Shelling scarlet runner beans never gets dull- the pink and black beans are truly a thing of pure beauty. Numeracy and social skills are developed while spending time shelling together.

The Owls pose for a photo on Cabbage bench.

William and Leo work at leaf rubbings on paper. This seemingly simple art project is actually quite tricky as one must put the relief under the paper, hold the paper down ever so securely so it does not move and then figure out how to rub on the paper to allow the design to come through.

Platon plays for a long time with the gravel, piling up the gravel into mounds. He says they are houses so I offer him a scarlet runner bean to maybe make a window, door, chimney? He accepts the offer and then later he makes more mounds and gets his own empty shells from the tarp. Heidi then sits with him and he shares his building story with her.

Audrey in deep concentration and exploration. What is she figuring out for herself?

Sun shining down on our garden beds in the cool autumn breeze- getting ready to plant some garlic.

Annabelle makes Barry “an omelet”. Why an omelet? Is this something she eats at home- we must check in with mom and dad about this so we can build on this play experience.

Rafe and Elsa chat with Misuzu; I do not know the topic but I love the way Misuzu is listening to them.

Ohnyou and Yi Teng enjoy being together and making something. I wonder what they are making?

Investigating the herb garden and learning about rosemary, sage, thyme and mint. Yohan proudly harvests a long rosemary branch.

Mattias, Hayden and Ken are in search of bees. I help them to capture honey bees and a bumblebee into their bug jars so we can see their bodies up close. We discuss the stress it might cause the bees and release them very quickly.

Making stuffing!

The Owls learn about sitting for snack time and the expectations around proper manners. Making space for others, sitting while eating, saying please and thank you, chewing with closed mouths and talking only when one’s mouth is empty- all good things to learn, even on a tarp!

Will notices there is a large pile of coyote scat on the bridge. This prompts a discussion about scat with Platon and Kingston chiming in.

Jason working on his self-portrait for his documentation binder. What does he see when he looks in the mirror at himself?

Ken kindly helps Sloan put on her pinnie to go to the playground. Even though it takes more time, we encourage children to help each other with these types of tasks.

The Eagles have their first walk along the road so we spend lots of time talking about road safety.

Kate takes a few minutes to begin the discussion about ‘stick safety”. It is virtually impossible to not have sticks at Nature School so it is all about education and how to use them safely.

Studio Work: Still Life with Vegetables, by Avery

Blowing dandelion seeds into the air is something that Ronan and many others enjoy doing; is it the power of one’s breath, the way the light shines through, the knowledge you are spreading seeds- what is it that is so fun about this activity? BTW, did you know… the flower head is actually a tightly packed mass of tiny florets, each petal represents a single flower!

First rain walk through “Stormbreaker” for the Eagle Class.

Always a creative builder, Nicholas challenges his structure’s balance by building on his own lap. Why do you think he chose his lap rather than the space next to him?

May reaches to to Vino, pouring water from her cup into a tube he is holding. Discovering how things work together is a good foundation for friendship.

This is the first time this year the Owls eat snack on the porch of the Parson’s House. Washing hands outside, getting a snack bag and leveraging one’s body onto the porch is a lot to learn.

The Owls enjoy a quiet reading time with Tricia. Ensuring there is a balance of active and quiet play is part of setting up both an outdoor and indoor learning environment.

Soyon and Elsa are creating pretend worlds as they build with wooden blocks.

These energetic Eagles run fast along the path, ready to stop at our first checkpoint, the Cabbage bench!

Inspired by our garden bounty of tomatoes, Ken’s daddy, Giovanni, organizes a cooking project; the children help to make a fresh tomato sauce to eat with pasta.

Jason and Nika help to dice the tomatoes.

Singing is a wonderful way to connect us all. Each day we sing together, whenever and wherever!

Planting garlic to over winter.

Running through tall grass is such a freeing experience isn’t it?

I think it is important to notice these two were playing earlier ( see the photo posted above). I might not have noticed this until I went through these photos and this is why looking back and reflecting on a day is so important for us as educators, as it helps to guide and think about next steps.

Collecting buttercups leaves, grasses, gravel- anything we can find! We will explore thoughts on collecting another time.

Adorned with scarves, some of these Owls are superheroes, princesses, a bird, and a bad guy who runs fast.

Why plant when you can look for worms?

Look at Erika smiling at Darel as Mason uses every muscle in his body to pull this wagon around!

Ken and Hayden carefully look for edible blackberries. Surprisingly, there are still quite a few to enjoy.

Fully captivated by Heidi’s storytelling, the Owls are learning some basic sign language– please, thank you and more.

Who knew a body could stuff themselves into this small tube for an extended period of time! Can you recognize those little heads?

Anderson shows Barry something he has found. The instinct to share our discoveries is so interesting from a sociological perspective. More photos show this same instinct.

Sloan and Ashlyn enjoy layering paint on large sheets of paper. Freedom to be alone and quiet during creating an art piece is important.

Quite simply– adorable!

Heading into the deep wild! Go Owls!

Ludwig’s mommy, Katarina, kindly brings in zuckertüten for the Eagle class, a German tradition. Sharing traditions from other countries is welcomed and appreciated!

Part of this tradition is to take a class photo on the first day of school. Here is half of the Eagle class holding up their gifts.

And, the other half of the Eagle class.

William and Rafe draw and paint their name tags for their pod bins. It is important for people to have their own space to put their belongings on both a practical and emotional level.

Sensory activities, like playdough and the water wall, are soothing and calming for many children. Knowing the first little while can be emotionally charged for these children, we offer many sensory experiences.

Will reaches up to the water wall tube and is so happy he has grown tall enough to reach the top!

Annabelle. like last year, loves to make a cozy bed. It doesn’t take long before Theia and Kate join her for a quite read.

Exploring colour mixing, water, the bristles on the brush, how much water can the paper withstand before it tears– the learning from a simple activity is great. Erika expresses wonder and delight as she experiments with these materials.

The first harvest of our drying beans; barlotti and black beans. Shelling beans is such a rewarding activity. It is like opening up gift after gift. Numeracy, science and food security are at the forefront of learning around this task.

Our Gathering Circle is such an important ritual here at Nature School. Each day begins with this time together; we ground ourselves as a group, figuring out our day together. What are your rituals at home?

Walking on our ‘grass sidewalk’ to make sure we are safe from cars entering the parking lot. Justine, Ariel and Mattias work together to pull the wagon over grass, clover, buttercups and holes. This is not easy work but is part of our daily life here.

Wandering through the grasses, avoiding the creeping low lying blackberry vines, Ashlyn and Tyler make their way to the “Land of Sand.”

The Owls collect a lot of fallen apples, a LOT!! Kate lays them out to play a prediction game- how many apples are in the baskets? Estimates range from 2- 4 million!

Yi Teng and Olivia enjoy playing fill and scoop with the bowls and spoons. Olivia is waiting for a turn with this big pot. Soon after this photo, she looks to me for help in getting her turn. Yi Teng notices and hands her the pot on his own.

Actively listening to each other’s ideas and stories are the respectful foundations of a relationship. Misuzu is allowing each child an opportunity to share.

These Owls are captivated by Heidi’s reading of this book. Building literacy and relationships through reading is something that is valued at TNNS.

Misuzu uses puppets and objects to tell a story; using different ‘languages’ is important as it keeps the work interesting, as well as allows for different types of learners to engage in new ways.

The Eagles hit the garden beds to help with weeding in order to prepare the soil to plant garlic.

We so admire and cherish our parent volunteers! Ken’s mommy and daddy help clean up the overgrown beds. Thank you Keiko & Giovanni!

A discovery in the soil- what is it?

First game of Duck, Duck Goose. Ludwig runs with both joy and the fear of getting ‘tagged’. Playing games is great for team building and following directions.

The Owls make flags and join in a parade behind Kate, enjoying the tambourine and delight of holding their flags.

Justine and Nika work together to pick up fallen apples. As they pick them up, they toss out the really yucky ones and keep the only slightly bruised ones.

Mattias is in awe of this flower as he looks at its’ petals and stem. He takes it back to the tarp so he may try to capture its beauty on paper. How lovely! Perhaps next week we can visit these flowers again, maybe even with a field guide? Or maybe it is best to leave it unnamed and ambiguous so he can formulate his own ideas?

Using the tubes to communicate was not in the plan; which is exactly what makes emergent curriculum so exciting! Zoë and Ludwig find themselves in hysterics as they hear each other’s voices through the tube. We have been looking at water going through tubes; how will this develop their thinking about things being transported. Do they wonder about how people hear each other on cell phones? What else do they wonder about?

Tricia played a float and sink game at gathering circle. She leaves it out for children to experiment. Nicholas and Finn discuss ideas around what floats & sinks, connecting some of the pieces together. Finn’s scientific mind supports Nicholas’s curiousity.

Levi brings in a special art project he made at home; an egg carton collection box, with adorable sketches of suggested natural items to collect. We invite him to use it during class and share his findings with his friends.

Ibrahim loves to water the garden, look at his stance! Aside from the sheer delight of water spraying out of the hose, he is also learning about the plants that are growing and how to care for them. We discuss the parts of the plant as we learn that too strong a force of water can be damaging. Learning information in this hands-on way is so meaningful. Will he want to take care of his plants at home?

Annabelle invites Kate to share a moment in her pretend journey. When adults go into the imaginary world of children it supports further creative expression of play and builds trust.

Ken and Ty explore the nuts n’ bolts activity presented by Lia, our practicum student. Will they pass each other pieces to see if they fit? Will they look for these parts in their own daily lives, now knowing how to put them together?

Elsa and Ayleen delight in running up and down the ever depleting mound of soil with hoola hoops. The hoops add the challenge of figuring out how to manoeuvre one’s body to stay standing while in the ring.

Keaton invites friends to hop in the wagon for a ride. Elsa gleefully accepts and it seems like she could stay here all day!

When the teachers forget containers then children must make their own resources!

Ella and Alison enjoy playing with water and gravel, pretending to serve food, cakes and other delights. This is the first time they have used water from these containers for a play experience; the novelty is exciting!

Saving the earth, one slug at a time. Ella is the resident ‘slug saver’ as she picks up the slugs and moves them to the grassy area. The others point out every slug they see. What a great example of respecting all creatures.

Zoliekha takes great interest in Zoë’s work as she colours in her entire page and then cuts out designs. Having work validated by someone is very affirming. It shows that ideas are respected and important; art is such a wonderful expression of one’s ideas.

Experimenting with glue- how does it swirl off the glue stick? What happens if I hold the stick up high? How much glue do I need? How can I have more control? Shall I make a swirly design or try to make straight lines? How does it feel on my finger? Are these some of the questions that Hayden and Zoya are asking themselves? What else are they thinking about during this activity?

By Finn…

Much to my delight, I am not the only one interested in this bee gathering pollen; 3 children are by my side, completely captivated by this bee’s work.

This group is looking and noticing the changing tree structure.

Ken and Damon pick up a stick and start a game of London Bridge all on their own. If more people join in, will they follow the same rules we usually abide by?

Ty wanders off with Heidi and returns with some tree sap on this rock. He asks me to smell it but “not touch it, it’s sticky.”

Kate and crew notice salmon berries are now out- it is glorious to watch the seasonal changes which are both predictable and potentially unpredictable at the same time.

Children are asked to choose a book that interests them, find a page of particular importance to them and put a sticky note on it. Then we write their ideas down and will re- visit the page later on.

Hayden is flipping through this field guide, deciding what is of interest to him. We do not yet know where we will take this but it is a good start to finding out what captures their attention.

Zoliekha helps to scribe Zoya and Lorraine’s ideas. Showing children we care about their ideas builds confidence and relationship.

I am not sure there is a plan for this branch but look at the teamwork involved. The teachers happily stand back and watch this exercise in cooperation.

Ariel and Araceli use the log to practice their balancing skills, while playing and holding another stick- this is multi tasking!

Yohan and Ayleen encourage each other to scale this fence, a new challenge for these two children.

Heidi, game master that she is, introduces the Owls to a new game. With a blindfold on, the person must listen to where the shaker sound is coming from. This game develops awareness and trust.

Wee Walk Day! Zoë, Quinn and Grandma are ready to begin their day.

Ken’s daddy, taking a moment to be with his newborn while he watches Ken play a game. So lovely.

Leap, Levi, leap!

Annabelle tries her hand at Taiko drumming. Look at the intense expression on her face.

Owls dip markers in water to make a watercolour drawing. Some children seem to be mostly interested in watching the colours combine while others are determined to create an idea. It is important to value all parts of the creative process.

Heidi throws a hoola hoop into the grassy field and William runs to go and retrieve it. Soon, other children are playing too- games are a great way to connect children to work towards a common goal.

Nika has a lot to say about her art work- she is telling a story through picture.

Kaya’s daddy, Bob, visits Nature School with his cruiser. He is sharing information about safety with the children. What a proud moment for Kaya!

An unintentional activity comes from reading this book this week. The children notice the expression on the character’s faces. We discuss feelings and how to express feelings through art. The children reveal their intuitive skills as they  capture the essence of this drawings, paying particular attention to their facial expression and features.

Stemming from our discussion about that book, the Eagles are asked to draw their own people; using their skills to show how a character might be feeling.

Heidi teaches Ken how to whittle safely. It takes time and patience to teach a new skill, especially one with some element of risk but the rewards are tremendous. What will Ken take away from this experience?

Playing house, then a concert show with stick microphones, then  pretending to be at Nature School   (yes, that’s right… pretending to be where they actually are!), Hannah, Kaya and Nell have a joyous playtime.

A beautiful moment between Zoë and Andy. Andy offers her a bouquet of buttercups.

Throwing rocks into a hoola hoop, getting ready for learning how to play hop scotch. It is interesting to watch children change the rules to better their chances of a good shot. The stick keeps moving closer and closer to the target.

Araceli spends a long time on this drawing and is very proud of her work. Look at the smile on her drawing- surely this reflects her emotional state, happy and joyous.

Ariel’s family donated some strawberry plants so the Owls are placing them into the new beds. Learning how to work together in a small gardening space is tricky and these children have a much clearer understanding of sharing space together than they did earlier in the year.

Kate has been working hard in her own family garden and shares her joy with these Eagles. Connecting children to our own lives is something we value and support at Nature School. How can we continue to build on these connections?

Last week I read a book titled “The Beeman”. The Owls were very interested in the story, especially the bee keeping equipment. Here I am showing them the smoker- it is not only interesting to look at but smells amazing!

Making cakes out of grass- all sorts of flavours from strawberry to chocolate to vanilla. I love the imagination seen during these play experiences. It is apparent that children’s play is naturally open ended and they really need very little materials in order to create.

Ayleen enjoys humouring everyone with the sieve on her head. Developing her sense of humour is a good way for Ayleen to connect to her friends in the class.

Will and Cyrus demonstrate good coordination with a simple game of toss the ball.

The Owls work on their Mother Day gifts in the Studio. What is their understanding of this day? How will they celebrate with their families?

Jumping, exploring, getting prickled ( look at Ty checking his wrist) –being in nature is great!

Part of gardening is participating in all the chores, not just the planting and harvesting. Tyler watches me use the adult wheelbarrow and then mimics exactly what I do to get the soil out. I find this amazing! His friends are there to help him.

Ella builds this tower, hoping it doesn’t tip over during the building process. She is working with stillness and focus.

Finn really wants to identify this tree and spends several days looking it up in the field guide.

Tricia plays a finger game with William; this quiet time develops their relationship. Will William teach this to someone else?

Maliya is interested in a plant so Heidi helps her to figure out what it might be.

Barry and Ariel investigate the buds on a plum tree. Barry’s knowledge combined with Ariel’s curiosity make for a shared learning moment.

Pirates on a boat!

Making a couscous salad with feta; many children helped with this project and everyone tried it.

Using the bees to create family stories– daddy bees, mommy bees and baby bees. Damon and Mason make sense of their world and relationships through this play.

Nicole is captivated by a specimen of a bee in a jar. What is it that is so interesting to her? Last year she also was very curious about bees- I need to spend some more time with her to find out where this can go for her.

Positively and utterly lovely!

The Eagles have a blast climbing up and down the “mountain”. We hear lots of excited voices as they negotiate their steps around each other. We also see them reaching out to one another to assist in getting up.

Cyrus waits patiently for Ibrahim to cross the bridge. Will these two work on building something else together?

Ariel supports Araceli as she gingerly steps onto the bridge. It is lovely to see children caring for each other.

An impromptu song between Tricia and Avery and Misuzu and Elsa. Connections like these, relaxed and in the moment, create healthy and balanced relationships.

Vivian, our practicum student, reads to a small group of Owls. Reading stories in a calm and unrushed manner allows time for questions, ideas and predictions.

The Owls document what they see around them. What are they noticing? What captures their interest?

Theia, Rafe and Ayleen discuss what they are drawing and seeing. Sharing work creates pride and strengthens friendships.

Thinking the children will use the bowls for collecting special items proves to be an assumption on our part. These children are more interested in filling and dumping and then scraping the bowl along the gravel to make sound. It is a good reminder to allow space for children to use a material in their own way, without having a preconceived idea.

Great minds at work figuring out ways to connect the tubes. Damon, Mason and Jason work independently to build something that is structurally sound. Will they end up putting their pieces together to make a bigger unit?

Miles relaxes in the tall grass.

Ezra and Andy work together to make this speaking device. How can we grow this idea next week for these two children?

Platon counts rocks, one by one. It is interesting to watch children as they play with numerical concepts.

Finn makes a butterfly catcher; he waits patiently for a butterfly to land on his contraption. What is interesting to him- the catching part, the butterfly? I want to know more!

Elsa works on this gorgeous piece of art work.

These chalkboards are a gift from a preschool parent. The non-permanent quality of a chalkboard is so wonderful as it allow the artist to quickly create and then re-create into something new.

Some might say it is more fun when the irrigation lines don’t work!

Hannah’s daddy, Ross, tills our bed with a hand tiller. 

 Kaya’s mommy turns the soil. Thanks Harj!

Dad’s hard at work! 

Zoë’s dad, Alison’s dad, and Kingston’s mom all lend a hand. Many hands make light work!

Keaton and Finn investigate the mason bees and find other insects on the ground.

The Eagles fill the potato bins with fresh soil. Each bins requires a lot of soil so there is work to be done! Children naturally love to help with chores yet we often overlook there capacity in our own homes. Perhaps there is more room in your home for them to help?

Hayden, Lorraine and Araceli have a turn throwing bean bags into the tubes. As a team, we look for new ways to use materials that we have. These tubes typically make up part of a building exploration so we experiment with offering them in a new way.

Ibrahim must use all his strength to pull Finn and his gear around on the uneven land. As well, he is developing his social skills as he must weave in and out of people and negotiate turn taking.

Ella brings in a bouquet of asparagus for Kate. I invite her to show the class to see if they can guess what it is. Ella uses her group management skills to allow everyone’s voice to be heard. Repeated exposure to group sharing circles teaches children how to be facilitators themselves.

Hannah helps Barry to balance on the log. Intergenerational activities promote the well being of everyone.

Andy spends a long time looking closely inside the hole of this tree. As I watch him, he brings his body closer and closer to the hole. I do not ask him anything about it; this is his private moment. What does he see?

Our Quilchena buddies join us for a cooking project ( a delicious salad from this cookbook) and a provocation question: What would we do if there was no water at Terra Nova? The buddy groups ‘acted’ out their responses to this question. It was a super day; sorry, no photos due to photo release.

Ayleen enjoys the swoosh of the tall grass as she walks along to join the group.

Nicholas and Annabelle take turns with the bowls, spoons and miniature cups.The progress is so lovely as children learn to negotiate for themselves.

Elsa and Yohan use the frogs and their knitted homes to make up stories and a song. How we can support this play next time they are together?

Platon concentrates on beading; allowing for quiet and ample time helps children to focus on the task at hand. The Studio is a treasured space for this reason.

Lorraine and Nika find special rocks and then a spider. They are connecting through discovery and a shared experience.

The Owls roaming free!

A Garden Study demonstrates just how inquisitive and observant these students are in their learning.

Drawing a fava bean plant promotes thinking, reflection on past knowledge and keen observational skills.

The volcano inquiry extends into the Studio as our practicum student offers charcoal and photographs. Today the art is more about the charcoal than the volcano exploration; this is absolutely ok but we later discuss how we can add something to generate more ideas about the volcano itself.

A dragonfly waits patently while we marvel at its beauty!

The Eagles meet the Culinary students from Northwest Culinary Academy. There is so much learning that takes place in programs such as these; learning how to be brave and be with someone you don’t know, finding ways to connect with each other and building community. It also allows our children to demonstrate to others how their experiences on this land have shaped who they are, what they care about and their knowledge. As Mr Lai told his students, “These are your Elders today; they know more about this land than you do.”

Damon and Eric want to partner together for some weeding. Damon is very, very excited when he finds out we are working with the Culinary students for the morning. I wonder if it is because he himself likes to cook and pretend to be a chef?

Nathan and Kevin use the magnifying glass to investigate what lives in the garden.

Indira and Anjouli take a moment to talk with Esuh. Big and small buddies are tasked with sharing 3 things about themselves, what they already know or what they want to know.

Playing out “Goldilocks” in the play area leads to new stories, imaginary play and cooperation. Theia and Rafe discuss how much food should be in each bowl.

Quiet drawing time in the Studio allows Avery, Araceli and Keaton to get some thoughts on paper.

Levi uses loose parts to tell a story.

Hayden and Nicholas take turns with the veggies while pretending to sell them.

Will and Ariel proudly looking through their documentation binders. Since the shelf was moved, we notice more children readily going to their binders.

Elsa is creating an elaborate story that captures Avery’s attention ( she is playing something else but stops to listen to Elsa). Will Avery leave her own work and ask to play with Elsa?

Kaya is upset she has no ‘wand’ so Nell pipes up “I will cut mine in two and then we can both have one.” She breaks it with her hands and feet and then passes it to Kaya.

The Eagles gather to go over the rules of the Owls and Crows game.

Tyler is hard at work, patiently fixing his building when something doesn’t balance properly.

Ty shows a keen interest in writing letters and reading so out comes the chalk board! He asks to write the name of the vegetables beside him. He sounds out each letter, enjoying his own work immensely!

Barry brings in salt and photos from his trip to Death Valley; he is building on the children’s interest in volcanoes and expanding their knowledge.

Laying out our tarp for the soil delivery proves to be an incredible learning opportunity in many ways; problem solving, ownership of action, expression of feelings and making connections. This is an exciting moment for all us as it really shows the children’s capacity!

Watching a dump truck pour its load out for Mary’s Barn. Look at their expressions of delight and wonder!

Kaya, Hannah, Ella and Nell missed each other and are so happy to be together again, even if being together can sometimes be hard!

Jason and Barry have a playful laugh together. This one moment between them will change their future interactions- what will they play next time they are together?

The Eagles get right back into the swing of things and set up their own hand washing station.

Captivated by a snail, Ty, Jason, Miles and Esuh try to watch it move, make a home for it and think about how it gets its shell.

William’s family kindly stripped some wire for us so Kate invites the children to explore wire and see what it can do. It is important to introduce new materials to the children without having an end goal.

Misuzu helps the Owls at the water colour table; water colours have some unique qualities that make them interesting to use.

Kingston needs passengers! He is not sure show to get them though; he calls out in a quiet voice but no one hears. He looks around but everyone is busy. He is now waiting. Soon, after this photo, a child comes to sit with him on his train.

Ariel and Maliya explore some beading techniques with Tricia.

Finn shows everyone his loose tooth! Exciting!

The Eagles sketch “Mary’s Barn”. Prior to drawing we share ideas about what shapes we see, what lines we notice and dimension.

Mary’s Barn–the new barn for the Sharing Farm

Ty and Ezra spend a long time beading, making patterns and working carefully to get the right colour on the string.

Ludwig and Zoë have so much fun filling and dumping the eggs. They find the idea of hiding something in there mysterious and funny as they go around the room showing their friends.

Ibrahim, Yohan and Rafe weed the garden, looking for worms and insects.

Annabelle makes a cozy bed for herself- she has done this before; I love that she sets up home for herself and defines her space.

Big block negotiations between Cyrus and Ibrahim.

Pastel and watercolours interest Lorraine and Ariel as they work quietly alongside each other.

Levi, Ayleen and Yohan spend a long long time in the garden, endlessly intrigued by the soil and its offering of worms, spiders and wood bugs.

Keaton and Hayden asked for their photo to be taken- adorable!

Ian and Ella are partners, investigating the changes around them at Muddy Hill. We invite them to ‘notice’.

Damian records Brianna’s observation on paper. Learning how to document and record is an important life long lesson.

Esuh and Nell look closely at the buds on the tree; how do they look different from last time we were here?

Nature School was invited to participate in the market place area for the BC Nurse Union Conference. Lovely to share our mandate with folks that work in keeping people healthy; it starts when they are young!

Two nurses enjoy our hands- on activity of making rosemary salt.

Owen scales this fence so quickly and confidently. He says he can “see the world.”

Heidi teaches the Owls a new game whereby the Bone Keeper, sitting in the middle, has his/her eyes closed and then someone must try to take the bone without them knowing. The Bone Keeper must then guess who has the bone behind their back.

Theia enjoys sneaking up on Hayden. Games like this one teach awareness, control and turn taking.

Barry reads the Eagles a beautiful book. They are captivated by the story, the pictures and Barry’s interpretation of the book.

Maliya and Ariel work together to try to make a tall structure. Working together to create an idea is a new stage of development for these children; it is hard but exciting too!

This small Eagle group is brainstorming about their walking stick project.

Exploring chalk pastel’s ability to blend and smudge, Avery spends a long time at this activity. What is she learning about colours, all on her own, as she is doing this?

Levi is proud of his work and says to me ” Take a picture of me to put on the blog!”. Too funny!

Nell and Kaya take the blocks from the light table and place them in front of the mirror. I hear them counting together. Are they noticing the reflection? This is numeracy at it’s core- an interest in knowing how many there are of something.

Manipulating clay in the Studio provides an opportunity for learning many different skills.

Tricia sees that Keaton is picking up the tubes and calling into them to make a new sound. She playfully lies down with him and they use it like a telephone. This simple scaffolding develops their relationship and shows Keaton his ideas are important.

Nika and Will make a car ramp, running cars down the tube with gravel. Each child will use a material in their own unique way.

Sharing space and materials, Hayden, Ibrahim and Will are filling and dumping. They are interested in how full they can make the pot.

Ariel takes a quiet moment to read on her own.

Heidi works with Esuh on his wet felting project. Esuh, always full of questions and comments, engages Heidi in a dialogue about the process.

These blocks are popular this week; which means this area is often loud and rambunctious. It is tempting to put them away but the learning is too important so we continue to help support the learning around sharing the blocks and ideas.

Damian challenges himself with the glass blocks; he keeps trying to make it taller and taller. What is about height and length that we find so fascinating?

Conor and Kingston have fun playing pirates together outside and here they are working on the pirate puzzle together. This theme is really an important connection for these two friends.

Heidi shows these Eagles how to wet felt because they did not get a chance to do it last week and we are going to use our projects for something later on. They are learning to listen and follow through on instructions.

We introduced the loose parts with a demonstration of how to use the materials. First, children take a tray which they use to collect their loose parts. After creating their art, they must put each loose part away in its proper home. The learning around all of this is extraordinary!

Nell enjoys creating her design, working quietly to move her parts around the background.

Zoë, Damian and Alison deeply concentrate on their work.

Kaya and Misuzu enjoy a playful moment as they try to put their bodies through the hoola hoop.

Ezra and Damon are investigating bugs on this tree stump. What are they noticing specifically?

An unusual connection between two friends that do not typically spend a lot of time together. What happened before this moment that brought on holding hands?

Andy bends a branch that his friends remark: “It looks like a rainbow.” and “It looks like a sunset.”

Doing our Cottage chores!

Princesses unite– power in numbers.

The Owls plant peas, our first planting this year! Everyone is thoroughly enjoying the sunshine and soil.

Connor takes his time navigating his footsteps through the mud, finding reprise on these logs.

Ty reaches out to support Ludwig- such a beautiful act of kindness.

Ariel, Maliya and Abby draw with sharpies and pastels. The sun and fresh air create such a calm atmosphere to explore one’s creative being.

A few weeks ago I was humming “This Land is your Land, this land is my land..”. Since I have the two greatest teaching partners ever, Kate and Heidi jumped on board and have been belting it out with me while we teach the children. Heidi printed photographs to support the learning around the lyrics.

Learning to work in a group, these Eagles are negotiating, creating plot lines and following each other’s lead.

Our image of the child is strong. But sometimes, we just say ‘They are adorable!” And, this is one of these times.

Alison and Hannah learn to discriminate shapes, discover math concepts and develop concentration while using these pattern blocks. Will they use these ideas in their own drawings?

Rafe is wondering where to begin with this field guide; there are many pictures he is interested in. Where to start?

Many Owls are now using the field guides to explore the area around them. Avery is out searching for ducks, Cyrus and Rafe are looking up birds of prey.

The Owls having fun at the playground. This group swing promotes learning in many areas; listening to others about whether they want to get on or off, slowing down, balancing and figuring out how to push without falling over and risk getting hit by the swing.

Ken is feeling confident at this level. At Nature School, we do not encourage them to go any higher than they feel comfortable and therefore never give them a lift or a boost.

It is tiring work carrying the log back from beaver dam. Mason and Brianna sing songs and talk the whole time. How will this make them feel later? Will knowing they have accomplished this task lead them to take on other similar challenges?

Pulling the wagon back from the buddy day! Maliya and Abby offered to pull it almost the while way.

Kate teaches the Eagles how to wet felt wool.

Pride and happiness!

Tyler works for along time, filling up the wheelbarrow with leaves, transporting it to another pile and then re-filling. Fascinating to watch his interest and commitment.

Miles has a little rest in the wagon, complete with a pillow under his head!

Our team spends Friday afternoon in a workshop with our Supported Child Development consultant. Always new ideas and thoughts are brought forth.