Week of 11/4
Happy Friday Wonderforest families. It was an eventful week, and sharing time in nature with our adventurous, caring, and fun-loving Wonderforest children was a balm to the larger world events around us. Our work in cultivating empathy in young children towards each other and the natural world goes on and reminds us that even adults are growing and learning in these areas. We all have a lot to learn from each other.
Ever the explorers, the Flying Squirrels explored some far reaches of the park. Monday, we settled into Tupelo and started off by working on huge leaf piles. We set off on a hike through the " deep dark woods,” keeping our eyes out for the elusive Gruffalo. While we found some interesting seeds and leaves, no Gruffalo were found. The search continued on Thursday with Cindy leading a hike around the dog beach loop and through the new waterfall trail, searching for "the Gruffalo’s house.” Wouldn't you know? We found it by some big rocks and a waterfall! Don't be confused when you hear “There's no such thing as a Gruffalo!"
Using the elements around them, the Squeaky Mice incorporated nature into their dramatic play. Starting with some leaf gathering, we went all around the play spot picking up handfuls of leaves and bringing them to a pile in the middle, with the goal of making the pile as tall as a teacher and then jumping in. The piles inspired some pretend bird nest play where gathered twigs and leaves were assembled into the branches of a tree while other “birds" used sticks to make a nest on the ground. Perhaps word spread quickly among the birds in the part about the amazing nests the Mice were constructing because our spot on Wednesday attracted a brave Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (a type of woodpecker) who was so busy drilling holes into the tree that it allowed us a close up look of patterned body.
Our merry Marigolds have been serious about communing with the leaves whenever they're in the park. Paula and Joy led a hike with contact paper so we could stick the treasures we found onto it making a leaf collage. Children worked to find a leaf of every color to include. We found orange, red, yellow, and green! Birds have also been of interest to the Marigold crew and Joy brought her binoculars for us to take turns with them, looking for birds and airplanes in the sky. One of the best sightings of the week was a red-tailed hawk swooping low over our play spot at Tupelo Nook.
Jumping Spiders had the warmest day of the week, with temperatures in the 80s! We settled into a shady spot with lots that were perfect for balancing and climbing. Some friends headed out on a “stick hike" to find sticks, but the endeavor took a turn when the crew wanted to search for a Gruffalo instead! While no Gruffalo were found, copious amounts of fresh leaves delighted in the midwood, perfect for throwing in the air. Our second hike started off in search of water, but we soon took a return when the climbing rocks came into view. We practiced our climbing and communication skills, and one spider even opened a "dirt factory.” No report of journey would be complete without mentioning our spotting of 7 park ranger horses who walked across the long meadow. The spiders jumped with joy to see so many horses in one go.
The Laughing Ladybugs had fun in the foliage during our sunny outing in Prospect Park. We started out coloring on a big rock with chalk. Friends learned some new words: a really big rock is a boulder, and a really small rock is a pebble! Then we hiked into the forest to find some animals. Although we didn’t come across any creatures, we arrived at a clearing with an abundance of leaves. The Ladybugs were overjoyed to jump in big leaf piles and throw handfuls of leaves into the air- and most importantly, we learned that some friends do not want leaves on their bodies. This led to a memorable display of communication; everyone who wanted leaves on their bodies said “I want leaves!” and those who didn’t said “not me!” This helped our friends decide who will throw the leaves, while the others became the leaf catchers. Today offered a lovely opportunity to practice consent and strengthen our social-emotional skills while experiencing the joys of outdoor play.
Teachers spent the day at school on Tuesday, preparing for parent-teacher conferences on Monday, October 11th. Before getting down to work, we settled in for a professional development led by our own on-staff puppet expert, Audra Brandt. During the PD, we learned more about the history of puppets and the value of bringing puppetry into the classroom. Puppets can be important classroom tools for reflecting and processing big events in children’s lives, developing storytelling skills, as well as being aides in classroom management. Teachers had the opportunity to make their own puppets using recycled, repurposed, and natural materials. We're looking forward to incorporating all we've learned into our classrooms as the school year goes on.
Take care of yourselves and enjoy the weekend!
With Gratitude,
Sara & Jules