Remember, no forest school on Monday for Labor Day!
One of the many gifts that comes with being outdoors every day is noticing the subtle changes that whisper, fall is coming. We are noticing more leaves on the ground, more spiders and webs, and a chill in the air in the mornings. The children seem to sense it as well. They are gravitating towards water work as if they know that soon it will be too cold to enjoy it. The hose, water table, creek walking, and wading in the lake were all favorites this week. Many children also naturally explored the space with their shoes off. There's something about the earth underneath your feet that's beyond description and we're grateful that the children have a space to experience that feeling.
A reminder to check for ticks daily after forest school. We've had a couple of run-ins with seed ticks which are incredibly small and prolific. Thankfully we think we've figured out where they are and are now avoiding that space until the first freeze, but it's still a good idea to check. Long pants and rain boots seem to really decrease the risk of exposure.
We're excited to share that we've raised $3,200 towards our goal of purchasing two Bunch Bikes for our 3- to 6-year-olds in the mornings. The company has also offered us 20% off the purchase of two bikes, which means we just have $4,000 to go! Please share our GoFundMe page with anyone who you think might be interested in contributing. We are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and donations are tax deductible. We are happy to provide a letter verifying the donation for the donor's records.
Areas of Interest This Week
Foraging for hickory nuts, which we will gather, soak, de-shell, and toast in the coming weeks.
We've started hearing some conversation around coloring mud and the children are looking around for plants that could be paints. One of our upcoming art projects will involve creating paints from plants.
Butterflies & moths: What makes them alike? What makes them different?
Bats & birds: Many enjoyed the book Stellaluna this week which taught us a little bit about fruit bats and how bats are different than birds. The Little Book of Backyard Bird Songs was also very popular and we started trying to identify birds that we hear.
Things to Look Forward To
Our first family gathering is September 21st, the fall equinox, at 5:00 p.m. We will welcome the new season with a campfire at our base camp (The Garden Shelter). Please mark your calendars! Each family will be asked to bring an ingredient for s'mores.
We have some new children joining us next week. Isla will be part of our M/W/F morning group (Violets) and Ruby, Kit, and Zaylee will join our Tuesday afternoon Forest Club. Welcome!
Opportunities for Involvement
Check out our Amazon Wishlist and GoFundMe pages. We'd also love donations of stationary and stamps.
Do you have a skill to share? Let us know! In September we will have guests sharing yoga and knot tying.
Do you have construction experience? We have a project in the works that could use your support. Let us know!
See you next week!
Heather & Kris
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