Buds: September 7, 2026

The sun was shining for our first Buds adventure, and after gathering together at Heron Tree Estates, we headed down to the Flats.

We stopped first at Silly Goose Beach, where the kids explored the water’s edge, climbed over the fallen logs, and started looking closely at the rocks for fossils. It didn’t take long before our walk turned into one of those slow Forest School adventures where there was always something else to stop and investigate.

On our way toward Blackfriars Bridge, one of the kids managed to catch a butterfly for a closer look, and we noticed crickets everywhere in the grass. At the bridge, we spent some time skipping rocks, smashing a few open to see what was inside, and saying hello to a duck friend nearby.

From there we continued along what the kids call the Fish Sidewalk toward Rock Hill. A fish jumped from the river beside us, and we watched a cormorant diving underwater. The kids were excited about nearly everything we passed. We stopped to admire the different plants, mosses, rocks, and little patches of green growing along the path.

We also became very well acquainted with stinging nettle.

Whoops.

The kids quickly renamed it “Devil’s Yarn,” which felt fairly appropriate after a few unfortunate encounters. Once we knew where it was growing, though, I loved watching the way the kids started looking out for one another. They pointed it out along the trail and warned each other when someone was getting close.

There was something especially lovely about the way they interacted with the world around them throughout the walk. They weren’t just moving through the space. They were talking to animals, greeting things they noticed, calling one another over to see discoveries, and genuinely seeming delighted by what was around the next corner.

Eventually we made it to Rock Hill. The kids climbed to the top, searched through the rocks, found some very cool fossils, and took in the view before we began the walk home.

And, naturally, there were still discoveries to be made.

On the way back we found two toads. The kids carefully brought them along with us to the house, where they became the focus of the afternoon.

After lunch and some quiet reading time, the Tuff Tray was transformed into a temporary toad habitat. The kids collected giant leaves, rocks, and bricks, arranging and rearranging them to create hiding places and a barrier around the edge. It became a collaborative building project as they thought about what the toads might need and how they could keep them safely contained while they observed them.

It was a full day of walking, climbing, noticing, collecting, building, and talking to the world around us. I especially appreciated seeing the kids begin to care for one another on the trail, whether that meant warning a friend about Devil’s Yarn or calling someone over to see something exciting.

Thanks for a great day, Buds!