In a Tall Tall Tree

Last week we went on an animal hunt in the woods behind our school. 
We went on a hunt to find animals that make their homes in our woods. 
Earlier in the morning Ms. Bulger, a grade 2/3 teacher, and I went into
the woods to hang animal pictures.  Her class went on the hunt ahead of us.


When we were ready to go I started with a poem called
In the Tall Tall Tree.

               

Then we gathered our nature bags, binoculars and a
booklet to record what we find and headed into the
woods.
  

Some of the pictures were low to the ground, like the rabbit and rat. 
Others were high in the trees, like the eagle and the bat.

We had to search up and down, here and there. 
When we found one we took it down to have a closer look
and read some of the information on the back.
 
Then we opened our book to get a stamp.

 We continued till we found all of the animals and our books were full.


Here is a glimpse of the cards I made for the hunt.  On the back of
each is a little ziplock bag that holds the stamp.  I carried a couple
of stamp pads with me.

Grand-Friends

Once a month we visit a Seniors Lodge to share stories
and songs with our grand-friends.
    
Our visits offer us an opportunity to enjoy each others
company and share our learning.

   
Today we started a project “Planting a Promise”.
A daffodil bulb has the
           promise of a flower deep inside.
 
When we plant it, the promise is there that it will
         grow in the spring.

We drew pictures of what we think the flowers will
look like and gave them to our grand friends.
        

Then it was time to sing and dance,
 
           share a story,

            and play a game.

Visiting with the seniors helps us understand each other. 
How we are the same and how we are different? 
Our visits help us build compassion.

Autumn has Arrived at StrongStart

   
Our dramatic play area is set to explore autumn leaves,
with a picnic on the side.
      
It didn’t take long for the leaves to be placed on the tree
and shook off.  We pretended to be the wind and blow
the leaves off the tree.
   
Watching the little ones reaction to the leaves falling is
wonderful.  Are they amazed because we are spreading
the leaves all over the floor?  Or are they mesmerized
by the colours floating?

 
They learn to spill the leaves themselves and use the rakes to
move them around.

Then one child noticed a basket of squirrels and chipmunks
on the shelf and brought them out to play.
  
She showed me how the animals move up the tree.
 
I started to see the chipmunks move around.
       
In baskets,
   
in the leaves,
   
at the picnic table

so we found some acorns for them.

    
What other animals do we see in trees?

Autumn Trees

I saw this craft idea at Happy Hooligans.
   
They are very simple to make.  We already had the sticks
on our craft shelves and used plastercine as the base.
  
The children crumpled coloured tissue paper and glued it to the branch.
  
We now a lovely forest to help decorate our science table.

Spin and Squirt

         
Spin and squirt are fun words to find at the art table.
           
   As well as squeeze, up in to the eye dropper.
 
  And splat, goes the paint, on the paper.
 
  There was also stripes and splotches.
  
         Hope you give it a spin.