Week of 1/6
Welcome to 2025 Wonderforest families! It has been a delight to be back at Wonderforest with the children, hearing about their winter break adventures and seeing how much they have grown over the short period. While our week started with a morning of falling snow, our outdoor adventures this week were impacted and limited by the very high winds and low wind chill. We made the most of our time together inside and were able to get out a bit. The cold streak ended Friday, allowing us to resume our journeys to Prospect Park, hooray!
On a snowy morning at Lele’s tree, the Mice found plenty of logs and big sticks to spark their imaginations. Wylie, Lia, and Marlowe transformed them into a dentist’s office! With a thin blanket of snow on the ground, TT noticed footprints. Inspired, Wylie began creating shapes with her footprints and made a spiral. Meanwhile, Francis, Marlowe, and Lia worked hard to make snowballs, eventually crafting tiny "snow marbles. Lia and Marlowe grabbed sticks as pretend microphones and sang silly songs, filling the air with giggles and joy.
The Squirrels explored an area we have not visited in a while, Nellie’s Lawn! Snow fell gently for the duration of our time in the park, creating a magical, winter ambiance. Some climbed logs and built creative structures, while others hiked around the Vale of Cashmere, following footprints and paw prints in the snow. We dragged sticks behind us as we walked, looking back to see the tracks that marked our journey. We observed some sparrows and cardinals foraging for food in the snow and wondered what other creatures may be afoot. One friend shared their knowledge about the resident “white squirrel,” so we searched high and low for the elusive white squirrel — but it remained a mystery this time.
Adventures with Wind
During the high wind stretch midweek, we stayed closer to school, venturing out for short walks around the neighborhood. Although the walks were brief, the wind made an impression on our explorers, and the children observed and shared thoughts about the powerful wind. During a Marigold conversation, Thatcher asked, “What’s that sound?” as they heard the high-pitched whistle of the wind from indoors. Jules explained, “That’s the sound the wind makes when it’s blowing fast and strong,” and Ollie added, “It sounds like a ghost!” The Spiders, too, noticed the strength of the wind while walking, and Eva declared, “The wind is blowing so strong today! We gotta hold on to the walking rope extra tight so we don’t blow away!” Rian excitedly exclaimed, “No, that’s a tornado!” These whimsical observations brought wonder to the blustery days. Hillary brought in a book, The Wind Blew by Pat Hutchins, to help us think more about how we experience and understand this powerful, yet invisible force.
At Dogwood Hill, the Marigolds basked in the sun while running, rolling, and crawling up and down the hill to stay warm. They delighted in finding snow still on the ground and marveled that more snow would be needed to build a snowman. Paula took a group on a hike to search for signs of winter, spotting nature’s subtle wonders along the way.
The Ladybugs visited Nellie’s Lawn, where Nia led a group to the natural playground for some sand play. At the play spot, they colored logs (affectionately called "Remy’s House") with chalk and pretended to ride a train to Boston. Solana had her heart set on finding worms but discovered the ground was too hard and frozen for digging. What other creatures might the Ladybugs discover throughout the winter in their Prospect Park adventures?