Outdoor Jan 22 & 23

Thursday

Thursday we said hello Gordie who is trialling our outdoor program this week. We started in our morning circle moving energy with voice, movement and wiggles. We reviewed our Magic Hand, tapping and breaths as well. Everyone sang out loud our 7 Directions song and played rhythm sticks between verses. After we chose our animal cards and settled into our meditative spots to notice what was happening inside of us. We shared our noticing and heard about our animal cards.

After circle we snacked and heard a beautiful story called "The Healer Cat". Everyone was captivated by the story, a longer one about a cat who helped friends get better with her healing purrs.

After the story students were introduced to our review materials and we planned out our day. Today we reviewed where to find dry firewood in winter, the kinds of shelters we can build outside (Squirrel homes high up in trees and burrows under the ground are not possible), and we discussed what we might see on our hike in terms of plants and animals. After our review we checked out a map of our area of London and shared what we could see. Rich discussion occurred around train tracks, creeks, roads and parks. We all put a star on the map to indicate The School of Purpose, and landmarked it with the park and Prince Charles Public School across the road.

After our learning we headed out for our hike. We played on the first snow mountain we found, then loaded up blankets for the homeless to place around Kiwanis Park for those that may need them.

On our way, we met a woman who was looking for a lost puppy...so we joined the search looking for small footprints and a little puppy in the blowing snow. As we continued we found a hill for sledding down and everyone took turns flying down the hill and laughing. During our walk, we notice a really BIG Beaver snacking on sticks at the Creek, and our Duck friends came to say hello as well. Just before our hike was complete, Oakley noticed a bright red Cardinal up in a tree. See if you can spot it in the last photo! At the end of our hike we collected dead Spruce branches so we would have dry firewood for our fire, and some Spruce Sap to use as a fire starter that we stuffed inside a toilet paper tube with some paper from the recycle bin.

After our hike we enjoyed our lunches inside, animal track bingo, play time with animal masks, then realized it was snowing really hard outside!!

Once we were complete with free playtime, we ventured back outside to build our winter fire and roast the last of our marshmallows. Everyone had a blast and we all smelled like beautiful campfire!

Friday

Friday, we enjoyed a beautiful morning circle with lots of sounding to move energy, and we all sang our 7 directions song again. Our focus today was hearing requests and listening the first time and both boys showed that they can do it!

After our morning circle we snacked while I played guitar and drum and sang songs by request. This prompted lots of dancing, singing and a request for more music, so we pulled out all the instruments and made some beautiful music together.

After our lunch, Leroy worked on his Breath Card for school on Monday, while Gordie played with the characters in the dollhouse and helped me stir and add more bedding and moisture to our worm bin. We found lots of happy and healthy worms in there! We had lots of conversation about how worms keep soil healthy and help plants grow, then we fed the worms a banana peel from my lunch.

To end our day, we suited up for outside, where both boys played Lava Monster on the snow mountain in the school driveway. Lots of learning around permission and respectful play happened too as the boys learned how to play together. After we came back inside and both boys played with the dollhouse....a Sprout favourite at school until parents arrived.

Have a fantastic weekend!