Brr… Yesterday it was 2 degrees with a wind child of -10. This morning it was 40 degrees. We took advantage of the much warmer temperatures and headed outside. Although it began to rain, we still enjoyed sledding for the first time this year. The children also became very curious about a large section of the field that had iced over. They decided it made the perfect skating rink.
Nesting
The children were trying to figure out how they might convert our loft into a more comfortable spot for hibernating or adapting through the winter. A few ideas sprang forward including making a burrow under the bottom, creating cave walls on the lower portion, and making beds in all areas. While a few debated the possibilities, another group began scouting out the top of the loft. They explained that they needed to find materials to make a nest that they wouldn’t fall out of. Their plan was to create a nest and suspend it from the balcony banister. Thankfully, they realized the trouble with flimsy grass-like materials in creating suspension beds before any human trials were put forward.
Feeling that I might be able to provide them with some more safe examples of nest building, we pulled up good ‘ole Google images and perused nests of all sorts. Now our interest became more fully grounded in materials. Our quest to create the perfect nest began.
This project is not yet done, but if you’re interested in making your own, here are the materials we used so far:
- straws
- brown paper (grass)
- yellow paper (sticks)
- many colors and lengths of raffia string
- white and red Basket Box & Bag shred
- twine
We moved it into the box as none of the children have yet come up with a plan for “sewing” (their words) or sticking the nest together, yet. Although one enterprising student did suggest that I could tie all of the pieces together…. I think we’ll see if they come up with another suggestion.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow
It was a blustery, wintry, picture perfect Forest Fours day today! Not only was there enough snow to finally go sled riding, but it was also great packing snow. We had giant snow balls and snow-people galore and many discussion about where the fairies go for the winter. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect morning. I think it’s safe to say that our little snow bunnies quite thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
Go Noodle!
When the winter months start to roll around, there are often days at a time when the students are stuck inside due to the extremely cold temperatures. Wiggly bodies and pent up energy can be difficult to manage in our small classroom, but luckily we have a trick up our sleeves and it goes by the name of GoNoodle.com. Go Noodle is a website that provides hundreds of videos that gets kids exercising, practicing brain building activities, and even has a mindfulness section that helps bring students back to a calm, controlled state of being.
When signing up for our account, the class was assigned a little creature (named McPufferson) who grows and get stronger the more we complete the videos. The students relish in seeing “our guy” gain points and level up to become bigger and stronger with each video. In just a few weeks, our students have already memorized several of the silly songs, motions, and breathing exercises and often talk about them throughout the day.
The website has been a great resource for us to help fight off cabin fever and get our bodies moving. Anecdotally, I also have to admit that it has been a great way to get my heart pumping on those drab, wintery days. If you are interested in signing up at home, the sight is completely free and there is an option to sign up as a parent rather than a whole class. We highly recommend it!
{This Moment}
Or rather, THESE moments.
Music: Distant thunder, Sunday morning (springtide) / CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Happy Winter!
What a perfect day to ring in winter. With snow falling gently to the ground and a crisp wind sliding through the trees, we welcome the warmth of time indoors. Our two-week holiday begins today. We wanted to make sure that your children stay warm and toasty over the break, so we’ve sent home all of their winter belongings.
You’ll find snow pants, mittens, hats, scarves, and even rain boots in your child’s book bag. We thought you might need them for a holiday sledding session or snow person competition. Please be sure to return winter gear to school on January 7th.
Most importantly, may you and your family have a calm and pleasant holiday.
Parent Conferences and Other Notes
Don’t forget that Parent Conferences are scheduled for this upcoming Friday. I can’t wait to share all of the stories and tidbits about your fabulous children. We’ve had so many wonderful experiences so far. Please come prepared with any questions or concerns. Twenty minutes can buzz by quickly, so we want to make sure that we touch upon all of your queries and exciting things to share. I will work very hard at being prompt as I know that many of you have other conferences to attend, as well as other obligations.
This week I will be sending home all of the extra clothing. Please go through your set and make sure that it is still weather and size appropriate. It is amazing how quickly the children grow out of one size and into another. Also, a few of the children have rain boots at school to wear on muddy days. You are welcome to send in a pair (old is fine) so that their “everyday” shoes don’t get too muddy. When the weather gets even colder, we will all change into winter boots each time we go out to play. We will have a special place for gloves and hats that can stay at school as well. As you gather these for the coming winter, you might wish to grab an extra set for school use. Once we hit colder days, it is much easier to simply keep them here rather than worry about whether or not they’ve been packed for school.