Signs of Spring

We are so lucky at Churchill to have access to the Back to Nature area. It is an quiet oasis full of mystery and life that provides opportunities for some pretty special learning experiences. When I told the children that we were going back there that day they were bouncing around with excitement. There is something so special about the love the children have for nature and to be able to walk 200 meters from the school into our own private forest is pretty spectacular.

These photos and stories are from both our visits to Back to Nature and the one day where we couldn't find the key and had to explore the yard instead.

On this excursion into the Back to Nature area, we set off in search for signs of spring. The children were provided with clip-boards, pencils, magnifying glasses and binoculars as well as a scavenger hunt. 

One child found a buds growing through the fence. 

We talked about the importance of staying on the path and having as little impact as possible on the environment around us. We also demonstrated to the children how to find bugs without disturbing nature too much. We carefully lifted small rocks to unveil worms and beetles and made sure to put the rocks back when we were finished. 

I had the children split off into small groups on their own which made for some very interesting groups. Children that don't often play with one another paired up and worked really well together. I observed some very funny conversations between the groups.

"Hey I see a bud, it's you!" - A

This was a great group. The stuck together the whole time and shared the materials between one another. Without any guidance or facilitation they were able to work as a team searching for bugs. Their conversations were very complex and they used lots of wonderful conceptual language (longer/shorter, bigger/smaller, dry/wet). There was no need for behaviour guidance; the boys self-regulated to extend the play.

She found this leaf that had survived the winter! At first she wasn't sure what it was.

Spending time in nature is very therapeutic for children. Many school yards across Canada are receiving funding to become more green to provide children with more natural spaces. I think that most of the children would have been happy to dig for worms all day long.

We talked about the ability to camouflage and what makes it so important. The children had so much prior knowledge which allowed for them to take on the roll as the teacher. Hands-on, engaging play experiences like visiting the Back to Nature to search for bugs are relevant educational opportunities that allow for extended learning. When children already have knowledge about what is being taught, they draw back on those memories to make new hypothesizes and conclusions.

A beautiful little sprout! 

We found a lot of worms!

I was racing around with the camera as each child discovered something new. I got a lot of exercise that day.

We provided the children with apple sauce cups so that they could observe the worms. The children explained the need to add soil so that the cups would represent their natural habitat. We listened to what the children new about worms and later provided books to expand on their knowledge.

A wonderful tendril vine!

It took some pretty great eye sight to find a slug in an all brown environment. 

And then, there was this little guy.

He was so excited to find this beetle. He spend ten minutes letting him crawl all over his hands and jacket. At one point it even crawled up his sleeve!

Most of the children were very comfortable holding the worms.

He was showing us his collection of acorns from his pocket that he found at the park near his house.

We decided to bring the worms in for a visit into our classroom. The girls decided to share their lunch with them.

In one of the books we found, the Gippsland worm from Australia is 3.7 meters long! And that isn't even the longest. One of the longest is 6.7 meters long from South Africa! Not sure I would be happy to come across those!

During free play we set the worms out on a tray with the magnifying glasses so the children could take a closer look.

We kept the soil moist because we learned that worms need moist soil. But not too moist; they drown in too much water!

The children bravely picked up the worms and examined them closer.

He spent ten minutes gently coaxing the worm into the dropper. He was very gentle and only guided the worm every so carefully. Providing children with hands on experiences with living creatures can help them to develop empathy and compassion for all living things and teach them how to use a gentle touch.

He thought he would try it too. He was very careful!

At the end of the day we set our worm friends back into the garden so that they could get back to eating soil. We discussed why we couldn't keep them or take them home and the importance of leaving nature in its natural habitat. 

The experiences in the Back to Nature area have had a positive impact on all of the children. You can see a sense of wonder in their eyes and you hear the love in how they talk about it. One child refers to it like a backyard and says it is like the backyard of the school. We plan to spend more time back there throughout the remainder of the year digging, exploring and maybe even planting.

Come Sail Away

Spring is finally here! And that means sailing season! Our talented designers developed some very unique boats to test out.

Bits and pieces and loose part materials were set out for the children to create with. The children experimented with different designs trying to develop a ship that would not capsize or sink.

We observed the children making conclusions about why their designs would stay afloat. Some children concluded that their ships would not sink because they were heavy enough not to tip over. Others concluded that their boats were light enough that they would not sink. We tested a few boats out in the wind (a few of us blowing air from our mouths) to make sure they were sturdy enough.

There were some very modern boat designs. I'm sure we will start to see these fabulous designs out on the Ottawa River any time now.

The alien bowling pin was one of the first passengers to bravely board a ship during the test runs. Luckily, he was a very good swimmer. 

Setting up a water table encourages the children to explore cause and effect, provides them with sensory opportunities, promotes sharing and turn taking and also helps them foster their problem solving skills. 

It may seem like they are merely splashing around in water but don't let the splish-splashing fool you; so much learning takes place around sensory table. Water play fosters key cognitive skills such as observation, conceptual understanding, examination and problem solving. Water play also provides opportunity to expand social skills like developing relationships, compromising, negotiating, turn taking and discussion. Water often draws a large crowd and provides an opportunity for children who don't normally play together to  get to know one another.

For many people, water represents a sense of peace. Maybe water is being at the cottage by the lake, swimming in the pool in the summer time or finding a waterfall after a long hike. Many children find wonder in water and it has a natural calming effect. We often forget that young children are under a lot of pressure and that they too can feel stressed sometimes. Water play can be very therapeutic for children as they can pour out a lot of their worries and tension.  

Cloud Nine

This week, our focus shifted from big, hungry dinosaurs to soft, fluffy clouds. The children had the opportunity to figure out what they already know about clouds to extend their knowledge about through some fun activities!

At an activity station that was organized by our student Jenna, the children got to experiment with how rain clouds work.  

Each child was provided with a sheet of paper with a space for a hypothesis for what they thought would happen during the experiment and then a space for a conclusion after the experiment. Although this may seem simple, this very basic structure for investigating and acquiring knowledge is a stepping stone for more complicated scientific methods.

By providing writing materials in this experiment, Jenna allowed for the activity to go from what could have been a simple exploration of materials into a writing exercise for the children. 

Intently watching as the rain falls from her cloud! The clouds were made of shaving cream and the rain was made of food colouring. 

Each child had a chance to squeeze colour into their own cup allowing them to strengthen their very important fine-motor muscles. Fine-motor muscles are crucial for proper pencil grip and buttoning buttons. Refined use of small muscles allows young children to gain more independence. 

Some children decided to explore clouds another way; through art. As a class we read the book "Little Cloud" by Eric Carle which provided the children with a little inspiration for their clouds. 

He really felt funny about using his fingers to paint. At first, he would only use the tip of one finger. Then I encouraged him to try two fingers, five fingers, one hand, two hands. Each time he added a new finger, he would call me over to see how messy he was getting. 

On a very windy Wednesday, we decided to fly some giant paper airplanes!

Someone's ready for take off!

We had a few dedicated volunteers filling the planes up with gas.

Directing traffic.

And they're off!

She spent the entire outdoor time flying that giant paper plane. She figured out that in order for it to fly higher and further she had to launch it in the same direction that the wind was blowing.

I reminded her that standing in front of where the airplanes were being launched might not be a great idea so she decided to casually lie down.

The planes took some serious beatings from the ground. I watched the children fixing the tips of their planes to keep them aerodynamic. 

We needed some guides for smooth landings.

Nice shot!

A layover at Churchill to fill up the tank!

An ants-eye view!

What happens when you launch against the wind! I love the shadow!