… is Lucy’s Nana! The hot chocolate was just the thing on a slushy, rainy forest day. People asked us if we were going to go out. We decided not to have a fire because of the wind and rain. But with snow gear under our Grundens, we were happy and warm! There is no bad weather, just inappropriate clothing!
Today we read Quiet by Peter Parnall, where a little boy lies on the grass waiting for birds and chipmunks to come eat the seeds he has sprinkled on his belly: “The only thing they can hear as they dart in for a seed is my heart saying, ‘Stay. Stay little birds. Stay with me Chickadees.’ “
We tried it. We didn’t see any chickadees but we heard woodpeckers and saw one! Then we sprinkled our seeds on the ground as gifts for the forest animals.
We heard lots of other groups of kids playing through the woods. We were so quiet that no one would have known we were there!
What’s more fun than writing your name in fresh powder? A bench or a stump makes a perfect easel. We are so thrilled to have snow at last!
Hello and welcome to the 2021 kindergarten class. A few pictures from this week:
What a year! In many ways, the woods was what kept us all sane during this pandemic. It was where we could play the most freely, be the most comfortable with mask breaks, and of course discover all of the surprises that each new season brings. Without the woods, it would have been much harder for all of the kids to connect with each other the way that they did. We have an incredibly tight kindergarten community, which makes it hard to say goodbye. This year will be one that none of us will ever forget!
Please take your families and friends to our outdoor classroom this summer and enjoy it together. You can tell your kids that they can add to the forts or build new ones, but please do not take any down. We can all be stewards: if you see anything concerning or a mess, take care of it the best you can. Let me know if there is anything big. (And invasive plant experts, if you see honeysuckle or rosa multiflora, which I know is out there, feel free to get rid of it any way you would like! You know who you are!)
Have a great summer everyone!
We have been having so much fun in the woods this May, almost too much fun to take pictures! We have had rain, hot sun, blustery wind, and everything in between. One day we took a long hike on the Red Rose Preserve Trails. We have continued studying trees and small plants as everything turns green. On the rainy day, we looked under logs for salamanders and found about five– and even Mrs. Johnson held one! And our writing is getting easier and easier to read. Check it out!
We had an amazing Woods Wednesday today– with a “squeaky bird” that we all heard at Sit Spots (aka, a woodpecker!); a very involved tree study with botanists measuring, inspecting, and collecting; and another delicious picnic lunch. But I’ll highlight our new play kitchen which we took full advantage of today! We absolutely loved it. An especial hit were chocolate chip cookies (also known as pine cones). Everyone tried them and everyone loved them.
Thank you families who donated old and used kitchen supplies! We got a lot and we are all set.
This week, we moved to Woods Wednesdays which fits better with our new spring schedule. This means that we now have time for a favorite forest routine– Forest Journals! This year’s forest kids have never done them before, but they are well-seasoned writers who took to the idea quickly.
Bowdoinham Forest Days 