and learning this week!
As you all know, we have ventured across the lake to our new play sites! Thank you all for your flexibility as we navigate our new drop off and pick up zones. We have loved exploring the new forest areas, and have found some absolutely magical spots to take us through winter.
Head:
Our group is so fortunate to spend hours under the canopy of a large variety of hardwood trees. The children enjoyed a leaf matching invitation in the forest this week, matching leaves not only by color, but by species and learning their names.
We are continuing to offer a rotation of activities after lunch. After a full morning of play, an assortment of puzzles, blocks, art supplies, and books allow the children to engage in a restful activity until pick up time. We look forward to adding a wooden loom for weaving after the break!
Heart:
As we continue with child-led snack time, we’ve noticed a subtle development in the group. Beyond simply realizing its time to refuel their bodies for more play, we’ve noticed the children inviting a small group of friends to have snack together. Asking their friends if they’re also hungry, choosing from the snack options, arranging their seats near one another, and enjoying a little break together really reflects the growth and bonds that have formed. The fluidity of snack being available throughout the morning has leant itself to the children having ownership over their physical needs, but has also allowed a lovely moment of community to take place.
This week Kylie witnessed another moment of kindness between friends when Henry needed help putting his shoe back on. Nat jumped right in to help so they could continue their play!
Thank you to our families who have recently jumped into roles as forest helpers and lunch helpers! As we continue to explore new play sites and lunch offerings, your help is greatly appreciated. If you are interested in joining us as a helper, please reach out to Sarah, Kylie, or Ashley for more information!
Hands:
At our favorite new play site, we discovered a large, fallen White Oak. Its large branches and trunk have become a natural jungle gym many children spent nearly the entire morning climbing on the first day! Even our friend Hamlin couldn’t resist climbing its trunk! Aside from the wonderful opportunities for risk assessment, balance, and working together, the branches and limbs have already become tents, rooms, and tractors in imaginative play. We’re loving this feature of our new forest home!
Holism:
As Juniper enjoyed her snack one morning, Kylie observed her thanking the tree providing her a shady spot to sit. She looked up at the small tree said, “Thank you bush”, and went back to her snack. What a joy to notice these small moments of unprompted gratitude and reflection!
Wednesday morning, we found feathers from a bird of prey. We can only speculate what may have happened during the night, but continued to find feathers throughout the week. Finding the feathers ranged from awe at their beauty to wondering what may have happened to the large bird. This led to moments of empathy and curious discussions about the food chain.
As an extension of holism, I want to thank every one of you for welcoming Oliver into our AFK community over the past few months! As he returns to in-person school, I know he will carry this very special time serving as “big brother” to 13 younger forest siblings with him. He was so surprised and touched by the card you all put together with the children’s sweet thoughts, thank you!
We hope you all have a wonderful break next week, and enjoy the extra time with your amazing children. We can’t wait to see you all when we resume forest kindergarten on the 30th!
