When the snow falls and stays on the frozen ground our trips to the Monarch Woods begin to wain; the path leading in to the forest becomes far too slippery for little feet to navigate.
Luckily our neighborhood is full of wonderful paths with little pockets of nature to explore.
One of our favorite such spaces is Red River Park. It has a wide field perfect for running and a hill that invites rolling and jumping. There are bushes that make a brilliant little playhouse for the children to hide away in and go on adventures.
C discovered a small tree that was broken and low to the ground so she and K sat on it and tried to make it bounce. They were both highly engaged in the activity, working together and sharing this joyful moment. Who needs a teeter-totter? This was way more fun!
Finding our way through the small passages made by the bare, outstretched tree branches takes skill and coordination. A is just learning to maneuver through the space with all of his gear on, which is tough since walking is still a fairly new skill (something he only mastered earlier in the summer months).
Natural loose parts like sticks, rocks, leaves, and even snow become a million different things in the hands of young children and it is amazing to observe their creativity. D and C fought imaginary monsters with sticks and ran and ducked under branches while A and B laughed at their antics.
Sticks also became tools for mark making in the snow. While some of the children focused on making representations of things such as airplanes or family members others tried their hand at making letters and letter-like symbols.
I'm so glad we have these wonderful natural spaces to explore together ❄️☃️
Luckily our neighborhood is full of wonderful paths with little pockets of nature to explore.
One of our favorite such spaces is Red River Park. It has a wide field perfect for running and a hill that invites rolling and jumping. There are bushes that make a brilliant little playhouse for the children to hide away in and go on adventures.
C discovered a small tree that was broken and low to the ground so she and K sat on it and tried to make it bounce. They were both highly engaged in the activity, working together and sharing this joyful moment. Who needs a teeter-totter? This was way more fun!
Finding our way through the small passages made by the bare, outstretched tree branches takes skill and coordination. A is just learning to maneuver through the space with all of his gear on, which is tough since walking is still a fairly new skill (something he only mastered earlier in the summer months).
Natural loose parts like sticks, rocks, leaves, and even snow become a million different things in the hands of young children and it is amazing to observe their creativity. D and C fought imaginary monsters with sticks and ran and ducked under branches while A and B laughed at their antics.
Sticks also became tools for mark making in the snow. While some of the children focused on making representations of things such as airplanes or family members others tried their hand at making letters and letter-like symbols.
"Children learn from anything and everything they see. They learn wherever they are, not just in special learning places." - John Holt
I'm so glad we have these wonderful natural spaces to explore together ❄️☃️
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