After some time building with our loose parts and having a bonfire, students’ imaginations came alive as all the snow on the ground became a lake. They were trapped on an island (a-frame climbing gym), trying to escape the sharks (teachers), while jumping from bridge to bridge (stumps). Our students soon wanted to go in the “water” jumping into the role of baby whales, with the shark as their leader. It sounds like a crazy story, but it’s one of the wonderful experiences we can’t ever plan as teachers but get the privilege of being co-conspirators in this play – one of the million reasons we love doing what we do. When given the space, time and opportunity, it’s truly amazing to see what happens.
After snack, the tone was set with one of our favourite books: “We’re going on a bear hunt”. So naturally, we went on a bear hunt! With frog nets in hand we were off through the woods. We slowed down and quietly stalked our way through the forest, listening for any clues. And while we didn’t find a bear, we swear we may have heard one and heard a lot of other critters along the way, too.
After lunch, we jumped into the roles of prey and predator – fox vs rabbit, where the rabbits could escape to their burrows (black tubes) to avoid getting tagged. This turned into a lot of fun crawling and worming our way through the tubes, until we headed out on our next adventure to the “Fort”. Here we pushed comfort zones climbing trees and forts, swung on the swings, balanced on beams and slid on slides for the last part of of the day. And as you know, it was muddy!!
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!
A crazy mix of weather this week to help us instill the importance of outdoor skills! Here’s the recap:
Tuesday
Our Tuesday group braved the weather and fully embraced their time playing, building and exploring. And though the constant chilly rain limited our mobility a bit, it didn’t dampen our spirits. We got covered in mud and set out to choose (or rediscover) our sit spots. As part of core routines students will spend time every week in their special places, becoming stewards of the land. We use this area for quiet time, reflection, play, creation and so much more.
And with all this cold rain what better conditions to practice (and fully appreciate!) the oh-so-important skill of Fire Building! After learning about the basic needs of a fire, students were put to the test and in small groups were each successful in creating and maintaining fires in some pretty unforgiving conditions. If you can light a fire it that, you can light a fire anywhere!
Wednesday
After our core routines (smudge, check-ins and sit spots) we took a deep dive into the world of shelters on Wednesday. We learned about the fundamentals of three important natural shelters: Lean-to’s, Debris Shelters and Teepees. After a quick break for archery along the way, students arrived in a new area we scouted the previous week in Maple Forest (now known as Grape Valley.) We had a camp out lunch with some interesting “kebobs” on the fire (ie: pretzels, grapes and more) and spent the day making the first steps toward our new little community. Numerous shelters were erected, a bridge to get us safely across the river, a fire pit and much more. We uncovered numerous homes for critters and with a sharp eye were able to find some aquatic bugs. And the most magical things of all? The 3 amazing grapevine swings (hence the new name!).
Thursday
We had a very similar day to the Wednesday group and after our lesson headed to the same area (Grape Valley), but had very different wet weather! The rain turned this area into a mess of mud (as parents’ cars probably know)… but mud is just so much fun! And the muddier we are is a key indicator of how much fun we had. Students built awesome shelters, upgraded the bridge and added a new one, and of course found the grapevine swing (calling themselves “graceful deer” flying through the forest). Awesome teamwork and cooperation unfolded and we are really proud of this group.
After lunch – some baked oranges and cucumbers over the fire (fyi oranges were rated good, cucumbers not so much) – and an epic mud battle, we headed out of Maple Forest, played some of our favourite games (person-hunt and camouflage) and called it a day!
Next Week:
We are getting crafty with some folks, and fire keeping with others!
Our Chickadees spent the beautiful sunny day doing what we do best: exploring! After our core routines (and some hammock time, loose parts, and slacklining) we headed out to our sit spots, only to be sidetracked by emergent interests: climbing the tire mountain, making our way across the balance beam to the army crawl and up and over the “portal of discovery” and eventually over to Lakeside View. And this is where the imaginations and building came together for a magical morning.
Building off last weeks Mud Meals, students created a new “oven” ( an old cabinet flipped on its side with drawn on burners and wood chip buttons). A quick run back to the school house and we had pots, trays, spoons and spatulas. Next thing we knew we were treated to “Chocolate Soup” and Sumac candle Mud Cake complete with a stellar rendition of Happy Birthday!
All that work made us hungry, and after lunch, during our unstructured play, the wind blew us something special: a secret map! We followed the map to find hidden eggs the Easter Bunny had left filled with vegetable seeds! So we planted them and took them home to see what we can grow.
Happy Spring Everyone, and welcome back (or for the first time!) to Forest and Nature School. We had a great week at Bygone Days exploring our property and reaping some of nature’s sweet benefits!
All week long our main focus was Maple Syrup leaving students with first-hand experience and a better understanding of the science behind this Canadian staple, the parts of the process and set-up and some students now even know how to identify Maple Trees that are good for tapping by their leaves (round edges). And while our goal was to explore the Sugar Shack area, emergent interests took us in all sorts of directions!
After initial free-play and our core routines (smudge and check-ins), groups headed out on their adventure to Maple Forest. All sort of routes were taken and sidetracks made and new things discovered. Throughout the week students discovered along the way the hollow sound of pebbles skipping on ice, 4 different sets of tracks within ten steps, fish from the pond, butterfly sanctuaries (milkweed), our nature playground and much more.
And as student-led learning often goes, we also saw:
Sagas unfold as students tried to tackle Fossil Mountain;
Pulley systems set up to bring up rocks;
Hotels open in the big forest trees;
Games of camouflage and “person”hunt;
Whole systems of trade and barter;
Epic Spring snow slides;
The rediscovery of our last remaining snow cave from the Winter Session;
Millions of years old fossils;
And so much more!
To top it all off, groups were treated to a Maple Syrup treat over the fire to end the day and compare the sweetness of the syrup to that of the sap. Some groups had pancakes, some “scramcakes” (scrambled pancakes) and others Maple Toffee on snow.
Next Week:
A reminder that there is NO SCHOOL ON FRIDAY, enjoy the Holiday!
For everyone else, we are diving into outdoor skills. For our full schedule, clickhere.
We welcomed new and old friends back to Forest School this week to kick off our Spring Session. And our Chickadees dove right back in the fun and excitement with awe-inspiring imaginations.
After getting to know each other better and playing some games of “Monster” we headed out on our daily adventure with the crew, walkie-talkies in hand. With no set place to go and a plan to explore, students took the lead. They made their way across our balance beams and through the “Portal of Discovery” before settling at our Lakeside View campsite for some quality time and “mud” cooking. Ever tasted a mud banana cake? Or mud coffee? The creations were endless at the Mud Kitchen (complete with sink and oven!).
Students got really excited to break the thin layer of ice left on the lake (that we ice fished on not too long ago) with rocks and sticks. And while in the area, we just had to visit the “Amusement Park” with slides, tree climbing, bridges, swings and more! At this point and after all the adventure, it was time for a well earned lunch.
After lunch, we were treated to some stories, some unstructured play and building with some of our loose parts. Students got really creative and into what they were making so we decided hunker down and have a bonfire.
Another fun day exploring with the wee ones, and even a visit from Kim and the new really little wee one!
We celebrated the end of our Winter session this week in many different ways! Most days it was more of a Spring Celebration – until Friday when Winter returned!
Tuesday
Chickadees dove into some imaginative play around the pond upon arrival. Finding huge ice crystals, gnomes homes and good ol’ rock throwing (nothing beats rock throwing!) was the name of the game. Like Charlie and Chocolate Factory, early in the morning one of our students also found the “Golden Ticket” for later in the day.
After some stories, we checked in on (and created new) sit spots by our big lake and took some quiet time time in the woods. Students got creative and made nature plates for the teachers to “eat”, with a balanced meal including potatoes (rocks), spaghetti (birch bark) and cranberries (snail shells)… yum yum!
Alas it was time to cash in the golden ticket. We hiked our way through the woods, past our campsite and along the lake, until we finally reached the “portal of discovery” to arrive at the Amusement Park! Our natural playground that the older students built last week. Our Chickadees swung, climbed, balanced, jumped and slid their way through the afternoon. Another fun day!
Wednesday
After an amazing Music/Dance/Singing full-on jam session around the fire with guitars, ukuleles, maracas and student handmade drums, our Wednesday group opted for big group games to round out our Winter Session. We played some of our classic favourites: Survival and Ultimate Capture the flag. We also set up the slack line to practice our balance and have battle royals, played with walkie talkies and tried out an old boomerang, that didn’t quite boomerang. We were even able to have a legitimate baseball game. These students know how to celebrate!
Thursday
Immediately our students were drawn to the slack line on Thursday. They navigated their way across and worked hard to be the last person standing. After snack we ventured on a camp out to Mysterious Forest. With backpacks in tow, students had the chance to explore this often overlooked area and create their own fun. With a fire roaring, we ate our lunches together and even grilled our sandwiches, pizzas and other delicious snacks. We ended our time out there by playing Fox vs Mice (a mix of freeze tag and capture the flag) which led to some epic action and teamwork. After roasting a marshmallow and debriefing our Winter Session by sharing our favourite memories, it was time to hike back – with a quick break in our sit spots along the way.
Friday
And all of sudden, Winter returned! And in the best way, with lots of snow and relatively warm temperatures. Students started the day off with a massive game of SPUD that took us almost all the way to snack. After snack, we tried a new game for our Friday group – Ultimate Capture the Flag. It’s a game of strategy, invasion, cooperation and teamwork. In the end, the last team standing fought hard but just couldn’t hold off the relentless attack.
After lunch we played on our all-time favourite structure – the tires. We then headed out to Mysterious Forest where some students practiced making fires with Flint and Steel, while others explored this little known area. After a few games of Fox vs Mice, it was time to check in on our sit spots and head home!
Just a reminder that we have no school next week.
Have a great March Break everyone and see you soon!
Now, at Forest School, we learn to love all sorts of weather – rain, snow and even hail – but when we get a beautiful sunny day like we had with our Chickadees today, we just had to take advantage. It didn’t take long during our initial free play for gloves to come off and coats to get thrown to the ground. Students had a fun time hiding treasure and finding the elusive and rare “dragon-glass” (a thin layer of puddle ice).
Afterwards during our check-in today where students share how they are feeling, why, and any goals they have, our plan was laid out right in front of us. One student made it her goal to find some dinosaur bones. And suddenly, that became everyone’s goal. So we strapped on “construction” helmets, got out the magnifying glasses, brushes and shovels and were on our way. And while we didn’t find any bones, we uncovered all sorts of cool things including some fossils! Other students enjoyed building a new natural shelter, which included their very own sandbox inside. We love the creativity!
Afterwards, we traded in our construction helmets for bandanas and built a pirate ship, complete with flag! Students painted the ship, which turned into a friendly pirate ship spreading love around the world. We moved this ship to an area we call the “Fortress” where our kids got to climb all over the tree fort creations from our older groups last week.
This week at Forest School was special in that our classes had planned in advance their “perfect” Forest School Day and we set out to achieve these goals. Thus we had some very different looking days this week, and here’s a quick recap.
Wednesday
Our overarching theme of the day was camping out and so after some impromptu rafting on the huge puddles and a game of ga-ga ball, students strapped on their backpacks with lunches and we hiked out to the elusive mysterious forest to begin development. We built a fire place, learned how to saw wood safely and purified water. We teamed up and made natural and tarp shelters, boutiques, meditation rooms and even traps with pulley systems – the students were only limited by their imaginations. In the end, a whole little community developed in our once little-known forest.
Other than our infrastructure development, students got lost in a world of play – cops and robbers with a twist (doughnut launchers!) and creating natural treasures such as ballerinas made of pine needles and leaves. We also were introduced to a new game called Fox and Mouse, a soon-to-be classic (think capture the flag meets freeze tag).
Time slipped by and before we knew it, it was time to have a marshmallow and hike out!
Thursday
Thursday was all about Fire! We learned about the basic needs of a fire: heat, oxygen, and fuel and effective ways to create them. A big thanks to our student teachers who led this lesson!
Next we were off to “Lakeside View” where, after a quick lesson in material gathering and fire nest-making, students were tasked with the mission of creating a fire without using a match. After much preparation and anticipation (and a lot of learning from our mistakes and successes) everyone was able to light a fire using only flint (magnesium) and steel! And everyone earned their Fire Keeper Beads.
In the afternoon, we launched a rocket and headed out to sit spots for some upgrades and more fire building. Out next goal is to make a fire with a bow-drill!
Friday
Friday was a day of construction where we headed out early in the rain to “Lakeside View” and “The Fortress” to get creative in and around our sit spots. Students used reclaimed wood to make additions to the their sit spots after having a lesson on sawing techniques, hammering and drilling. We even built a tree bridge as the beginning of a bigger tree house project we hope to add to in the future,
and by adding climbing holds, we’ve realized it’s the beginning of the ultimate outdoor playground!
After lunch and some fun and games, we opted to return to our sit spots for some more upgrades and imaginative play as the sun came out. A day well spent!
Thanks to all the students for their wonderful ideas which made this week a very special one!
With the wild and mild temperature, our Forest School turned into what seemed like one big giant puddle! Students took full advantage of this and had a blast splashing in it, breaking ice, and getting stuck in mud (you may have noticed their clothes…).
After reading “The Giving Tree” and finding our woolly bear caterpillar emerged for the warm day, we ventured out on a huge hike to Maple Forest for a sweet surprise. After tasting some fresh maple sap, we were especially thankful to join Al at the sugar shack and get to experience (and help!) with the evaporation process of the sap! This was a first for a lot of our students today and we dove in with so much excitement! We learned how to identify good maple trees to tap by looking at their leaves and additionally, we learned the subtle, but important, difference between rabbit and deer scat!
A lot happened while at Maple Forest and we noticed our usually trickling creek became a flowing river. So naturally it was time to race sticks and make a beaver dam. We even pretended it was all sap and we had encountered the mother load!
In the afternoon, we spent some time building shelters, making fires in “The Fort” and letting our imaginations run free!
Thanks for sending your child prepared for the wet and slushy day today! Because of their preparedness, we were able to run, explore, learn and play all day today!
And a big Welcome to Aislinn, our new Forest School Teacher!
