Fire Fighters

For the last several weeks we have been talking about fire fighters.
          
We spent about a week reading books and brainstorming what we know
                                 about fire fighters.
            
A parent that works at Costco saved us this great box.  Once we opened it
                  we started to plan how we would get in to it.
               
       
      The children drew the windows and doors and I cut them out.
        
Added two chairs, steering wheel and radio and it was ready to go.
          
This is an interesting question for us because in our valley we have three fire departments and they all have different coloured trucks.  We are planning trips to a couple of those fire halls so we will ask the fire fighters why their trucks are different colours.

In the meantime we had a visitor to our school.
    
The fire house came to school for the grade 3 classes to learn about getting
                        out of a burning house safely.
                  
Retired Deputy Fire Chief was volunteering and we asked him to visit our room to take a look at our fire truck.  We asked, 'why the trucks are different colours?"  He explained that a few decades ago it was believed that black and white was easier to see in traffic and that is why some fire trucks were changed.  But most trucks are still red.  We will have to survey the children to see what the majority want to paint the truck.

Seed Sock Update

Today we pulled down our bags of Seed Socks from the window.
          
First we noticed that the socks felt dry.
        
Then we noticed that nothing had changed, nothing was sprouting.
       
If we were do to this again we may choose a different area to walk, choose to go later in the Spring and we would add a lot more water to the bag before closing it and hanging it in the window.

A New Fairy Woods

One of our former parents is a teacher at a neighbouring school.  Her class created fairy doors to put in the forest beside their school.  Today we went in search of the doors.
  
It was a beautiful day to run through the forest checking behind
                       all the trees and stomps.

      
This woods has lots of trails to wander and big stumps to climb on, a natural playground.  The children searched and searched and some reported they found 9 doors while others found 11.

 
After counting we gathered in an opening beside a big stump so I could
                     introduce our project for the day. 
           
       Each child could make their own fairy garden to take home. 
Provided were a small bowls of soil, sliced pieces of cork, bottle caps, jewels
                                        and moss.
    
   The children also collected sticks, stones, and pine cones off the ground.
       
                  Then they began to put their gardens together.
         
                       Getting more items as they created.
                   
      Each garden is unique according to what attracted the child.
              
Because we used live moss they gave their a spray of water when they
                                   were finished.

But we weren’t finished yet.
 
                  I introduced Fairy Wishes to the children. 
If you blow just a few Wishes over your gardens then maybe fairies will move in.
  
I demonstrated blowing the wishes and as the dandelion fluff separated and
they spiraled done to the ground they kind of look like little fairies.
     
         A good blow and lots of wishes all over his garden.

Fairies didn’t arrive but I did have a little gnome for each garden.
     
           
                    A wee little home for the gnome.
Hopefully the fairies and the gnomes will be comfortable in their new gardens.

Building, Creating, Having Fun

We just finished a three day weekend and I had a great time.  We didn't go anywhere but did lots of walking, cycling, visiting with friends, sitting in the sunshine reading and had some time to be creative.  Look what I made!
                            
If you’ve been following my blog for a while you know I like fairies and that we have created a variety of environments for them; doors, gardens, tree houses.
                             
Last December my husband created a wonderful tree house for the centre.  I helped design it but I really wanted to get my hands on the tools and make one myself.
              
I started by gathering materials from school and the forest.  Laying it out helped envision how it could go together. I didn't use a lot so it will be available for another project.
                           
          (Yes I know I shouldn’t be wearing slippers while using power tools.  I did change soon after this picture.)
My husband showed me how to use a jigsaw, hand saws, a drill and different drill bits.  Electric screw driver and how to counter sink so the screws will be flat.  
                            
I made the ladder by drilling holes through each rung and the poles so I could tie them together. I added a bit of hot glue on the back of each knot in hopes they will stay tied.  The ladder is attached with little screws to the base.
                                  
For shingles on the little house I used pieces of a pinecone, I found in the forest, that a squirrel had taken apart.  I had hoped to add little rocks on the sides of the house then realized that I wouldn't have space to screw it to the tree top.
                         
The circular base was leftover from the sensory table my husband created last weekend.  The toad stool knobs were found at a thrift store.
                             
Adding these steps was a part that my husband did.  I wasn’t quite ready to handle the circular saw yet but I know I will someday.  But I did attach them.
                                 
It was so exhilarating creating this fairy home.  As soon as it was together my mind was already thinking of the next project.  I’m thinking that I may do a bit of painting on this one first.