Our Seedlings began their morning with some colouring and stories before we got ready to head out on an adventure. Of course, we couldn't leave without a little hammock time first!
We hadn't even made it very far down the road when the children excitedly called my attention to something they knew I'd appreciate: moss!
The sun was shining brightly as we crossed Blackfriars Bridge, and the children were delighted to see that the couch they'd spotted in the river last week was finally gone. When I explained that Tom and I had gone down and pulled it out ourselves, one Earthkeeper responded with a heartfelt, "Thank you Miss Stef!"
We continued along the Thames Valley Parkway, practicing sharing the path and being aware of the people and activity around us. At the Wishing Bridge, we stopped to look for minnows and found loads of them swimming below!
A little further along, our Earthkeepers spotted someone in need of help. A caterpillar was making her way across the busy pathway, so the children carefully relocated her to safety.
Our next stop was the Ann Street Community Gardens, where the children figured out how to unlatch the gate and eagerly headed inside. They discovered mushrooms, dandelions, and beautiful flowers still blooming in November. There was plenty of running and chasing through the garden rows before we settled at a picnic table beneath a tree for a snack.
As we continued toward Gibbons Park, we passed the resting place of a mole we'd discovered last week. The children remembered their little friend and decided his grave could use some decorating. They gathered beautiful fallen leaves and arranged them into a wreath for him.
When we finally reached Gibbons Park, I led the children past the usual playground and over to the musical instruments instead. They wasted no time experimenting with the different sounds.
"It's a kids band!" exclaimed one smiling Earthkeeper.
Another enthusiastically banged on the drums and announced, "I'm a gorilla!"
Soon, someone spotted a large tree stump in the distance and took off to investigate. It was big enough for all the children to climb aboard, and apparently, grown-ups were NOT welcome!
Jenna and I made a few playful attempts to take over their stump before discovering another nearby and claiming it for ourselves. Naturally, the children decided they needed to take ours over, too.
When the game eventually wound down, we took a closer look at our stumps and discovered mushrooms and berries growing around them. Nearby was an enormous pile of branches and brush. One Earthkeeper wondered whether it might be what remained of the tree that had been cut down to make our stump.
The children began exploring and climbing the pile when, to everyone's surprise, a bunny suddenly came darting out and disappeared into the trees!
Our adventure continued when I showed the Seedlings a beautiful old tree I used to visit to watch hawks building their nest. The nest was still there!
Beneath the tree were fallen branches with soft, feathery needles attached, which the children quickly discovered made excellent pretend tails.
I leaned against the tree, pressing my spine to its trunk, and explained that I liked connecting with nature this way, "trunk to trunk."
The children decided to give it a try themselves, using their newfound tails and branches to become "part of the tree!"
Before long, they were eager to try some tree climbing. We searched for a tree that offered just the right challenge, one they could climb independently.
At forest school, I don't lift children into trees or onto places they can't reach themselves. If they can't get up independently, they may not be able to get down safely either. Instead, we look for opportunities that match their current abilities and allow them to figure things out.
The Seedlings found a suitable tree and got busy planning their routes up and back down, testing their footing and working through the challenge for themselves.
Eventually, we made our way to the playground, discovering yet another collection of tiny mushrooms that had been hiding beside our wagon the whole time!
At the playground, our Earthkeepers had another opportunity to help a small creature. This time, it was a moth who needed rescuing from the busy play area. The children carefully moved her somewhere she wouldn't be stepped on.
Back at the dome, we worked on our nature journals, and somehow our conversation turned to superheroes.
Some of our Seedlings are especially interested in superheroes who punch, kick, smash, and fight their way through problems. But we got talking about what it really means to be a hero.
Does being a superhero have to mean being the strongest or winning a fight?
What about speaking up for someone else? Apologizing when we've made a mistake? Taking responsibility and making things right?
And what about helping someone smaller and more vulnerable than ourselves?
As it turned out, we didn't have to look very far for examples. Our Earthkeepers had already been superheroes twice that day, helping a caterpillar and a moth get safely out of harm's way.
I loved that we could bring the conversation back to things the children had actually done. Being helpful, brave, responsible, and kind doesn't require superpowers. Sometimes it just means noticing that someone needs a hand and choosing to do something about it.
We finished our nature journals and wrapped up another full day of exploring, climbing, playing, discovering, and looking out for the little creatures who share our spaces.
Thanks for a great day, Seedlings!
