A Corn Experiment

               
When we visited the Farm Market back in September I picked up this cob of decorative corn.  I wondered if it would sprout if it was left in some water.
                
                               Within three days it started.
     
The sprouts started underneath the cob, the part that was submersed in water,
                            grew around it and straight up.
              
Unfortunately the ends of cob started to mould so decided to plant it in the garden.

A parent suggested planting it in the greenhouse since it had already sprouted.
 
I wonder if it will continue to grow?  We will have to remember to water it.

Fall Drip Painting

                  


                           
              
       

Lessons Learned from our Grandfriends This Week

                  
                   Another great visit at the seniors home this week.
 
This week we met a new grandfriend, who is blind.  We learned what it means to see with our hands.  We learned that we need to talk about what we are doing.  We played a ‘what is it?’ game with Olive.  We handed her a toy and the children and I would give her clues while she touched it.  She was good at guessing.
                  

This week we learned to slow down with each other.
 
We learned that our grand friends need time to ask questions, and need time to ask the questions again.  They need time to process the information they heard from those questions.  This is the same for our children. They will ask question after question and when we try to rush them to understand their reaction is the opposite to what we want or expect.  I'll try slowing down and offering them the same respect that I give to our seniors.

A Walk in the Woods

Today was our monthly morning outdoors.  We went to Fairy Lane, our first visit for this school year.  The sun came out which made for a beautiful morning.
                       
We started with a StoryWalk using the book Stella and the Fairy of the Forest by Marie-Louise Gay.  I cut two copies of the book to create the StoryWalk.  Luckily I found several copies at thrift stores.
                  
I set it up zig-zagging down a paved path that runs between the forest.  Fairy Lane runs parallel to the path on the right hand side.
                
 
The group started to spread out as they read the book.  Some were faster then others.
                  
At the end of the StoryWalk we turned left into the forest.  I asked everyone to collect big sticks to make a fort for us to sit in for snack.  I also asked them to collect little sticks to make fairy forts later.

               Collecting sticks, a favourite activity, is usually discouraged.
  The parents didn’t realize, at first, that we needed long sticks to make the fort.
               
The base of the fort was a big branch of a tree that was hanging down to the ground.  We leaned some of the sticks around it then draped fabric over.
        
The children helped clear away the underbrush so we could spread our sit-upons.
                             

As we were clearing away the leaves we found a piece of bark with teeny
                           mushrooms and two different slugs.
              
While the children had their snack I read the story The Dark, Dark Night by M. Christina Butler.  I picked this book knowing that the sun would be out and we could play with shadows.
 
After snack we headed back up to the start of the paved path to decorate little
                           wooden houses to add to Fairy Lane.
   
  
I walked the trail after the children and found their little homes tucked in with
                                        the other fairy doors.
                
                  I also found a twig fort built beside a fairy door.
 
We had lots of time to check out all the homes that have been added since
                            June when Fairy Lane re-opened.
                          
                           I wasn’t the only one taking pictures.
            
It was a gorgeous autumn morning spent in the woods, introducing Fairy Lane
                                to many new families.
                      
            One more peek at our forest fort before I take it apart.

Hide and Seek Game

                 
                         
      
   This is how it started, searching under all the baskets to find matches.
                           
Then I noticed that the surprise of finding a small toy hiding was more exciting; like a Peek-a-boo game.
   
It didn’t matter what was underneath.  And like playing with the box instead of the present, the little baskets were more attractive then the toy to this toddler.
 
I continued to observe a few older children that began to sort and group the toys.
 
               
Then others began to put them in a row.  I see the beginning of patterning.
       
                      They also used them as little finger puppets. 
The parent in the first picture was using wonderful facial expressions to talk about 'scary'.
The second child worked hard placing the kitten puppets on her fingers without any help.  Looking at her face I wonder what she is thinking?  Is she telling herself a story?  Is she counting?  Is she wondering how they feel on her fingers?