Vermont has been hit by giant flurries of snow. The snow is so deep, the seats of the picnic table are level with it! The thick snow has not, however, discouraged Forest Playschool from interacting with their outdoor environment. In fact, they seemed very appreciative that the plows built massive mounds of snow around the front yard.
On Wednesday we began the day by searching for moose in the front yard. The students claimed to have had an easier time spotting the animals due to their contrasting dark color to the snow. And funny enough, we saw another familiar animal, but this time it was real! Something caught Emily’s eye behind the visitor's center; a white figure with a black tail. It turned out to be an ermine (last week’s animal-to-find). Last week we talked about how the cut-out ermines we had were brown because those ones belonged to the warmer seasons whereas the ones in the winter are white to blend in with their surroundings. It was no surprise we saw a white one. We watched it moving about from the barn to the yard to the porch. There’s a good chance it hunts rodents that are drawn to the structure and warmth of the visitor’s center.
Later on in the day we colored Valentines Day pages with lots of reds, pinks, and hearts. Some of our friends brought enough Valentines to share with the rest of the class. Later we went to Forest Camp and sledded in the backyard.
On Friday we also spent the morning search for moose but did not see the ermine that Wednesday’s class did. Friday’s group also shared valentines with one another and colored in valentine pages of our own. Our morning meeting leader chose to begin the day by playing in the snow of the front yard where snow structures, including a “snow nest” on one of the mounds, were built. The students also enjoyed chasing Truman around in circles; it was a brisk day so no one minded the warmth we worked up.
We later ventured up to Forest Camp to play in our “ice kitchen” where the students built lots of imaginary snowy treats and winter fairy houses. We returned to have lunch inside where we read various poems about animals before returning to the front yard to play in the snow some more.
It was so nice seeing the loving environment that the children of Forest Playschool have fostered being shown on Valentine’s Day week. The drawings and cards the children have left for our educators are now hung up on their office walls as a reminder of the class’s affection.
