Relief from frigid temperatures has meant that we have spent lots of time playing and learning outside. Since our return to school following the Christmas holidays, we have been able to get the toboggans out on many days. The children love sliding down the slick surfaces of the hill where the snow has melted and frozen again. They are great at sharing the sleds, playing cooperatively, and taking turns pulling the toboggans back up the hill.
We have also continued to explore the forested area at the bottom of the school yard. This amazing green space eventually connects with the conservation land of Hanlon Creek and Preservation Parks. On days when the snow is sticky, we have tried to build forts and snowmen. There is a spot in the forest where someone has placed a long plastic pipe to create a snowboard obstacle. The children love racing balls and stones down the tunnel and shouting into the tube to make their voices echo. A group of students recently found a small piece of discarded plywood. They worked together to carry the plywood and carefully laid it across a fallen log. They proceeded to balance on the plywood as if sitting on a see saw. It was interesting listening to their conversations and watching them trade positions and shift their weight on either end to make the sheet of plywood balance. Other students spend their time swinging on the “monkey vines” and piling sticks to build (pretend) campfires to keep warm.
The outdoors lifts our spirits and provides authentic opportunities to experience the natural world, challenge our bodies, and engage in spontaneous scientific pursuits. THANK YOU to our amazing families who support the tremendous learning that takes place outside by sending your children to school with snow pants, warm boots, and extra socks and mittens!
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Merci !