Hello, forest kindergarten families!

We had another wonderful week in the forest! We had very manageable weather, and were able to explore quite a few new areas. On Tuesday, we ventured to a new play site. This site is significantly larger than where we’ve been spending the majority of our time, and the children were really able to expand and explore. It has been incredible to observe their confidence and dexterity lately! After lunch, we celebrated William turning 4 with singing, a special birthday crown and cape, and a bit of cake his mom, Ginny made!

Wednesday, we revisited the same area as we did on Tuesday, and it was wonderful to watch the children gravitate to areas they spent time in the day before. This week, we continued to follow the children's interest in the trees surrounding us. Some friends chose to partake in a tree lesson, and we spent a lot of time with our tree field guide. We discussed ways to identify trees and plants in different seasons through observing fallen leaves, vines, and bark. Spending time in the forest in all seasons of the year is such a gift!

On Thursday, Hamlin joined us in the drizzly weather. Several students noticed how different the moss on the rocks and trees looked in the rain, which led to a discussion about the ways various plants absorb water. Students discovered giant shelf mushrooms on a log, and carefully lined up and counted their collection…23 all together!

Friday brought colder weather, and we were grateful for Erik, Silvias dad, to start a big fire for us in the fireplace. After a morning of exploring the forest, we gathered at the picnic shelter for a warm snack of millet porridge with cherries and yogurt, chamomile tea, and a story by the fire. We were happy to have Julie with us, and several students spent time showing her all their fascinating finds with magnifying glasses!

We hope you all have a fun and cozy weekend, and we can’t wait to see you next week!