What a wonderful change in landscape this week! The snow certainly surprised us all and provided so much fun to explore. After only a couple of days, most of it melted, but it allowed us to see ice, slush, hard slush, and the very famous face print snow—soft enough to stick your face in it and hard enough to hold its shape! So fun!
Tuesday provided us with many tracks to spot along the trails. We spent some time using a track guide and found deer and cottontail rabbit tracks near the nest campsite. We also explored the pond as we noticed it had already frozen over. We tested its strength by throwing sticks and rocks and it didn’t break. We could tell it was not safe for humans yet by looking at the edges which were still liquid. Of course, sledding was a must, both in the field and at Grandmother Maple.
Wednesday we learned how to become onions (from a real onion) in the winter. We have to layer up and create air pockets for insulation. In order to test this out, we wandered uphill to check in our shelters to see if they stayed dry through the snow storm—and they did! Along our journey we played a forest game called Run, Rabbit, Run, where rabbits have to escape the fox but become foxes to help get more rabbits. This game teaches about population balance in ecosystems.
Thursday was filled with wonderful small group play. Some children started their own store, others were statues in a museum, and another small group made slushies in the tree house. We also had the opportunity to continue working on sanding and oiling our bowls and spoons. We have only a little bit left to finish these amazing crafts.
Other highlights of the week:
- A turkey house being watch by a hungry coyote
- Sit spots with crows flying over head
- A story about a blind woman and a hunter that teaches us about kindness and respect
—Julie, Quinn, Cammy, and Mary
December 2, 2021