Learning in the Spirit of Wonder and Joy!

Category: Activity (Page 2 of 2)

Treasures at Play!

Just wondering…has your child ever found items while on a walk and brought them home?  Perhaps a whole pocketful of rocks, flowers, pinecones, leaves and/or other treasures?  I once reached into a child’s pocket to find they had filled it with live worms!  You never know what a child’s play will be about!  This is one way to play with them once you get home that even adults find engaging 🙂  It is also a great way for very young children to safely interact and manipulate items that are too small for them to play with otherwise.  This activity still requires adult supervision, be safe!

To make a “Squishy Bag” (as my daughter calls them!), you’ll need:

a ziplock bag, found items, and tape

Place all the items into the bag and add some water (not much!)

Look!  Science is happening already!

Some objects sink, some float, some look different when they are wet!

This rock releases bubbles!

Seal the bag, pushing most of the air out.  Lay the bag on the floor or table.  You could seal the bag with the tape.  You could tape all four edges of the bag to the floor or table so that it stays in one place.

You could add a figure to play with on top, like this snail…now it had become an different sort of exploration:

     

A child at StrongStart used a Squishy Bag as a “look and find”toy.  It was great for developing his fine motor skills and language!

He also used a frog to try to catch the fly.  That was fun!

This child, when they were in grade 3 at Stride Ave. Community School, explains the science behind their play:

Have fun…squishing!

Hych’ka!

Ms. Jenny

 

 

Forest Adventure!

A forest adventure with friends is always a good way to take care of ourselves and each other.  One day, I went with some StrongStart Educators into the forest, keeping physically distant we could still spend time together.  We planned to create some more friends with sticks found on the forest floor.  Here’s what we did to make stick people adventurers!

Found a few “Y” shaped sticks,

Arranged the sticks so it resembled a person…of sorts,

Used the yarn and fabric we brought with us to hold them together,

added some more personality, I mean, fabric pieces,

And then it was time to go on our adventure!

First, a swing in a vine maple to get a good look around…

Then, we danced with the Fiddleheads! 

and discovered a pink Trillium flower!!

We watched our friend Ricky free climb an old cedar tree (he’s so brave!)

and looked for bears in dark spaces! Ah! 

Then a moment quietly listening….

 we dipped our tips into a cool stream.

and watched and waited for bugs to wander by. 

Best of all, we found all our friends gathered around some painted rocks.

To say good-bye, we sang a song to the forest: a thank you for a wonderful adventure!

Hych’ka, everyone!

Jenny

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Scented Garden!

Breathing clearly these days?  Take a walk on over to Stride Ave. Community School and visit our Scented Garden!  You’ll find it near the South side of the building facing Griffiths Dr.  Tucked in a corner under a pink Dogwood Tree, there are 4 barrels that all contain herbs.  There are (in no particular order):

Peppermint, Thyme, Curry, Oregano, Rosemary, Lemon Balm

So, the next time you pass by, fill your senses and breathe deeply!   Can you guess which is which?

***Special note!  A big thank you to the members of the community who help keep the Scented Garden healthy!  Gwen, Cathy, Karen, Ms. Spence and Ms. Chan are some of the women who I know who keep an eye on the plants, often giving them water when they need it.   The water barrel is there if anyone wants to bring a container to help with this.  You are more than welcome!

Hych’ka!

Ms. Jenny

Birds, birds, birds!

It’s a beautiful day!  When you look at the trees outside, do you see any crows?  They are everywhere and miss everyone coming to school too!  They watch us play outside and when we go in, it’s their turn to swoop down and search for any snacks we may have left behind.  Inside our StrongStart room, there are two blackbirds that sit up in the branch behind me at circle time.  To these two crows we say this rhyme:

Two little blackbirds

Sitting in a tree

One named Jessica

One named Lee

Fly away, Jessica

Fly away, Lee

Come back, Jessica

Come back, Lee

What other birds do you see outside?  These are some that I’ve seen lately.

Sparrow

Stellar’s Jay (do you Marble the Rabbit in this photo?)

Chickadee

and 2 Flickers

Some birds, like Eagle and Hummingbird, I usually hear before I see!

Learn more about BC birds and listen to their calls here:

https://learning.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/pathways/listening-for-birds/

Take a closer look at birds and everything around you with a pair of binoculars!

It only takes a few minutes to make a pair together with a few things from around the house.

You will need a paper tube, scissors, and tape (or a stapler, or a glue gun).  String is optional and shouldn’t be so long that it can fit over a child’s head!

Together with your adult, cut tube to desired length:

Tie knots to the ends of a short piece of string (this will keep it from slipping out):

Wrap tubes together with tape, attaching string as you go:

Happy birding!  Tell me your stories of the things you see!

hych’ka!

Ms. Jenny

 

 

 

 

 

 

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