Last week we did not have Forest Playschool on Friday because we follow the local school calendar. So we'll see those friends next week! 

Monday

Ciara, our education intern, and I hid laminated animals – bunnies, bears and squirrels - all over the garden. The bunnies were actually winter and spring Snowshoe Hares, meaning some had white fur to blend into snow and others had brown fur to blend in with the ground. We discussed as a group which animal was easiest to find and which had the best camouflage. We also covered what these animals are doing right now to prepare for winter.

After finding our animals we had morning meeting in the backyard. Our morning meeting leader loved Peeper Pond so much last week that she decided we should go there again! So, after snack and story we boarded our noodle train and began the hike down to Peeper Pond. We spent some time collecting and spreading seeds again, this time adding cattails to our repertoire. We all helped transport seeds because we were covered head to toe!

Then we switched gears and decided to play hide and seek in the field! I counted with a playschooler each time so that I could keep an eye on where the kiddos hid. It was a blast! Our playschoolers had so much fun finding sneaky hiding spots and helping the counter look once they had been found. After a few rounds, we started playing ‘What Time is it Mr. Fox’ for a few minutes before starting our hike back up the hill.

When we returned there was just enough time for lunch, a story and a bit of free time. This week was awesome because for the first time I saw some of our playschoolers initiating imaginative play on their own! A group of playschoolers were pretending to be coyotes in the garden, crawling on all fours. Such a treat to see how dynamics and development shift from week to week.

See you next week!