We had a smaller group on Tuesday and missed our friends who weren’t with us! The group stayed cozy at the crow’s nest, playing nearby, until we took a hike to a nearby ravine! We found a temporary stream made by all the recent rain, and enjoyed some very good water play before drying off for lunch! Leo discovered deer tracks in the sand by the stream, and Caroline and Jaime found snail shells, crystals, and jelly fungus! Thank you to Jessie for being such a wonderful Forest Helper!

Wednesday, we returned to play at the Fallen Oak! Our good friend Eva, and our practicum students, Anna and Kylee joined us for a wonderful day of play in the warmer temperatures.

Students found lots of jelly fungus, snails and slugs, and lichen. They’re becoming so familiar with this forest and are quick to identify the plants and creatures they play beside day after day.

Thursday was a building day in response to the combination of rainy weather and cooler temperatures. We find when we’re able to balance challenging weather with comfort, the children are much happier and able to settle into their play.

During our time indoors, we explored homemade playdoh with various utensils, chopped apples to make baked apples for snack, worked on floor puzzles, and had a freeze dance party!

After snack, we put on rain gear, ventured outdoors for a walk and discovered the most giant puddles! The students had so much fun splashing and playing until it was time to head inside, dry off, and have lunch together!

Many thanks to Hala for joining us as Forest Helper on Thursday!

Friday was another muddy, fun day! The students enjoyed playing in and experimenting with the water that was streaming down the trail from the rain early that morning.

The sunshine was a very welcome addition to the day, and seemed to bring a more relaxed feel to the morning. We enjoyed having Eva and her playful spirit back with us in the forest!

The children had some really wonderful, imaginative games going in the forest. We overheard a few students playing “office”, dragons, and as always superheroes with capes!

The students explored with binoculars and magnifying glasses, and we’re looking forward to introducing additional bird field guides next week!