What a beautiful and adventurous week we had together! Tuesday brought storms quicker than we anticipated, and we thank you all for your flexibility with an earlier pickup. Thankfully, we were able to meet for full days the rest of the week, with plenty of mud and springtime magic in the forest.
After the storm on Tuesday, the forest floor was full of bundles of the tiniest, youngest leaves from White and Red Oaks, and Maples. The children were so curious what these plants were, and were so interested to view them in their earliest stage. Muscadine vines on the forest floor are beginning to fill in with green leaves, which are so beautifully illuminated by the morning light at our play site, and several friends noted how soft the new leaves are. Each day, during our walk down the trail, the students notice new leaves, flowers, and how much the plants all seem to change overnight. The wisteria patch has become wild and green again, and we can’t wait for the purple flowers to surprise the students soon!
While the spring showers have brought changes in the plant kingdom, they have also brought lots and lots of mud! Students have experimented with different consistencies of mud, creating paint from the red clay, wandering about painting the trees with paintbrushes made from twigs, and making thicker “mud dough” to form pinch pots, and to squish between their fingers. This observation by E. Britt Moore is spot on:
“A child who does something as deceptively unremarkable as making a mud pie is, in fact, engaging in tactile scientific learning that differentiates soil physical properties and correlates soil water properties to soil texture. If the prior statement seems exaggerated, then take a moment to think about how often a child will adjust the water-to-soil ratio in a mud pie until she finds the perfect balance. What is that if not the scientific process of experimentation, trial and error at work?” -E. Britt Moore
As educators, we look ahead each week with the intention of providing the children with a consistent rhythm. This rhythm may be thought of as a sort of breathing with “in breaths” and “out breaths” leading us through the day. Each morning, the children arrive, place their backpacks and water bottles in their places, put on their adventure vest, and join their friends in free play. In this way, we begin the day with an out breath.
After everyone arrives, we come together for morning circle, an in breath. We greet the day, say hello to our Forest Helper, give the sun a warm hug, and sing our morning song. Lately, the children have been enjoying circle games, particularly Duck, Duck, Goose! After circle time, we put on our backpacks, ready the wagons, and make our way to our play site in the forest. As we walk together down the trail, there is often excited chatter, and those observations of the environment mentioned earlier.
Once settled into the forest, the children return to their play, a long out breath. It has been amazing to watch the forest take such form and familiarity for the students. There are stumps, shelters made of sticks, and nooks which are known as the restaurant, the house, and the ice cream shop. A large piece of cloth is often made into a tent. Turkey Tail mushrooms become currency to be counted, and bark and soil become food to share with friends. While some children engage in group play, some prefer to explore more independently, looking under logs and rocks for insects, collecting pieces of wood to be used as tools, or just spending time quietly with themselves. Still, some children weave in and out of group and independent play throughout the morning.
After a morning of play, the children are invited to come together for a snack and a story. Students may choose to continue in their play during this time, and may have a snack a little later. We offer a fresh fruit, nuts, and dried fruit for snack each day. This provides wholesome energy for the children until lunch time. Some students fuel up and quickly run back to their play, while some prefer to linger for a bit of a rest.
The daily rhythm breaths out again for free play and explorations until it is time to clean up, gather supplies, and make our way back up the trail for lunch. We wash hands and come together for our meal. This special time to sit together, sing a simple gratitude song, rest, and fill our bellies is a big in breath after a full morning. After lunch, all that is left is a bit of play in the field while we wait to reunite with loving parents and caregivers at pick up time.
One of the gifts this sort of rhythm gives to children is knowing what to expect. This predictability provides a sense of security and balance throughout the day. Another gift is space and time. There is ample space during “out breaths” for children to just be. In our overscheduled, results-oriented, tech-driven society, what could be better for the young child? Children at AFK have time to dream, to spend time observing the parts of a flower, to watch a centipede for as long as they wish, to plan and create structures, to build relationships. We are so grateful to hold this space, and are so grateful for all of you.
Big, huge thanks to our Forest and Lunch Helpers this week: Sheena, Hala, Bernice, Eric, Lily, Anastasiya and Sarah!
