When I look back on this week and some of the last week, I think what stands out the most is the children developing a sense of this land. As huge advocates of place based education, Kate and I see immense value in children knowing a place well- exploring it, learning about it, respecting it and loving it. The children are truly beginning to create special places for themselves on this land. Many are naming places and then later asking to go and visit that area. They are connecting to the land in new ways each day depending on who is with them, the weather, and their mood. We are so thrilled with this learning- share some of it with us through these photos.
Kaya and Hannah find great intrigue in the worm wriggling in front of them.
Washing our freshly harvested carrots.
Claire, before she gobbled down the carrot.
Learning how to jump and land safely.
Taking risks is healthy and builds confidence.
We all discovered this place together. The children have now coined it the Tree Maze. It is very popular with Eagle and Owl classes
Looking at a photograph of the Tree Tunnel, children draw with coloured pens.
Olina is thinking about the best way to translate her ideas to paper.
Nikolas loves sketching and is seen here spending time on shading.
Ty is smiling while he works.
Jasmine and Amelia leap off the stone wall, further solidifying this friendship.
Elisia did laps around this wall. She is developing her muscles, learning how to walk on uneven terrain and making friends along the way.
Enjoying puddles and splashing. Children explore water. How deep is this puddle? Where does the rain come from? What happens if I jump in with two feet really hard? Lots of learning in puddle jumping.
Adam points to the “poisonous’ mushroom. According to the children, most mushrooms fall into this category. We are happy to keep it that way!
Finding friendship in snails- Rylan has a way with snails
Ella and Katie try not to slip on the slope. They decide holding hands might help them keep their balance.
Owen makes a “nest” for himself after looking at the owl nesting box.
Sophia, seeing Owen in his nest, makes herself her own nest.
Valarie and Ryan share a moment together.
Running ahead to the “cabbage bench”. Children are learning how to follow directions and stop at certain landmarks.
Snack at the Parson house. I began to share some history with them about this particular house.
Sola and Joel- tree huggers!
The pictures tell it all- we are finding our place!
Emily