Free play last week inspired our turkey theme this week. We put on our best feathers and made connections with tools and skills that can help us track down animals.
We crafted arrows on Tuesday by warming dogwood branches over a fire and bending the parts that were curvy to straighten them out. We learned that keeping the sticks moving right over the flames is best. After sharpening the tips, we were ready to head to our archery range.
All archers must follow safety rules in order to participate and follow commands : range is hot or clear. We successfully were able to get a few arrows to land on targets, but a lot of us spent time just balancing the arrow on the bow and practicing pulling back. It takes a ton of coordination!
We had a special sensory search on Wednesday: tracking the trail of a turkey with a smelly tail! That’s right, we had to use our senses to find a turkey on the loose in the forest. Luckily, the turkey dropped a few feathers along the way, which were helpful clues. The Woolly Bears got low to the ground and looked for any markings, smells, or signs. We talked about how animal scents are important clues for tracking and used by other animals who hunt their prey.
—Julie, JJ, and the counselors
December 9, 2021