Woolly Bears in Wintertime!

We were very pleased to experience milder temperatures today and enjoy the light snowfall speckling the sky and forest. It was absolutely delightful to see our friends come together so ease-fully and welcome in our newest Woolly Bears. Our winter rhythm allows us to spend a bit more time indoors for meal times, which is a true blessing given the colder temperatures ahead of us.

So, after our morning circle and a fun game called Spiders and Flies, we jumped right into practicing taking off some layers to be inside for snack as well as keeping our belongings together. We reviewed some basic fire making skills and told the children that we would have to make a fire in 15 minutes with an instructor helping to build the tipi structure blindfolded.  

Along our walk to camp, we couldn’t resist slipping and sliding on the icy parts of the trail. There was so much excitement and joy as friends took turns sliding downhill and sometimes bumping gently into each other. Once we made it to our campsite, we immediately started our group challenge. The children spread out looking for wispies first (the tiny baby food a fire needs), then pencil sized sticks and then larger ones, all within the time limit of about 4 minutes. Some children helped the instructor make the tipi by giving him birch bark and placing sticks in the right places. Most importantly, many children were giving him verbal directions so that he would understand what he needed to do. This type of cooperative work and task instills a harmonious and helpful ethic within our group. 

All that hard work paid off, because our fire lit! With a flint and steel striker and a cattail tinder bundle, we marveled as the flames rose into the air. After congratulating each other on a job well done we discussed some of the challenges of making a fire that way, as well as what was fun about it. Some children shared that they thought it was hard to carry many sticks all at once in their arms and that it was tricky to get the tipi to stay upright. The parts the children enjoyed the most were seeing and practicing the lighting of the fire with the flint and steel as well as helping put birch bark into the tipi. We celebrated our accomplishment with some roasted dates! 

We ended our time at camp with a sit spot today, which is a wonderful way to tune into the landscape of the forest in the winter. As nature slows down, it is nice to slow down with the children too and pay attention to how it feels to be still. I am always amazed at how young children can hold so much joy and energy as well as stillness within themselves. Some children said they even spotted a few winter fairies and gnomes!

At lunch, we talked about helpfulness after hearing a story about an unfair family dynamic where one sister did all the chores at home but how she was rewarded in the end. The children shared with us the many things they do to help you at home (setting the table, sweeping, cooking etc.), so I hope that by hearing everyone else’s enthusiasm around helping out, they are inspired to help you even more! We are hoping to continue our magical explorations next week with some orienteering!

Flying Deer Nature Center