Rabbits, 12 Apr

Rabbits were fortunate to investigate a pheasant head today as Theo shared with us his broad knowledge of the bird and answered class questions. Fascinating questions arose and this opportunity for one of our group to be an expert captivating the class was a pleasure.

We put a geo-caching spin on the traditional Easter treasure hunt. Thank you families for bringing a small object to include as treasure, these were much appreciated! In small groups we decided upon a hiding place, created a map of its location and wrote several riddle clues to lead the finding group on a fun and challenging hunt. The thrill of finding seemed to pale in comparison to the delight of setting the treasure hunt, coming up with clues and watching the other group try to figure it out. The class was so excited for this activity and we have requests to do it again but on a larger scale. This activity is a great introduction to geo-caching which may be the direction this group take their developing skills.

Conversation about wrestling led to a wrestling training ground in our free play time today. The restraint required to wrestle according to the rules is an excellent exercise in self-control and informs ways to approach fighting in play with respect. The class impressed us with their ability to honour the rules and engage considerately.

We enjoyed a new game about the animal kingdom categories of carnivores, herbivore and plants. By controlling the number of predators and prey and designing the access to resources to mimic nature, this game is a practical way to engage with the concept of balance in nature. This game shows the advantages of being a predator while also allowing them to discover the effect of changes in population size to maintaining a functional game as in nature.

Ask your rabbit:

- what did you observe about the pheasant Theo brought to class today?

- do you enjoy wrestling, why / why not?

- how did you feel when playing the animal game, what type of animal were you each time, did this change how you played the game?