Owl Week!

While owl week did not yield any owl sighting we were able to hone our skills and pretend to be owls. Masks were the project of the week and true to form I managed to only get two photos of froggies as owls. Ah well. 

Tuesday Froglets explored boundaries and abilities, jumping and balancing on logs and monkeying around. We found hundreds of mushrooms and enjoyed the fine froggy weather!

Tuesday Frogs were on a mission all afternoon and were focused and determined. We hiked 2.4 miles!! (according to my hiking app) and even got to dissect an owl pellet!! It was determined to be a small rodent of some kind.

Wednesday Froglets dove in with gusto and won the distance award this week with a whopping 2.9 miles!! Granted a lot of that was spent chasing each other around Owl Valley. I don't know about anyone else, but I slept like a log that night!

 

Thursday Tadpoles explored Spiderman Trail and we found SO MANY spider webs!! They were all highlighted by the fog and simply gorgeous!! 

Trees!

Tree week began with sunny mornings and lots of log play! Maybe the sun will continue to grace us with it's presence for the rest of the year???? ;) 

Tuesday Froglets spent a lot of time with this log. Unfortunately the "train" broke down and we were forced to hike back to civilization. 

Tuesday Frogs found a balancing/leaping log and spent some time perfecting their flight to the ground. We found witches butter (fungus) and loads of mushrooms. 

Wednesday Froglets got to do some bark rubbings and found a stump covered with tiny tiny mushrooms!! We thought they must have been planted by fairies.

Thursday Tadpoles made sure to explore all facets of trees. We even got inside a log! We found the fairy stump covered in mushrooms as well and these guys gave some great photo ops!

Feathered Friends: With Bird Seed Ornament Directions!

Tuesday am Froglets took snacks out for the birds (and squirrels), found a creek to splash in, and we made friends with many worms, potato bugs, fungi, and spiders!! 

Tuesday Frogs explored Elf Cove, got stuck (if only to surprise us!) in a log, and of course continued to feed the squirrels. OH!! I mean birds.

Wednesday Froglets tore through the woods at breakneck speed to get the birds their special snacks! We saw some pretty fat squirrels as well. I'm getting suspicious...

Wednesday Frogelts also made a trip to Spear Hill where we practiced our stick throwing.

Thursday Tadpoles bore the brunt of my lack of photo taking this week. Although they seemed to be the more through when it came to spreading the bird seed. 

The recipe for the bird seed ornaments is here:

http://www.saltwater-kids.com/2010/12/thrifty-gifts-bird-seed-ornaments-for.html

You'll Need:

3/4 cup flour 

1/2 cup water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
3 tbsp. corn syrup
4 cups birdseed
molds (muffin tin, cookie cutters, etc.)
nonstick spray
drinking straw
waxed paper
ribbon/twin

1: Combine the flour, water, gelatin and corn syrup in a large mixing bowl. Stir until well-combined.

2: Add the birdseed to the mixture, stir until well coated.

3: Spray your mold(s) with cooking spray, and spoon birdseed mixture into each mold. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to pack it down, and make the top smooth. Poke a hole through top of each birdseed mold using a drinking straw, making sure it goes all the way through.

4: Leave the birdseed mixture in the molds for two to three hours. (I used olive oil to make my molds non stick, then just slid them out to dry) Then, remove the straws and lay out a sheet of waxed paper. Gently remove the hardened ornaments from the mold, and place them on the wax paper upside down. Allow them to dry for at least two to three more hours, or overnight. 

5: Cut your ribbon and carefully put it through the hole.  

Beach Day!

Tuesday Morning Froglets splish splashed and found tons of crabs! 

Tuesday Afternoon Frogs created cities in the sand, a castle complete with a tidal wall, and even a caterpillar! 

Wednesday Froglets were wet little froggies! The wind blew, and the rain pelted us until all we could do was head to the shelter and chase the crows to keep warm. Even a pirate fort couldn't hold us on the beach ;) 

Thursday tadpoles enjoyed sunshine again and the pirate fort was a hit. The tide was even low enough for seastars!

Under A Log!!

This week we explored the creepies and crawlies found under logs and rocks. There were some spiders thrown in for good measure as well as some teamwork and and good 'ole mud! I'm still getting in to the swing of things especially if it means remembering to bring the camera! I will work on that. ;)

Tuesday Froglets 

We all got down and dirty!
"I'm an otter!" -C

Tuesday Frogs

Working together, tiny objects, and secret buggy writing on a stick.

This was a case of a froglet finding himself stuck, and five frogs rushing to his aid. So proud!!

Thursday Tadpoles

We really tromped all over on Thursday! These little froggys were full of energy. Look how brave they are!! 

Frog Day!

Some old friends and many new ones! Froggy Holler has begun again! This week was our first of the fall and we rang it in with style! This week was definitely a week to get back in to the swing and create some new bonds. We simply enjoyed the woods and the company of new friends.

Tuesday Froglets we were threatened with rain but it held off. We visited fairy valley and found a new fort there!  We learned about shelf fungus, did some cooking in the kitchen, heard a story about Douglas fir cones, and ended the day at sliding rock! 

Tuesday Frogs chased after an owl that really wanted to show off. It kept slowly swooping from one tree to the next. Allowing us time to observe and admire it of course! It finally lead us to the dragon’s nest where we added to the fort and discovered Elf Cove! 

Wednesday Froglets tromped through fairy valley and tried to solve the mystery of the green rocks in the trail. It’s a doozy! We found mushrooms to study as well as a huge fort and some treasures left by winged creatures of mystery. We found a steep hill and got dirty sliding down it, then at the bottom where it was sandy we practiced the letters that began our names. 

Thursday ended the week with a bang with the tadpoles insatiable curiosity. Little frogs joined us on our hike and before we had even left the shelter a caterpillar was found and studied thoroughly. Under logs and on top of them, worms in the hand and beetles tickling the arm, we enjoyed sliding rock, Hamlin park, and each other.  

Fall 2013 Session!

Welcome Froggies! 

A whole new year of Froggy Holler is about to begin! We are really looking forward to playing in the woods together and hope you all are too. This year Teacher Erin (M) and Teacher Kathleen will be leading the kids. Kathleen comes to us full of ideas, and enthusiasm for outdoor education. She lives right by Hamlin, is a Mom of 3, and is an outdoor enthusiast and experienced teacher. We are so lucky to have her!

If you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to contact one of the teachers or myself, Erin Zackey, "Principal" of FH. ;)

Hoppy Outdoor Learning!