We got lucky again with another stellar autumnal day at the Cobble! We started the day at the nature table with a half-gallon jar full of acorns, making guesses on how many acorns were in the jar. There were three winners with many runner-ups, and it was hard to believe how many acorns were indeed in the jar, a whopping 175! It was also hard to believe that one of us guessed the EXACT amount!
We divided into three groups for the remainder of the day; this allows us to really get to know each other better: student to student and student to teacher. Two groups continued to celebrate the great Red Oak harvest with more acorn processing. This has become a favored activity and team-building event where each person gets to choose their job in the process: cracking the shells, separating the acorn meat and grinding it in the mortar and pestle, and getting it ready to become flour for our Thanksgiving feast in a few weeks!
We also took time for sit spots and journaling—a special opportunity for grounding and observation. One of the groups spent their morning giving back: planting all kinds of tree seeds that will one day enrich the land that has done the same for us for many years now.
The second part of the day we divided into even smaller groups, of three or four each, to complete a challenge. Together, the groups gathered wood, built a fire and figured out how to cook the dough over the fire. A popular way was wrapped around a stick, for the aptly named, “Bread on a Stick.” The result was yummy, crispy bread with bits of jam and butter to top it off. We closed the activity by sharing our highlights and challenges, feeling energized for future plans of cooking with fire and with friends—a most important part of these problem-solving challenges.