Free Spirit Forest and Nature School

Nurturing Connection with Self, Others and Nature

Turtles, Chickens and Giant Slingshots

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Hey Everyone,

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.

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Catching Wind, Carving Spoons and Creating Shelter

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Hey Folks!

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!

Cheers,

The Forest School Team

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Lean-tos, Fires and Grapevine Swings

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Hey Folks,

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!

Have a Happy Easter!

The Forest School Crew

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Mud Meals and Outdoor Snacks

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Hey Folks!

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!

See you next week!

Matt and Sandi

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Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring (and Oh, hey Winter again)

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Hey Everyone,

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!

Cheers,

The Forest School Team

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Pioneers, Fire Keepers and Engineers

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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!

Next Week: One of our favourites – PROJECTS!

Cheers,

The Forest School Team

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Swinging Bridges, Black Diamonds and Mysterious Forests

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Hey Folks!

Well Winter is back! And hopefully here to stay. This week at Forest School we were on a field trip for Wed and Thurs and spent the day exploring at Bygone Day’s on Friday.

Wednesday and Thursday

Off to Scenic Caves this week for some fun cross-country skiing and exploring the area. We started off both days with learning basic skills: how to move, slow down, climb hills, and most importantly how to get up after falling (Turtle-French Fries-Knees to Skis-And UP!). After some practice laps, students we were off exploring. Our Wednesday group made it all the way to the lookout point (though it was foggy!) and the Thursdays group braved the fierce snow and tackled the meandering hills – including part of a black diamond for experts only! It was a lot of work climbing some steep hills, but ask your child if it was worth it in the end!

We’re really proud of all the hard work our students put in. For some it was their first time ever on skis and everyone committed themselves to learn. After a lot of successes, tumbles and speeding through the trees, it was time for a well earned lunch.

Have you ever been to Scenic Caves? Then you know it boasts one of the best parks in the area – just ask your kids! Students loved using all of the fun equipment, especially with all of the snow! Afterwards, student made their way down the snow covered trail and onto the largest suspension bridge in Ontario – what a wonderful way to see our beautiful home! Students enjoyed the panoramic view of roughly 10000 sq. km. overlooking Georgian Bay and they were keen to point out their homes and make connection to places from such a high vantage point.

On Thursday, some students braved a challenge route and took the snow-filled Creekside Trail underneath the ravine and up the other side! We enjoyed a lot of play, collaboration and teambuilding on the slope of the escarpment too. We loved sliding down into the snowy valley and worked well together (and creatively!) trying to climb our way out. After all of their hard work, you probably noticed some pretty tired kids this week!

A big thanks to the folks Scenic Caves – they provided us with equipment, their beautiful property and infrastructure, and a wood fired cabin all to our ourselves.

FRIDAY

On Friday we saw even MORE snow and had an adventure filled day at Bygone Days. Students ventured out to Mysterious Forest to explore the wonderful natural shelters of our coniferous trees – which provided a great space to play some of our favourite games like sardines and camouflage! Students continue to be engaged in our subnivean tunnel activities, fascinated by discovering more ice below the deep snow and loved to build and spend time around the fire! We visited our sit spots (and created some new ones) and recognized some of the amazing changes that have happened over the winter. It was an awesome day and especially sunny by the afternoon!

NEXT WEEK:

Weather permitting: ICE FISHING! If you have your own gear, or nifty trinkets that might be helpful or fun during ice fishing, don’t hesitate to bring them in!

Cheers,

Matt and Kim

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Wed/Thurs

Friday

Mountain Climbers and Hibernators

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Hey Folks,

Our Chickadees braved the cool temperatures and spent the day exploring and playing in the snow. Our day started as most days do with unstructured time and free play. Students were eager to explore our new tunnels, uncover what seemed like endless ice and play games, including our new favourite “Track and Seek” where we follow people’s tracks in the snow to find them.

After snack and a quick warm up with a roaring fire in our prospector tent, we headed west to Fossil Mountain. We followed rabbit tracks and mice tunnels to get there and after arriving at our destination, Fossil Mountain proved quite slippery! With a bunch of teamwork, a lot of stumbles and the help of the rope, we were able to get everyone to the top. And it was well worth it for the slide down!

Afterwards we went to check on our snow caves and become “hibernating animals” (we just love the imaginations!). We brought along our tube also, and took turns sliding down the hills!

After lunch, some stories and some creative work with our journals, we played a few more games together, jumped into different imaginary roles and had some good old fashioned cloud watching. Then we called it a day!

Cheers,

Matt and Kim

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Sit Spots, Snowshoes, and Skis

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Hey Folks!

This week we welcomed back the cooler temps (well at least until it warmed up again on Friday) and we took advantage of the little bit of “Winter” we had to explore.

Wednesday and Thursday

We focused this week on getting to know our property a little better and spent time exploring and returning to places we haven’t been to in awhile. While hiking out and about, we discovered a bunch of cool things:

-That despite the warmer temps, our snow caves continue to persist!
-The Riverbed Campsite is aptly named, and covered in icy water.
-That Fossil Mountain really was made for Tubing!
-That we have the best, gigantic “loose parts” (black pipes) that lead to all sorts of fun, including subnivean tag and 24 m long subterranean tunnel exploration.
-Broomball is intense!

We also took time to refocus on of our core routines: Sit Spots. If you are new to sit spots, we ask our students to choose to visit one special place in nature repeatedly (almost each week) and to get to know it as well as they can. Students are asked to spend varying amounts of time sitting quietly in their spots. In this special spot, we learn to sit still, be by ourselves, and enjoy the feeling of familiarity and knowledge of place that develops over time. Ultimately, a student’s sit spot will become like a safe home from which their curiosity can spark an interest in nature’s mysteries. This time focuses on student-centered learning, place-based learning, personal growth, scientific-inquiry, solitary time and reflection. We also spend time building, creating and playing together in our sit spots. This week saw the creation of communities of neighbours in our “Sumac Forest” and “Fortress” areas. It’s inspiring watching the fun unfold and imaginations run wild.

Friday

We had a special field trip on Friday to Highlands Nordic Outdoor Centre for a day of cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. After a thorough skills-based lesson, we were off to explore – and what a beautiful day we had for it. We spent the morning skiing and quickly learned that climbing up hills are hard, but totally worthwhile for the long, fast descents!

After lunch, we headed on a snowshoe hike down into the forest, with awesome views of Wasaga Beach and more. We played a few games and explored animal trails along the way. A big thanks to everyone at Highlands Nordic who helped us out!

Next Week:
Wednesday and Thursday groups will be on a Field Trip to Scenic Cave for cross country skiing. Please bring your own equipment if you have it. Friday we will remain at the school

We gave out a lot of beads this week! Congrats to the recipients!

Cheers,

Matt and Kim

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Wednesday/Thursday

Friday

Uncovering our Curriculum… literally.

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Hey Folks!

As often happens at Forest School, we head into the day with a plan – and sometimes it gets mostly ditched due to emerging interests and opportunities. What a pleasant surprise this week when we discovered that the loss of all our snow from the wavering temperatures last week resulted in an epic ice rink!

Our planned Science activities were put on the back burner, or at least shifted focus the minute we uncovered the rink. While we still did a few experiments – the water volume of snow, snow as an insulator, water and ice density, snowflake formation and even snow volcanoes – suddenly our days were focused on ice: it’s creation, how to travel on it safely, and inevitably it’s destruction. (Sidebar: It’s amazing how much kids love destroying ice!)

We watched as our rink turned into many different things over the week – from balancing acts to sliding competitions; broomball rink to human curling; and full on skating rink by Friday – it became our central focus over the week and was so much fun. Thanks for the flexibility of our parents in sending their kids to school with skates!

When we weren’t on the rink, we were off exploring the property and marveling at the changes that occurred with the wacky weather. One of the greatest things about Forest School is the repetitive exposure to the same places. Students make genuine connections to the land and have a vested interest in their creations and special spots. We got to see how our snow trenches didn’t survive the thaw, but our snow caves did (albeit smaller)! We were able to drill holes through the ice of the big pond and check it for safe travel while learning about potential dangers while making shortcuts. We discovered that our “Riverbed” campsite is aptly named and is covered in half a foot of ice and water now!

And all of this spawned from a simple question by a student – “Hey, can I clear off that patch of ice?”

Next Week:
We have a regular day at Bygones Tues-Thurs, and Fridays group will be going Cross Country Skiing at Highlands Nordic! Please bring skis if you have them, otherwise we have you covered.

Please remember to let us know your intentions for the Spring Session as spaces are filling up!

Cheers,

Kim and Matt

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