Week of 10/14
The Laughing Ladybugs had two exciting trips to Prospect Park this week, visiting the Fire Engine Tree and the House Tree. In the open fields, our high-energy friends enjoyed running and chasing games. We practiced asking before chasing and taking turns being the runner and the catcher. Another friend discovered our shadows in the sunshine and created a game where we tried to catch our friends’ shadows. More fun followed when friends rolled down the hill, giggling and vocalizing the whole way down. Some friends became dizzy which only led to more laughter from our Ladybugs. We also engaged in some climbing, drawing on logs with chalk, and drumming with sticks to make music! With each new trip, our friends become familiar with our routines and explore the wonders Prospect Park has to offer.
The windy week caused many interesting leaves and seeds to fall to the ground for our explorers to discover. On Tuesday, the Jumping Spiders worked together to create some huge and colorful leaf piles to jump in together. While the jumping for leaf joy was thrilling, creating the piles was just as fun. Spiders used different techniques to build the piles, with many spiders using long sticks to brush the leaves into piles. If you need help finding the perfect stick, the Jumping Spiders would love to help you search! Later in the week, the Spiders enjoyed some sunny time at the House Tree, conducting lots of construction play inside the house tree, fixing the backyard, hammering, and using excavators. The play may have been inspired by the park workers we passed who were operating large machines in the fenced-off area. The observations also inspired wondering about what they were working on and why it was making so much steam
The Squeaky Mice had one park trip this shorter week but packed in a lot of adventure. Our passionate hold diggers found many little flower bulbs- they remarked that they looked like “little baby potatoes” and pretended to farm them, carefully putting them back into the earth after excavation to ensure plenty of flowers in the spring. Other excavators were lucky enough to find worms in a sunny spot and took the time to observe them. After playing, one Mouse determined that it would be best to return the worms to a safe home, located back in the soil and the Mice were quick to care for their wiggle friends.
The Marigolds explored two different park areas this week, first settling in at Tupelo Nook on Wednesday. The day was spent searching for worms, learning about stick safety, and navigating the bumpy roots of the old trees in that area. Soon bright red and orange leaves will be filling that spot, and we got a small taste of the Fall color soon to come. On a hike in the sunny Long Meadow, we discovered some large holes and wondered about who had dug the holes. Our curiosity also inspired some jumping-over-the-hole contests that left everyone feeling like a winner after successfully navigating the jump. Friday, the Merry Marigolds made their first trip to the Quiet Hill stump where they enjoyed some sun and construction. The crew discovered many large logs at the spot and quickly got to work building a “campfire.” After working together, the project quickly morphed into the creation of a big boat that could fit the whole crew.
Autumn continues to bring its delights to our feet, and the Flying Squirrels spent their park trip this week busily collecting seeds. We have some expert seed finders in this crew, and buckets upon buckets were filled to the brim with a variety of seeds found on the sunny side of the Long Meadow. In our search for more and more seeds, we happened upon a very curious piece of fruit - an Osage Orange! These fruits are beloved by Grey Squirrels as a food source and revered by children as curious oddities. The large wrinkly fruit looked truly out of this world and our squirrels were so excited to find THREE on our hike. (These trees can be found in the Nethermead, so another nature school may have brought them up to the Long Meadow). The Squirrels all took turns holding and examining the fruit before we opened one up to see and smell the white, woody pulp. The Flying Squirrels are pros at locating fascinating seed finds. We brought one Osage Orange back to school to share with our community.
We wish you all a great weekend! Be sure to enjoy the weekend warm-up and sunny skies this weekend.
With Gratitude,
Sara & Jules