It's been a magical week in the forest! The very earliest signs of spring are being noticed by our forest kindergarteners…Occasional green shoots emerging from the leaves on the ground, more active and vocal birds, and a week of warmer weather! The play site at the fallen White Oak continues to captivate the students. Nooks in the trunk and branches have become a restaurant, a house, a workshop, and an ice cream shop! 

This week, ropes were offered to the students to add to the tools available for their use. So much open-ended experimentation, play, and problem solving took place using these ropes! Naia and Caroline spent a long while tying the ropes to trees to make an animal trap. Juniper utilized her knot tying skills, Henry enjoyed trying out the rope to lasso branches, and several friends grabbed ahold of a length of rope to pretend to be a train! 

We continued to follow the children's interest in animal homes this week. Several burrows are spotted every day, and the children love to imagine who may be hibernating inside. On Tuesday, a flying squirrel came to visit us! It was incredible to observe this rarely seen, nocturnal animal, and the students did such a wonderful job with self control to give the squirrel the space it needed. It was incredibly friendly, and seemed just as interested in the children as they were in it! Kylie gently placed the squirrel in the terrarium to ensure it wasn’t injured, and the students were able to quietly observe it for a couple of minutes before it was released. We hope to meet our flying friend again!       

On Friday, we enjoyed a low-key, early Valentines Day celebration! We shared a special snack of bunny crackers and dried strawberries, and gathered together for a story. Some of the children opted to bring Valentine treasures for their fellow students, and each child left with a bag of tiny gifts. It was so wonderful to watch the children's patience and giving nature toward one another as they shared their Valentines! 

We hope you all have a beautiful weekend, and we can’t wait to see you on Tuesday!