Since September, we often take our learning to our outdoor “classroom”, the forest just outside our school parking lot. The space we have called out classroom invites us to explore the materials, shapes, colours, and smells around us. We usually go outside four or more times a week for educational activities, including:
- Math lessons: Finding patterns, categorizing materials in nature, sorting and subitizing, adding
- Science: Observing and recording seasonal changes
- Nature Walks: Shapes Walks, sound walks, texture walks
- “Risky Play”: With Ms. Corwin & Ms. Shannon’s assistance, we practice balancing across logs, or climbing over rocks
- Environmental Responsibility: What do we notice about the animals or insects around us?
- Today students noticed a lot of crows on our playground, and questioned why this was! Some pointed out that they were after all the garbage left on the playground, so this led us to a garbage clean up!
- Art: We have collected pieces of nature for art projects like our leaf buddy art and our word art! We also love taking out drawing books outside on a sunny day to sketch what we observe.
Sometimes we will go outside looking to answer a question: What are you grateful for today? What surrounding you makes you happy? What does _____ remind you of? We always walk outside with an intention.
