It felt like summer on the bluff today! It was time to kick up our feet and spend time digging through the grass to see what we could find. We started with a team treasure hunt to find all sorts of natural things from objects that were 'tough', 'long', 'old', 'smelly' and even 'squidgy'.
Of course the favourite find were the ladybugs that were identified as colourful, smelly, strange and 'like a soft breeze tickling my arm'.
We also worked on fort building. This included creating a barrier wall with a lean-to design, a ladder to scale a tree and trip lines to protect perimeters. The fort building naturally led to team making. Some of the kids decided to go higher up on the bluff to explore a new area and build a fort with a view. They used tarps and poles to secure their area. Gradually the activity from above peeked the interest of the group below. To demonstrate that they were coming with good intentions they collected wood, sticks and even a log to give as a token of peace.
Encouraged by the fort building of the first group the second group set off to build their own fort in the 'new' area. They found a wonderful spot, but we also quickly realized that some of the materials were not typically found in nature. Before going into the area we did a safety check. We looked to see if there was anything that could be dangerous. We hypothesized that someone may have made this 'camp' who was homeless and we asked questions whether or not it was still being used. We determined that it had been abandoned. There was only an old sheet of wood left. We checked for litter, anything dangerous big or small and we deemed it safe. Demonstrating teamwork and negotiating skills the second group went to rearranging the area to suit their needs.
With help from the Rabbits we also set up a massive slack line and a make-shift hammock. Soon they will be able to set up and break down a camp in a matter of minutes.
The class came together near the end of the day to find and share found ladybugs. An elaborate attempt went into a ladybug training force so that they could be used as drones. The ladybugs proved to be harder to train then expected. We had a lively discussions about what is okay to bring home. Is it fair to a ladybug to bring it home? What does a ladybug need to live? Can we provide for a ladybug? All important questions for these stewards of nature.
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