This week our chickadees jumped right into action playing games, digging for treasures and discovering a hidden gem just outside our classroom – a chestnut tree! This brought so much interest from why does the seed pod have spikes?, What’s inside?, What animals eat this and how do we open it up? This gave our students the opportunity crack open their findings and take their seed home to plant their very own chestnut tree! We even gave our little chipmunks the chance to act out their animal and scurry to find all the hidden chestnuts and bring them back to their den before the Prey (Fox and Honey Badger) could catch them! Well done everyone.
Our afternoon was filled with so much imagination which was surrounded by finding the wild wolf that was let loose in Bygone Days along with fort building, tree identification, bracelets and necklaces, fire bundles, mud construction and a very popular Wooly Bear Hotel. Everyone was so thoughtful making sure these caterpillars were safe, had lots of food, bedding, shelter and even a tanning room.
Due to Thanksgiving falling on a Monday this year, everyone at Forest School wishes all our students and families and very happy and safe Thanksgiving! We will see you all in two weeks!
What do you do when your brother is moving and delivers you a trailer full of good, usable wood? Well, it turns out the answer is a lot! Students imaginations ran wild this week as we set them loose (so to speak – tool-use is an integral part at FNS, but we do have guidelines!) and their creations came to life. We had gardens built, benches, boats (both small and kid size), docks, tables and much more. Epic wooden forts were created; hammers, butter knives and figurines were carved; and even a bat box was built and hung up in Maple Forest.
As the days unfolded, our students shifted their focus to community building, and more specifically figuring out what could be built or created to better our time at Forest School. Some students remade our main fire pit to include cardinal directions (and a new fire pit in Mysterious Forest). Others uncovered the need of a new bridge in Maple Forest and were fast to work. One student even recognized the need to clean up our river after the big rains and all the trash that had been swept down it. There’s more stories along the same lines, but the point is that we are seeing one of our key “indicators of awareness” coming into play: service to the community. It’s one way our students show us they understand that they are an important part of a greater community, and they are wanting to support one another. It’s a great feeling on our end!
As usual, throw in our core routines to the mix, some play, some adventure, some mud, some rain, some sun, some hammock time, some ukulele and new songs, and a delicious Wild Violet Jelly (recipe to follow soon!) and call it a week well spent!
A big shout out to our PA Day program – we had a blast exploring and discovering with you!
It’s a been awhile since we’ve been able to blog – the life of having an almost-one-year-old, and Kim returning back to teach at FNS – but we thought we’d get ya caught up on some of the exciting things we’ve been up to over the past few weeks. When the snow days finally let up (wacky weather this year!), we were able to go on a quite a few adventures!
Cross Country Skiing
Our older groups headed to Scenic Caves again this year for a day full of skiing and exploration. After a brief lesson – mainly how to get back up and slow down – we were off to the trails. Students challenged themselves and made it all the way to the lookout, while navigating big hills and sometimes high winds! We visited the bridge on one of the days, and it felt like we were almost blown off it was so windy!
Ice Fishing
Our ice is almost a foot thick at the moment, which not only gives us a quick shortcut to Maple Forest, but also allows us to test our fishing skills! We found the hot spots this year, with multiple groups bringing in big numbers. Our new Winter Record was broken twice this year – first at 6 fish, then smashed by a whopping 22 (or the same hungry fish? Who knows!).
Animal Tracking and Bird Languages
Winter is the ideal time for tracking critters big and small. We’ve learned a whole lot about the subnivean and how little creatures keep warm and active during the long cold days and nights. We’ve followed coyote tracks, only to realize it was a pack in single file that suddenly split in three directions. We’ve uncovered story after story of creatures playing in the forest. We got up close and personal (respectfully) with the remnants of a deer, and successfully identified a dead eastern screech owl. We learned all about peculiar habits of creatures in the Winter… and best of all, we’ve got a trail cam going up to see if we catch a glimpse of all the wonderful action going on! It will be especially neat to see these stories unfold and really gain an understanding of who we’re sharing the land with!
tinkering/BUILDING
Snow offers the wonderful opportunity to create and we’ve seen it all this winter. We’ve had quinzees come and go with this changing weather; huge walls and epic forts; GT only parking areas; and so much more. We’ve also had so many projects on the go – baskets, butter knives, spears, bowls, sling-shots and more. A lot of this is in anticipation of the trading blanket next (where we trade created items with one another – more info here).
Fire Building
Our students are capable fire builders and can all certainly light a match and sustain a fire. From our youngest to oldest, most have been able to start one using magnesium and steel as well! Recently we took it a step further: classic Flint and Steel. Students made sparks with steel wrap around knuckles or chisels and flint. They caught these sparks on charred cloth and created fire in “nests” by slowly (and patiently) working at it. It was amazing to watch – and so far we’ve three successful students with one accomplishing it in under 4 mins!
Music
It’s always been a part of our program, but this Winter we took the steps to make it an active role. We’ve got guitars, ukuleles and more music making devices around and have seen some awesome bands form over time. From making up our songs, to borrowing those of others as part of routines, it’s become an integral part of what we do – but more in this in a future blog, likely titled “Chicka-DJ” as our kids came up with.
And then there is so much more – the everyday fun, learning, and exploration that is Forest School. Winter is one of our favourite seasons! Thanks for joining along in our wonderful Winter fun and reading our blog too!
Aside from our core routines, our days varied a lot this week (as they typically do) so check out the highlights below!
Tuesday
On Tuesday we embraced a beautiful day and celebrated a special birthday. After our morning circle, check-ins and sit spots, we were off for a lunch out to the wonderful Mysterious Forest. We learned a new game about fur trading that let our students jump into the roles of Europeans and Indigenous Peoples around the time of contact. We did this to build off prior knowledge and while the game was incredibly fun, the more important part was the thoughtful and inspiring debrief with our students. (Behind the scenes this is part of our Core Teaching – Heritage Species: Wisdom of the Ancestors). And of course we had some time for climbing trees, and reading and making up poetry as well.
Wednesday
We started our Halloween with pumpkin carving and cooking the seeds over a fire… they turned out a little burnt, but tasty considering we had no oil! After our core routines and an impromptu Halloween Costume fashion show, we headed out on a wander. At a place called “Mushy Beach” (aptly named as we pulled sinking people out) we invented a new game: Crow’s Nest. It was all about sneaking, moving quietly and “channeling our inner weasel”, as a student put it. (Behind the the scenes, this targets our indicator of awareness of Quieting the Mind, and core routines related to Animal Form, Questioning and Tracking, and even Sit Spot.)
Later in the afternoon, we returned to the ruins of our dam from a month ago. This time it was reinforced with a spillway (pipe) to let out any overflow. It was awesome to watch ideas come to life and young minds work together to create something epic. And we got a first hand look at erosion and alluvial fans from the debris of the “river”. We also had some students make some cool clay creations.
Thursday
From tea on the fire (and a new tripod cooker built), to human knots, to snakes on the trail and our new fur trading game (see Tuesday for explanation) – the Thursday group was super busy!
One fun and creative moment that unfolded that we want to share with you occurred with our newly updated Mud Kitchen. It started in the morning with a couple students creating “recipes” for nature soups, drinks and salads and writing them down in their journals. Fast forward to Free Play in the afternoon and suddenly the whiteboard is out with “Nature Cafe” written across it. Before long, there are more cooks, servers and patrons of the restaurant and inevitably a currency system. And eventually pretty much the entire group is involved. It was magical! (Behind the scenes: this is a great example of symbolic and socio-dramatic play!)
Further, and what really made us as educators so proud, was that the “ingredients” for the recipes were specific plants that we have learned to identify over the last few years. And each recipe was pretty complex, requiring at least 8 different plants!
Friday
We started with tea over the fire again (catnip and cedar) and got ready for a wet and cool day! If the weather was an issue, the kids didn’t let on as they embraced the day. We headed out on an adventure that led us to Mysterious Forest. We played a huge game of Sardines where one person hides and the others hide alongside that person when they find them. Playing in such a big space that is so well treed gives us the sense of being lost or at least being away from others and alone. (Behind the scenes: this one of our pillars of risky play)
We made our way back, pretty wet and ready for a warm-up and lunch. After lunch we read a Nootka legend from the Pacific Northwest called Octopus and Raven. The students then created or interpreted their own legends in dramatic form. They were inspiring tales! (Behind the scenes: Storytelling is one of our fundamental Core Routines)
If you’ve read all this (thanks!), you can see we had a pretty fun week. Every group we have is so different and we are so thankful to have the space and freedom to follow the interests of our kids – it really makes for unique days. A big thanks to our student’s parents and guardians for knowing the value in this!
We are CAVING next week for our Painted Turtles, Snowy Owls and Blue Herons! Please dress to get wet and muddy.
We trust everyone had a great long weekend and a wonderful Thanksgiving. This week, we were back at our home base at Bygone Days after our paddling trips last week. We do so much over the course of a week at FNS, it’s hard to sum up – but here are couple things!
Macro Models
We like using macro-models to help reinforce learning. A macro model sets up parameters for learning in which students create their own experiences. They are community-building activities that have specific learning goals and are interactive representations of simple or complex systems. The participant becomes part of these systems to see, hear, and feel how the whole system operates and understand the parts involved, thus creating endless learning connections and experiences.
After seeing the salmon jumping last week, we became salmon this week in a model called “Hooks and Ladders”. Students start by “swimming” downstream while encountering all sorts of obstacles that salmon would face on their journey (predators, fishers, etc), then swim back upstream facing more obstacles (ladders etc) after some time spent in the bay. It’s a creative opportunity to get a better understanding of the life cycle of the salmon in our own ecosystem!
Tool Use
Some students this week had the chance to use saws and carving knives. After a comprehensive lesson and students feeling confident to manage tools safely, students are allowed to use the tools independently. We learn to respect and use these tools with care and create some wonderful things! This week we saw some natural hammers carved, wooden knives, wands, animals and much more.
After some crazy hot temperatures at the beginning of the week, it finally felt more like Fall towards the end. Which means it’s a good time to remind everyone that your children need proper layers to stay warm and participate fully, including rain gear. Check out our blog on layers and dressing appropriately.
We are also excited to announce we are opening up a Wasaga Beach Forest and Nature School beginning this Winter!
We got up to a lot of different adventures this week, check out the recap below.
Tuesday
As we explored our senses by taking away sight in a few games throughout the day, we gained a better understanding of how animals survive in the wild. We also sang our hearts out on Tuesday and even wrote our very own song – which rippled its way through the whole week. Some students put on their builder caps, too, and made a giant xylophone to hang from a tree!
When the rain cleared up, it was time for fun by the pond. And, as we were especially sneaky and quiet, we were able to temporarily catch and observe turtles, frogs and thousands of tadpoles. We even caught a snake in the Northern (“Unknown”) Zone!
Wednesday
We took some time in the morning to jump into the role of being a chicken (and a frantic one at that!) This, ironically, set us up for a quiet reflection: students got their journals, observed some real birds and got really creative with what they thought the birds’ conversations would be. This took the form of comic strips, full on scripts, birds with names and much more.
After snack, off to sit spots where we used over 250ft of donated burlap to beef up our shelters (a big thanks to our friends who donated it!). Our next task was to lend the folks at Bygone Day’s a hand by recovering their submerged boat in the pond. Students eagerly volunteered and we were eventually able to flip it – only to uncover that dozens of Rock Bass were hiding underneath and now trapped in the boat! Everyone got a chance to catch them.
At the same time an epic trench was being dug and a full on workforce was organized. Every person had their job -my personal favourite being Prime Minister (Me!). The socio-dramatic play became so immersive, that there was even a group meeting at lunch to discuss plans and details.
With the excitement around being in the Lakeside Area, we just had to return after eating. We laid out different options for students to follow their interests, with many choosing to continue work on the trench. Some grabbed their nets though and caught (and successfully identified) damselfly and dragonfly nymphs, while others harvested some Garlic Mustard and made a delicious pesto!
Thursday
Our students were really excited to spend time in their sit spots Thursday morning and spend time interacting with all sorts of critters. We were easily (and happily!) distracted by all the bird action – orioles, swallows, red-wing black birds, grackles and much more. We were captivated by the sounds and songs (and fights!) of these birds, Students were equally interested in the aquatic critters. In total, we discovered five baby painted turtles, found out what damselfly nymphs looked liked and of course caught some frogs. And this all before snack.
We decided to have a lunch out in Grape Valley where we played and hiked our day away. We checked in on the toad eggs we discovered last week – and now there are thousands of tadpoles! We brought a few back to the class to watch them grow (and a few lucky parents now have some of their very own!).
Friday
Our focus Friday was learning about plants and what’s good to eat – and what to avoid! We headed out to the far West of property to forage and collect what we could. We hiked around both Maple Forest and Mysterious Forest (and played some games in between) and found lots of leeks, garlic mustard, dandelions, wild carrots (Queen Anne’s lace) and trout lilies. We also successfully identified and imprinted in our minds our nemesis poison ivy (eek!) as well as stinging nettle (although also edible!).
After our huge success, including identifying huge patches of Canadian ginger, we headed back. And all the hard work paid off as we celebrated with a feast at “The Fort” fire pit. Students volunteered to chop, grind and gather the veggies as we collectively created a delicious stir-fry over the (flint and steel lit!) fire. Some students also made a tasty pesto from the Garlic Mustard – check out a recipe on our Facebook Page!
And now a shameless pitch:
Want to know more about the plants your kids are learning about so they (and you!) can safely eat at home? We have Only 4 spaces remaining for our Wild Edible Workshop on June 2nd from 1-4pm with local Naturalist Brian McLelland-Tuck. For more info visit here.
We welcomed the warm weather and (mostly) sunshine with open arms this week at FNS! The birds were quite active, insects were out and about, turtles and frogs were sunning, flowers and grasses were growing – Spring is here. Check out the recap below.
Tuesday
After some of our core routines, we dove into our full values contract. If you are unfamiliar with this, essentially we brainstorm of ideas to what it takes to create a safe, happy and welcoming atmosphere for all, write them all down on leaves and pin them to our FS tree. Everyone signs the roots (and taking ownership over it) and these become our norms and guidelines that we were refer when needed.
We then headed out for our camp out lunch to Mysterious Forest to try and unravel some of the mysteries. Children sought to understand the “Mystery” of Mysterious Forest and discovered all sorts of clues to what it could be. And so what is the Mystery? Well, the jury is still out on that. But slowly the puzzle pieces are coming together.
Throughout the day, we took time to develop our quiet minds by being intentional on taking time to listen. A great book we read is The Other Way to Listen by Byrd Baylor which set the tone for some quiet connection time in the Forest. We also spent some time channeling our inner animals (aka Animal Forms) in various games like camouflage and person-hunt.
Oh and we found a great big painted turtle just meandering it’s way across the path!
Wednesday
Wednesday was a student-planned day and after months, perhaps years, of asking we finally decided as teachers that Nerf Mania could happen. (For more information on the “behind the scenes” of this decision, we’ve written a a blog in our Campfire Notes – check it out here.)
After creating comprehensive guidelines, our day started off with a triathlon where students raced around the pond, answered an FNS trivia question and then fired at their homemade target to see how many points they could achieve. From here we moved into target practice by setting up “antique tin cans” (toilet paper rolls) on a fence and trying to knock them over. It’s surprising how accurate they can be.
We had snack and moved into learning about hunting. We talked about skills as a hunter (silence, camouflage, patience, etc) and sustainable practices. The students then became hunters with the goal of shooting the deer before the deer noticed them. They set up their perfect space, and waited. And waited. And waited. Until the deer (teachers) started grazing and moved close enough to be hit! Later on, we finished our day with Capture the Flag with a twist using Nerf.
And did we mention Baby Chicks? 16 to be exact. With all the Nerf excitement, we as teachers were pleasantly surprised when students opted to spend most of their days playing with the chicks (to be clear: Nerf and Baby Chicks were two very separate activities). They gave them names, built huge elaborate homes, and even some amusement parks. We as teachers also learned an important lesson – it’s hard to debrief when everyone in the circle is holding a squawking little chick!
Thursday
Our day started off with the usual routines, but when we headed to our check-in and sit spots we noticed something. There were so many birds! And one thing led to another and before we knew it, we were following some turkey vultures to see what they had found. This led us North to an off-the-map area and we found it! Massive vultures over the remains of Green-Winged Teal (we later identified) which gave us a first-hand look at the food chain. After finding some other interesting things, we all agreed that we need to explore this area in more depth.
After snack we jumped into a new team-building game we like to call Islands. The premise is all students have some sort of ability taken away, and all know a few bits of the puzzle. They rocked this game and came up with some really creative answers. Ask your child about it.
Before lunch, we got out some tools and constructed a giant slingshot with some of our students. After lunch, we just had to try it out and headed out to explore around the lake. With the sun so hot, we inevitably stumbled across a TINY painted turtle. Check out the pictures below!
Friday
Another beautiful day, and we took full advantage. After spending some time in our sit spots and trying our the giant slingshot, it was the Friday groups turn to try out the Island teambuilding game (see Thursday). And they rocked it! It also led to a really powerful debrief for this group about teamwork, cooperation and communication.
After lunch, we slowly headed West with our Willow Crowns, checking for our amphibian and reptile friends along the way (and climbing a mountain). Eventually we made it out to Maple Forest to check out the new trail systems that have been created. This gave us a good chance to reflect on balancing human impacts (including our own) in natural areas. The new trails are beautiful!
Upon arriving to Grape Valley, our campsite, we spent some time getting to know one another better. We broke off into pairs and “interviewed” each other, then reported back to the group to introduce our partners. And before we knew it, it was time to head back.
We had a wet day at FNS, but it didn’t stop us from fully embracing it. In fact, by shifting our focus and recognizing all the positive things that rain brings to our lives and everything around us, it helps us approach the day in a totally different way. And when we are a bit wet and uncomfy, we try to remember just how much our newly sprouting plants really need this water.
While doing our best to stay dry, we were keen to continue playing-in and exploring the natural world. After fun new games that put us in the roles of animals – ask your kids about Bird Attack and Wolf vs Deer – we got to our lesson of the day: Natural Crafts using carving knives.
Tool use is an important part of Forest and Nature School and after an in-depth tutorial and safety lesson, students were off to their sit spots to find the perfect piece of wood for their creations. Our students demonstrated patience and determination in their craft, as it takes time to whittle masterpieces from wood. We got to see the beginnings of many awesome projects unfold: hammers, spoons, wands, a wooden knife, hedgehogs, spears, spatulas, paddles, mini canoes and more! Check out the pictures below!
Next Week:
Our Friday group is going on a Field Trip for a local hike!
Well did we ever get hit by Winter again this week! We dawned our creative caps and here’s our recap below:
TUesday
After our core routines (smudge, check-ins and sit spots) we took a deep dive into the world of shelters on Tuesday in hopes of mastering this bush craft. We learned about the fundamentals of three important natural shelters: Lean-to’s, Debris Shelters and Teepees. After snack, we made our way to Grape Valley, in Maple Forest. Students divided into to teams and erected two awesome shelters – one huge debris shelter and the other a “Derbris-to”, which is a newly named hybrid. We added a bridge across the river by upcycling a used pallet all in an effort to create our new little community in the woods. We had some fun on the natural grape swing before heading back for (a late!) lunch. After some Forest School Idol, we ended our day with some unstructured play and reflection time.
Wednesday
What a wicked blizzard we had a Bygone Days! We braved the gusting winds, but were forced to stay pretty close to the Schoolhouse throughout the day. After our core routines and sit spots, we jumped into designing crafts and making our visions come to life. Many students felt drawn to planting seeds and came up with creative ways to give them a jump-start in life. We made a bunch of self-waterers out of old pop bottles and string, and also elaborate irrigation systems of pipes and containers. We saw many different greenhouse blueprints come to life as we learned about the effects a greenhouse can have on a plant (and the planet). Don’t be surprised if your child came home and immediately put their concoction in a south-facing window to maximize the sun’s energy – our student’s way of bringing a little sunshine to a very cloudy day!
We saw lots of other projects come to life to as we were really only limited by our imaginations. Clay pots and gravy boats, carved hammers, painted tiles and wood and so much more.
We wrapped up the day with flying kites, making make-shift tarp shelters in the wind and a team-building challenge.
Thursday
After our core routines students dove into some fun using materials from the classroom and nature. We saw some incredible things:
Water devices created with recycled bottles and pool noodles
Golf clubs that attach to arms
Shakers that also snow
Carved spoons, guitars and so much more
Pompoms from scratch
Fidget beads and sword holders
Self-watering plants
and much more!
After lunch, we headed out to our “Original” Campsite for a bonfire, some quiet reflection time in the woods along with a story, and some creative play. Minus a sudden darkening of the skies and a 10 min snowstorm, we had glorious weather all day!
Friday
On Friday we ventured out to the little known Grape Valley after a lesson on shelter building. Students added their special forts to our growing campground community out there. We installed new shelters, a new bridge, began a rock wall and even discovered a huge old tree that turned into a “hotel”. It’s a stunning tree on a hillside, so a simple step up on the North side (to essentially a natural platform) gets you 15ft up on the South side – an instant favourite!
And then a nice, light snow began and we decided to slow things down. We gathered round the fire pit, read a story about quiet places, and took some solo time reflecting in the silence of the woods. Upon return, we uncovered there’s a lot of noise in silence.
After lunch, we headed out to sit spots where the “Sumac Store” was opened carrying a variety of products – most notably Sumac Popcorn for the Forest School Idol competition. And while the teachers were yanked off the stage, good times were had by all. We also had some students work hard against the snow to earn their Fire Keeper beads by lighting a fire using flint and steel. Congrats!
Next Week:
Monday – welcome back Chickadees after a week off! We are at the school.
Tues-Thurs – FIELD TRIP! We are going on various hikes and will be gone for most of the day. Please ensure you child brings a backpack!
Friday – Natural Art at Bygone Days!
Hey Folks! What a creative week of reclaiming and recycling wood with beautiful sunshine for the duration! Our objective this week was to work on projects – which encompasses a whole lot as you’ll see below. It’s our hope that our students become competent and comfortable using drills, saws, hammers and various other tools! Let’s break it down by day.
Wednesday
Our Wednesday group dove into building immediately in the morning. They gravitated towards the materials and ideas started flowing – so much so that we needed a resupply of pallets mid-day. The possibilities were endless, and by noon we had a table built for us to each lunch on. Check the pics below as they do a much better job than I can explaining it, but some of the other projects included:
a “Donut Canon” storefront created for sit spots
a gravity powered tap and sink
a stage (and a show at the end of the day)
beautifully painted tiles on a pallet and storage container for sit spots
a raft (version 2.0)
homemade jewellery
a “cross-pult” – a hybrid combination of a catapult and crossbow
a crossbow and more!
Thursday
Our Thursday group arrived with a huge level of enthusiasm, ready to get building. After some play and a hike to check-out some creations of other groups, we divided up our resources and got to work. Check out the process and final products in our pics below, and here are some highlights:
a performance stage
2 boats and paddles, that were later raced in the giant puddle
a swinging chair made of one pallet
a hockey target
a mini horseshoe set
ladders for our tree fort and much more!
Friday
Our Friday group last week chose to start building a tree fort which inspired many of the creations earlier this week.. The area known as “The Fort” seems to be living up to it’s name and our students marveled at how much effort the other groups had added to their initial creation – swings, climbing pieces, stages, shelters and more.
Students worked hard together to come up with more creations and even added others’ creations making a huge (and amazing!) store that sold all things sumac, in “Sumac Cove”. We love all the collaboration at Forest School (even across days) and here are some more creations that were made (again check the pics for more details!):
a pallet car (with two seats) parked in a sit spot garage
a balance beam
a nature record play combine with store
a roof for shelter
A key component of FNS is seeing kids as competent learners and letting the learning unfold. As an educator, we are there to support this learning and co-conspire along the way.
The Big Takeaway? It’s amazing to see what children can come up with when they are given the space, tools and resources needed to open up their imaginations. A lot of creativity and collaboration unfolded. Students took a lot of pride in their work (and rightfully so!)
Next Week:
It’s hard to believe but it’s our last week of the Winter Session! Next week we celebrate all we’ve done and welcome the Spring.
