An amazing treasure find, games and strategy, pulleys and rope swings, handmade writing feather quills, face paint animals and collaborative storytelling with rocks...another delightful day with the Rabbits!
We were astounded to discover a veritable treasure trove left for us in our spot with amazing shells, a starfish, small bones and a wand. This find inspired the imagination of the group and stimulated some creative play and conversations led by the children discussing concepts of ownership, sharing, what is appropriate to take and what should we leave. The questions they asked of each other and the reasons they proposed were very thoughtful and mature, we were most impressed, and demonstrated how simple experiences can lead to deep conceptual discussion.
We played a game of coyote stick, which was a fantastic opportunity for Julien to lead the activity and explain to the class how it is played. The children put forth amendments to the game and strategy suggestions, respectfully policing the playing of the game to make it more enjoyable for all. We were thrilled to observe how they managed the game themselves, and found ways to give direction and propose changes to the group confidently and tactfully. Because of the student investment and collaboration in the game it was broadly enjoyed and they didn't want to stop playing it.
Emmy's request for face paints was fulfilled this week with fantasy princesses, tigers and colourful cats created by some of our class face-paint artists. This intimate activity was a lovely way for us teachers to swap roles with the children, be receptive and listen to their musings as they shared their personal thoughts and musings whilst painting.
The kitchen was active with the availability of varied coloured leaves inspiring new creations as the Fall is upon us.
Pulleys and ropes were used to make a rock lifting mechanism. A large rope swing was constructed for dynamic spatial motor play. And feathers were used by Maeve to make a quill for writing on the fort.
The creativity of our group is astounding! This was no less evident than when a waterfall of storytelling ideas flowed with our rock storytelling activity. They each drew something they love or something they saw today at forest school. I told a story with some illustrated rocks and then invited them to add to the story with their own illustrated rocks, after having earlier shared about the significance of the image we had each drawn. This activity was so enjoyed it flowed on and the story continued to grow as a ladybug landed on our story quilt and a bird flew overhead and then more illustrated rocks were added until we had a truly elaborate narrative laid out before us.
We look forward to examining further organic student conversations about ownership, property, nature, sharing and how these concepts show up in our play, most particularly fort play. We are continuing activities with storytelling and plan to bring more ropes and pulleys to see where this interest may lead, especially for some children who are newer to exploring these loose parts.