This week we observed:
- children smiling at each other
- children reaching out to lend a hand
- big buddies caring for our preschoolers
- children making cards for their families
- a child losing a bean and another child giving them a bean from their own pod
- children changing quickly and then helping those who still needed help getting their wet gear off
- children taking turns with materials
- a child teaching another child how to hold scissors
- teachers helping each other be the best they can be
- children working collaboratively on the bridge project
- parents joining us for our first “knit night” to work on a blanket for the school
and so many more moments of gentle kindness and friendship.
Nicole and Kaya look at each other with warmth in their sparkling eyes.
Valarie and her big buddy hide during “Eagle”, a game similar to hide n’ seek. The buddies demonstrate patience as our preschoolers try to understand the rules.
Without saying a word, Olina and her buddy find a quiet spot. They were not found for quite a while.
Noticing the seasonal changes is important for us at Nature School. Concrete examples, such as the scarlet runner bean teepee, help to make these concepts clear.
These two fine young lads, Miles and Ty, spend time sharing ideas about the world. This conversation was about poo- yes, poo. Specifically, bird poo. It went on for no less than 10 minutes- “Is it from an owl, an eagle or a crow?” asked Miles. Ty thought he saw frog poo.
Max is well taken care of as his friends help him get up onto the log. How did this kind act make Max feel? How does it affect his relationship with these other children?
Valentine’s Day brought card making, patterning on felt hearts and making cream cheese and jam sandwiches.
William waits patiently for his bowl of cream cheese while Wyatt begins the tricky task of spreading the cheese without ripping the bread. Will these boys want to make sandwiches when they go home? What other things can we spread?
Ezra and Mason are hard at work and is Ezra tasting something?
Joel spends time choosing buttons and making a design. Some children instinctually arrange the buttons close to the edge. Is Joel mimicking the heart shape or is he creating an abstract design in the centre?
Ella and Jasmine are concentrating and although they are beside each other, no words are spoken. There is time for play and time for work and this is a time for work!
The family Valentine card is something we want all children to make. Thomas chooses red from a large variety of colours. How is it that children learn ‘norms’ so quickly? Through observation, children learn about the world around them. Did he transfer his knowledge from other Valentine activities or things he has seen in the past to this project?
Revisiting the Blind Fold game, Rylan leads Ryan around the Healing Garden. This time rather than using our voices, children choose an instrument as a guide. This activity builds trust in others and self-confidence as well as increasing senses like hearing, touch and smell.
Kate does a great job organizing our first Knit Night. Mothers, Grandmothers and friends gather around, needles and wool in hand, to begin our community blanket.
Ella uses her feet to make patterns and drawings in the gravel. Tricia asks her questions about her work, encouraging her to build upon what is already there.
Watching the rings swirl in the puddle, these children are learning about how water moves. Maybe we should go look at the waves in the river?
Katie engages in pretend play with our open ended castle pieces. Pieces that can be manipulated and changed by the children lead to creative and inspired play.
Food is being served at this house and how magical- children use corks to create stews, ice cream and other edible treats.
Max is slightly hesitant about going down the slide by himself. He asks Heidi for some support which she happily provides. After several turns, Max gains confidence and is seen here going down for about his 20th time!
Tia finds the perfect fishing rod. What is she thinking as she casts her rod into the water. Does she imagine a fish in her own mind? Is she creating an entirely different story?
‘Till the next post,
Emily