Month End Snapshots - December 2013

Snow...we had some snow! A rare experience for Victorians and even rarer for it to snow on a Stomping day. The children had a wonderful time, and I know it will seem crazy to many, but it would be lovely to have some more. Snow is such a wonderful Loose Part.
December did turn out to be a very cold month - we saw ice on the river's edge and very little rain. The salmon continued to arrive in the river pools, and by the end of the month they were slowly dying and disappearing down stream creating many questions about the circle of life. The Maple trees are now empty of their leaves, the pumpkins and mushrooms are still rotting and slowly disappearing into the earth. It is winter in the forest now - a little darker and quieter, but still full of life and fun for curious little people.

This little one is warming her hands at the warming table. It's a small heating pad between thick blankets! Brilliant!

This group of children worked together for quite a while developing and constructing their bridges then they practised balancing on them.
 

Our annual hand prints to take home.

 

Wonderful stick play!

One morning this round pumpkin was missing. What a mystery! We looked everywhere for it. We looked for clues. Finally we discovered it in the side yard. There was a lot of discussion about how it could have ended up there. It was decided that a raccoon must have rolled it through the hole in the fence trying to get through the pumpkin's tough skin to eat the seeds inside. 

 

They discovered that the bamboo bends all the way down to the ground without breaking.

 

We would like to wish everyone a very healthy and happy 2014 with lots of time for outside family fun.

Thanks, again, for Stomping by!

Month End Snapshots - November 2013

The month of November provided our little Stompers with an endless supply of wonderful outdoor experiences - spawning salmon, a visit from a Barred owl, a very busy squirrel, some of the biggest mushrooms we have ever seen, and a couple of days of some wonderful ice. Awesome!

This Barred owl was the highlight of an early November forest walk near the river.

The children decided to plant some of the chestnuts they had been 'cooking' with. I quickly found an empty plant pot for them to fill with earth. On the following Stomping day we discussed their many questions on why the seeds hadn't yet started to grow.

On this day there was a lot of discussion and planning on how to make the blue tube stand upright in the sand box.

Week 1

The children are very interested in observing the composting of our Halloween pumpkins.

Week 2

 

Week 3

 

Week 4

 

We experienced a couple of sub zero days which offered wonderful experiences with ice.

 

 

    

On this day we arrived at the 'stick forest' to find that the recent rain had produced some of the most numerous and largest mushrooms we have ever seen on the forest floor.

 

The air was filled with the wonderful scent of lavender and rosemary.

 

The spawning salmon started to arrive in the river at the beginning of November.

 

They didn't want to leave, so we sat and watch until they were finished!

 

"Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood",  Fred Rogers
Thanks for Stomping by!