Avalon park and preserve Archives - Page 3 of 3

LOOK WHAT WE DID!!!

June 26, 2013/in Children and the outdoors /by natasha commander

Early in May my Sticks, Stones and Stories classes planted sugar snap peas and basil. We set them in our hot house and let them begin their circle of life.

After they sprouted we planted them in our own little section of the garden. They grew and grew and grew and today we picked them!!!! Crunchy snap peas and smelly basil. As we picked our bounty the kids found a cool caterpillar and a very busy snail. So fun! It feels so good to pick and eat something that we grew ourselves. Sustenance for all the kiddies.

I look forward to September when these wonderful children come back for more fun and exploring! Happy Veggies!

Sue

Natural Sculpture

June 6, 2013/in Children and the outdoors /by natasha commander

A hike in the woods….. you can never imagine what might happen!

Who would have thought that when this camper was in school during the day doing what he was supposed to be doing he would end his day in the woods creating something he was so proud of? While we were all looking at the fairy house that someone else built in the woods, there was Ben working on his own invention. I must say it was an engineering feat…. with all the balancing that was involved! Stick balancing, bark balancing…. such concentration.

This is what kids ARE capable of when we give them the space to create! Love it!

So proud of his achievement!

Your challenge for today:

Collect some sticks and lay them in a pile and see what your child can create. Feel free to share them with me! Have fun!

FREE!

June 5, 2013/in Children and the outdoors /by natasha commander

How many of us adults have memories of the way we used to play for hours upon hours outside until it was time to come home for dinner? It really is a loss for our children, most of whom will never know that freedom we had. BUT…. we can help our children to feel free from the stresses of video games, tv and technology in general. Simply go outside…. no batteries or cords needed. They will figure it out how to play in time but we have to give them the opportunity so they can learn.

The 4th and 5th graders in my Inspirations class were all psyched to take our “long” hike yesterday. We got out our map and discussed our plan. In 50 minutes we were going to go to new places we had not been. Which means mystery and adventure. What kid doesn’t enjoy that???

I never grow tired of watching children discover things on their own. Like the hiker pictured below, who was so amazed by all the ferns in one part of the woods that she, “had to become one with nature,” by placing a fern in her hair.

I know she felt so proud to wear that fern. You go girl!!Onward we walked/ran/flew like butterflies through the woods. Howling while someone else howled back. Laughter….all their worries forgotten.

Back in the Fall when we first began hiking we met a man in the woods who had made a miniature swing set. It was made completely out of branches and twine. It fit in his hand. Amazing! Well today we found out what he did with it.He placed it along with a home that others had built in the woods.

Onward we went for about a mile. Sweaty? … Yes, Hot? ….. Yes, Thirsty?….. Yes, Complaining? …… not one…. except that we had to head back to the barn. 🙂

And so with only one more class left ….. I can’t help but feel these kids have all enjoyed their time in the woods and will carry some of their memories in their hearts the way I carry the memories of my endless days of playing outside when I was a kid.

Peace

Sue

SNAPPY HIKE!

May 15, 2013/in Children and the outdoors, Outdoor education for children /by natasha commander

Spring is teaming with life and we were lucky enough to be out in the woods of Avalon yesterday! So many things to explore, admire and look at closely. Fascinating teeny tiny inch worms, onion grass, mushrooms and of course the pond. Nestled among the trees there is this special pond which is home to all sorts of unfurling ferns, Jack in the Pulpit flowers, grasses, trickling water, frogs and …… da da daaaaaa a large snapping turtle.

Lovely pictures taken by Winnie!!!

The kids knew there was a snapping turtle in the pond and I did not. But as an educator I’ve learned that sometimes kids can teach me something. On their own they set out to catch this mysterious turtle. Their method. Tying onion grass to a long stick. They were having a blast. I however, as an adult had my doubts. Ha ha …. I thought it’s harmless fun.

Well little did I know there WAS a big snapping turtle hiding under a rock. All of a sudden Winnie shouts out there’s a turtle! We all try to fit on this rock bridge to catch a look and sure enough there was the wise old turtle hanging out. It was substantial.

Shame on me for being a non believer. They removed their bait ridden sticks and we waited for the water to still itself. There it was. How joyful!!

It’s a great thing to appreciate children’s ingenuity. Sometimes I think we overlook it because as adults we are so busy. (doing what I sometimes wonder) So the next time your kid tells you something that sound a little out there take the extra time to listen. They may teach you something.

Change happens by listening and then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don’t believe is right.

Jane Goodall

Peace

LOOK!!!

April 10, 2013/in Children and the outdoors /by natasha commander

Nature hungry, is what comes to mind when I step back and watch these children explore. The earth is slowly waking up and warming. The bugs are on the move and how thrilling and refreshing it is to see these children get so excited at the site of something moving around in the wildflower fields of Avalon. The ground was alive with milkweed bugs with their brilliant orange stripes and worms coming up to peek at the world. One step after another something to be discovered.

Baby worms wiggling, everyone crowding to see it squirming. How cool to hold this wet, cold slimy creature. Think of how many worms we walk past as adults. We are so far above the ground and the kids are grounded noticing the tiniest movement.

Richare Louv writes, “In nature, a child finds freedom, fantasy and privacy; a place distant from the adult world, a separate place.” He reminds us again and again in his book, “Last Child in the Woods, Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder”, of the importance of children’s need to connect with nature and how it helps them to make sense of the world around them.

Today is a great day to take your child outside. Shut off the TV, video games, and spend 20 minutes outside whether you are in your backyard, a park, a rooftop garden it will feed your child’s mind. They will thank you for it one day!

Tired Hikers…. delighted!

“THIS IS THE LIFE!”

March 15, 2013/in Children and the outdoors, Outdoor education for children /by natasha commander

“This is the life!” Max yelled as he ran down the trail with the other kids…. I can only smile and feel my heart warm to hear a child experience the joy of being in the great

outdoors. It was a simply beautiful day for our first class of Natural Patterns. An opportunity for K-3rd graders to discover patterns that are always around us. On this day we talked about trees and the patterns they make against the sky. There is a wonderful book Sky Tree by Thomas Locker, which shows the same tree throughout the year and the surrounding sky. The illustrations are so peaceful and done with such loving care.

Our hike was full of laughter and running and stopping to spin below the trees, which frankly made me dizzy as ever!!! The kids seemed to have no problem .

It is always so thrilling to see how excited the kids get before our hike. You would think I was offering them candy! Nope, no candy just time to be free and learn about respecting our time with Mother Nature. Yes it is “the life”.

One final word… Juliana said to me, “sometimes when I get up in the morning and I look out the window I see the sky looks pink and purple.” Way to go Juliana!!! Keep those eyes open.

When was the last time you saw a beautiful purple morning sky? I saw one today and thought of Juliana.

Here are some pictures of their inspired tree art! Until next week…… happy trails!