Wildflowers: September 16, 2026
We eased into our Wednesday together with some colouring and chatting around the table. While we worked, a chickadee stopped by the birdfeeder, and one of the girls spotted a blue jay in the trees beside us.
At our morning meeting, we planned the day together. Each Wildflower gets a chance to contribute her ideas, and we talked about what we wanted to do and what we might need to bring along on our adventure.
Before long, the mud kitchen became home to a group of witches.
“We’re witches, but we’re good and bad at the same time.”
They got busy making potions for me to try, dissolving into giggles when they revealed that they had, apparently, fed me poison. Their game involved quite a bit of negotiation as they figured out who was in charge of what, assigned roles to the different witches, and decided who would make each potion.
Nearby, some girls continued colouring or took turns on the rope swing while we sang “Down by the Bay” together.
When we headed down to Silly Goose Beach, one of the girls recognized a Great Blue Heron as she flew past. I had brought along a book about herons, so we stopped to learn a little more about a bird we see so often along the river. We discovered that Great Blue Herons can live for around 15 years, and that when they fly they tuck their neck into an “S” shape. Cranes, by comparison, fly with their necks stretched straight out.
Some of the girls settled in to fish, while our littlest Wildflower reminded me about another item they had decided we needed to bring: my ukulele. So, while everyone explored the beach, I played a collection of songs, including a few with actions that quickly drew some participation.
Back at the house, the girls created a habitat for some of the little fish they had caught at the river, which they suspected were gobies. One Wildflower and I also tucked ourselves into the hammock to read some books together.
Later, the perler beads came out. These are always good for slowing things down a little, but there was still plenty happening. The girls chatted, planned patterns, searched for colours for one another, and worked out where to place the bead bins so everyone could reach what they needed.
One of our Wildflowers uses the iron for her perler creations at home, so she was able to take on the role of teacher, showing the others what she knew and helping them with theirs.
That spirit carried into our nature journals too. Some of the older girls naturally began helping the younger ones with spelling and writing. There was no big announcement that anyone needed to be a helper. They simply noticed when someone needed support and stepped in.
We finished our day at the park, where the girls were actually disappointed to discover that it wasn't raining. Apparently last week's soaking-wet slip-and-slide game made enough of an impression that sunshine felt like a bit of a letdown!
It was a day full of the ordinary kinds of cooperation that are easy to miss: making room around a table, teaching someone a skill, negotiating a pretend game, helping with a word, recognizing a familiar bird, and remembering to pack the ukulele.
Thanks for a great day, Wildflowers!
