Forest Animals Week ~ Thursday

Ahhh, we really caught the best of our November sun this week! The kids enjoyed playing on the "Dew beads" art before moving on into the woods. 

 

 We started off our forest animals class with 2 stories at the shelter, one about a squirrel and the other about a mole. So when we spotted a mole hole on the trail we stopped to chat about it and inspect it closer.

These froglets have pretty impressive attention spans. At snack today I read The Story of Jumping Mouse, which is an incredible story (check it out from the library!) and the kids enjoyed it, but it's a long one and I was really impressed at their listening patience.

As always, there was lots of up and down traveling on our walk through the woods today.

 These guys also like to draw with sticks on and off the trail,

 writing their names and letters and shapes of all sorts.

 We talked a lot about gray squirrels today listening to their chatter and watching these busy creatures in action. Of course it is never hard to see many of them in our woods.At the end of our walk today we collected maple seeds (aka "helicopters") and I showed the students how the squirrels open them up and get out the seed.

Forest Animals Week ~ Tuesday

 

We lucked out at FH this week, getting a lovely run of sunny days right in time for our class! Today, for our forest animals class we started off reading a squirrel story and a mole story and then went straight up into the woods to spot some creatures if we could. Of course the ever common gray squirrel was spotted, and we chatted about their funny "spit marks the spot" habit and noticed their loud chatter. 

 

though mostly the kids were busy investigating the woods

The group impressed me today with their keen listening ears during snack as I read, The Story of Jumping Mouse, a lovely story of a mouse with a powerful message about compassion and determination (you should read it for yourself!).

The kids were quickly engaged in a game of castle at this big stump. I was given the role of "Queen" so how could I resist playing along? 

 

the view from my "castle"

Though as with any sessions of imaginative play with preschoolers their roles changed by the moment, from "soldier" to "leaf blower" to "driver of the pumpkin truck" on which we all sat to partake in what was likely the loudest Froggy Holler kiddos have ever been! 

 

I lead the kids in some hillarious and rousing versions of "jingle bells" and the "ABC's"

Its' really hard to tell kids to "use an inside voice" out here in our classroom without walls! And on a day like today, we all wanted to shout and sing and let it all out! So, why not?! 

Plus, then they got it all out and were ready to listen and learn again as we trekked down the hill and over to "sliding rock". There the kids slid and slid, and one even slumbered momentarily:

 

I suppose if you can hug trees and rest on rocks, life is good.

It was a frogtastic day!