Coniferous Trees

We started class with an intro to the topic, coniferous trees and some storytelling of the tale of how hemlock got it's small cones, and the mission to find cones of all kinds during our time today.

 

Then the kids dove right into some rowdy hill sliding! 

 

The kids found this spot and in their padded cozy gear slid down it with gusto over and over. They were so happy being one with the dirt it was hard to stop them, but of course more was to be learned so we moved on up the hill. After another oral tale of the mouse in the fir cone (a repeat reminder from the fall session), we settled down under nature's umbrella tree (western red cedar) for snack and another story. 

Then they were off again this time on an adventure in this ship/boat:

 There was driving of their craft, storytelling about where they were going and what they were doing, and some cooking of nutritious maple leaf pancakes, salal leaf cakes, and madron leaf cakes etc.

"Your order is ready!"

There was some sleeping in the tree as well, a lot of hard work all this play.

Then we had to get off our ship and head to our umbrella again, where the kids worked hard altogether gathering food supplies again, some braken fern noodles,

 

many fish caught on handy branch fishing poles,

and an entire stockpile of cones! 

though really A was gathering these for his mom, fyi

It was hard to leave our feast behind, but somehow we managed for the siren call of the hot chocolate was strong!

Twin Ponds Field Trip

It was a bright, sunny winter day, ideal for a FH filed trip! We went to Twin Ponds today and had a great time exploring. After a good test of the playground eqipment, rain pants + slides = heaps of fun! We went over to the ponds to check out the scene:

While snacking we enjoyed watching mallards, cormorants, and other local birds who visit this spot.

 As we continued on around the ponds we stopped to explore the banks frequently, and to fish too of course.

And to stop for a rest:

Then we were off again, this time it was to, "Come on guys, hup 2, 3, 4!"

Then, after our fun trip some kiddos were so tired out they had to nap in the swings:

Silly kids!

Animals in Winter/Baby Dinosaurs in the Woods

Today was one of those lovely days outside, grey and wet, we haven't actually had very many like that this session yet, but you'd have never guessed it was anything but sunny in the world of 4 little Froggy Holler students. While today's topic was "Animals in Winter" and "Hibernation" in particular, we spent just as much time in "The Dinosaur Age!" I read my books, shared poems and such, and the kids really clued into the seasons of the year that are associated with hibernation as learned from our seasons talk a few weeks back. But as we climbed, "a mountain" on our way to the big fort Q came across a rock which he identified as an oviraptor egg, which he promptly sat on. 

He then suggested we were in charge of protecting it and brought it along to the fort. There it was sat on again, and then left aside as we played, snacked, and went back to reading books on animals in winter. 

Then there was some super Ivy instructional lessons on flying,

followed by some keeping hands warm techniques while walking. 

Then we were off on more adventures in the dinosaur age on our way to sliding rock. There we found a wet rock and rain pants make the rock even more fun, 

 

Q then led the group in a new dino game of making a nest for a baby triceratops. The whole group really worked at this together gathering fir branches and some remains of maple leaves (we noted how they are really falling apart and all brown now). 

As we all hunkered down in the finished nest A stood guard for us (he was a roaring tiger, then a T rex). While he was out there he noticed the "smoke" from his breath, so we got to talk all about evaporation!

 

And before you know it it was time to head back to the shelter. It wasn't your average journey back though, more of an adventure itself as we were all in a herd of triceratops with our horns pointed down to aim at the mean dinosaurs. Miss. I. held tight to our tiny baby dinosaur the whole way! Back at the shelter we were in the present again and worked on our journals, and animals tracks page. 

What an exciting day!

Welcome Winter

We began our new winter session today! We kicked off the season with a Froggy day! We welcomed a new friend, A (and for a bit his mom, and baby brother too). While we were having an early snack A's Mom noticed something in a tree nearby, an owl! 

It turned out to be a barred owl which remained in the tree nearby even while we came closer to investigate. Then the kids spent a lot of time at this newly built fort:

.

They added to it, made windows, 

a carpet inside, and of course dug around in the roots.

 Of course we took breaks from our "work" to read some froggy stories, songs and poems, and enter the land of make believe too. They were dinosaurs, cooks, construction workers, etc. all in a days work at FH! Back at the shelter we had our hot cocoa, while working on our new journals. It was a nice start to the sesaon.

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!