Week of 10/21
Happy Friday Wonderforest families! Our week was full of autumn adventures. punctuated by our annual Leaf Gathering on Tuesday. It was a pleasure to spend time in community with everyone who was able to attend. During our event we nestled under the vibrant colors of maple, tupelo, sweet gum, and oak trees, enjoying some open-ended leaf crafts, snacks, and singing! Amaia joined us for a rendition of “Good Afternoon Dear Earth” (usually sung as a morning welcome song) and “Many Pretty Trees All Around the World” by Ella Jenkins, the “First Lady of Children's Folk Song.” If you’re not familiar with Ella Jenkins's music, we highly recommend checking her out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s057hvCJ0Jk
As you may have noticed, this month has been one of the driest October on record, with no measurable rainfall for the whole month. The drier conditions of the park have been noticed by our explorers, inspiring questions about “dusty dirt” and how it differs from “mud.” The Jumping Spiders took the opportunity to transform the dry dirt into mud, using dirt as “brown sugar” for their “acorn soup”. While mud is always a fan favorite in outdoor play, dry soil can be just as engaging. Dry dirt transformed into a canvas for drawing patterns and shapes with sticks or fingers for the Laughing Ladybugs during their time at Lele’s Tree. Filling buckets with handfuls of dry dirt and slowly letting sandy soil slip through one's fingers can lead to a moment of wonder, observing the grains softly float away, wondering why and how. Of course, the simple pleasure of mimicking a “bird bath” in the dry earth cannot be overlooked and you can be sure your nature explorer had a great day if they return home just a little bit dusty.
The dry October conditions seemed to have a positive effect on the vibrant color of fall foliage, adding a dose of color to our play. Red maple and yellow sugar maple leaves have been falling to the ground in huge numbers (aided by Thursday's very gusty winds), ripe for collecting. Our expert foragers, the Flying Squirrels, dedicated time to collecting bucketfuls of colorful leaves to brighten up their Long Meadow play spot. Some of our largest leaves of the year were found this week and many excited leaf collectors were excited to bring their finds home as gifts for their families. The bright colors were noticed most at those spots that we spend the most time in. One play spot dubbed “The Fire Engine Tree” by a previous year’s class, started to make sense once the fiery red leaves of the Tupelo Tree changed over this week. “That’s why it’s called the Fire Engine Tree! It is red like a fire engine!” shared one excited member of the Squeaky Mice. As the seasons change, we will continue to track the changes of some of our favorite trees and landscapes to notice how they change over time with the seasons.
While we love to explore nature and learn more about the environment around us, we cannot deny the importance and value of unstructured free play while we are outdoors. While hikes are offered for those interested in exploring or moving their bodies, often our classes are content to get down to play at our spot for the day, using nature to support their unfolding play narratives. Some themes that emerged during play this week included:
“Superhero dentist” where whenever someone had a loose tooth they were given superpowers as treatment (Squeaky Mice)
The creation of a “storm boat” that was sailing through thunderstorms in the ocean. Friends jumped off the stump and rescued each other from the water. (Marigolds)
Construction and destruction of buses, train lines, and landscapes (Jumping Spiders)
Log “trains” that picked up friends along the way (Laughing Ladybugs)
Interested in learning more about the importance of unstructured play? Check out this article “Why is Unstructured Play Important?” from the book Family Business by Malinda Chouinard and Jennifer Ridgeway. https://www.patagonia.com/stories/why-is-unstructured-play-crucial/story-33448.html
We wish you all a lovely Fall weekend, filled with leaves, acorns, and lots of joyful play.
With Gratitude,
Sara & Jules