Worms!

Today was a wormy day.  We collected worms out of the puddles and put them in the bug box to observe them.  Teacher Ann had a worm book-so during circle time we talked about what we already knew about worms: they live in the ground, they don't have legs, they don't have eyes and then we learned more about them: they don't have bones, they are good for the soil, they have predators ( a new word we'll be working on).  Some of the predators are birds and fish.  You can reinforce the word "predator" at home.  Noah mentioned later in the day that alligators are predators that can eat people.  So the concept was working well!

We learned a new song about worms too.

Thousand Legged Worm

Said the thousand legged worm as he gave a little squirm:
Has anybody seen a leg of mine?
For if it can't be found,
I'll have to hop around,
on the other nine-hundred ninety-nine!

Hop around
Hop around
on the other nine-hundred ninety nine.

For if it can't be found  
I'll have to hop around,
on the other nine-hundred ninety-nine!

 

When it came time to let the worms go-we spent time with math-how many worms were there?

9! and how many kids?  10!

 

Our hike today was deep into the woods, into and onto some giant stumps and many of us played hide and seek in among some huge sword ferns.

 

The stream was forded on the way home with varying degrees of success as the water was quite high today.  But everyone came through happily and with smiles they ran to the tire swing and back for lunch.

 

FYI PARENTS:

If you plan on having your child in TOP for the fall session-sign ups with the City of Redmond begin on March 19th.  At that time it is open to the public.

 

10 Fun Ideas to Celebrate Spring Equinox 

By Pamela Worth   |   February 26, 2013 Originally published on Chatterblock

What is the Spring Equinox, you ask? Spring Equinox is when the sun crosses directly over the Earth’s equator and day and night are of equal length. This year it’s on March 20, and it marks the first day of Spring!

Here are 10 things you can do celebrate the coming of Spring:

1. Go on a worm walk on the next rainy day or the first day of spring.

Worms are fascinating to watch. Follow up with a warm cup of hot cocoa and a great book that teaches kids (and us!) why worms are so important to the earth. My two book recommendations are  Compost, By Gosh! by Michelle Eva Portman and  Wiggling Worms at Work by Wendy Pfeffer.

2. Research composting with your kids.

Go to the library and read about composting and talk with your family about how great it is for the environment and your garden! Go on websites and visit gardening stores to find composters.  If you go to Whole Foods ask them to show you their composters in the back. They have huge composters in most stores, so think about what size you need or can fit.

3. Start a new tradition with a family gift on the Spring Equinox.

Why not make one of those composters part of your annual Spring Equinox family gift? Go for something that the whole family will benefit from and preferably something that gets everyone outside!

4. Take a rainbow walk in your neighborhood to see the blooming flowers.

Have each child hold a note card with each color represented with a marker circle. Challenge: Try and find each color in nature, not just a blue car etc.

5. Balance an egg.

There is a myth that the Spring and Fall equinoxes are the only days of the year that you can balance an egg on its end. On March 20th give this a try. The myth may last because most people only choose to try this on the first day of spring and fall!

6. Splash in puddles.

Simple old fashioned fun with rain boots or bare feet. The bigger the splash the better!

7. Spring cleaning.

Pick one drawer or one shelf or one closet a day throughout the first month of Spring. If you choose to spend 8 hours cleaning usually everyone burns out. Make a chart/calendar and and assign everyone to one section each a day, or do a section as a family. In our household with four kids, this means 6 drawers a day or 6 shelves. Of course things come up so it’s more like the first four Sundays of Spring, but we get it done!

8. Spring closet cleaning.

Let the kids choose what outgrown and unused toys and clothes to give away. Have them set up their own garage sale to take place during the warmer weather. See if there is something new for summer they want to buy by pooling all of their earnings together or if you can convince them to have a garage sale for a favorite charity.

9. Plan a garage sale.

Kids as young as 3 can participate in the sale. Our kids were able to buy a trampoline with their earnings and a year’s worth of change, saved in a jar. We did match their money, which helped, but they were so impressed with what they could do when they saved!

10. Before the sun is out regularly, plant a bud garden in an egg crate.

Find veggie, herb or flower seeds for the kids to make buds inside. All you need is a little soil, light and water! By Mother’s Day you all should be able to plant them outside.

Pamela Worth is the owner of Tiny Treks. She knows all kinds of great ways to explore the great outdoors with the kids!

  Article from Tiny Treks www.tinytreks.com

Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain. ~ Traditional Proverb

What are your fondest childhood memories of playing in the rain?  Do you remember getting on your red rain boots and your yellow slicker as your mom pushed you out the door?  Your neighbor friends were waiting for you.  First you ran up and down the street jumping in the puddles full of unabashed joy.  Then you saw the curbs along the street that were flooding with water.  You spent the next few hours creating boats out of sticks to see how far they would move though the curbs.  With my own children I tried to do the same thing.  Typically the neighbor kids were not outside, but our four children would create their own pack.  We saved on the rain boots as we felt the mud and water between our toes.  Weather permitting we even saved on the clothes.  Our corner flooded just the right amount to make for one huge science experiment of floating and sinking.  

I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and my fondest childhood memories were being outside and exploring my natural environment.  No one was plugged in and the families with television watched it together at designated times a few hours a week. 

Our country is in a crisis and that crisis is unhealthy habits and lifestyles for children of all ages. We are in a society where we have convinced ourselves that organized adult driven sports and activities are equivalent to getting children outside.  Organized sports are not a replacement for children simply exploring.  Richard Louv in his book Last Child in The Woods talks about Nature Ritalin -the unfolding evidence that time spent in green spaces helps children focus better and think more clearly.  Tiny Treks is a weekly nature exploration  program for young children. Our classes are filled with children and loving adults.  We advise everyone on a rainy day to unplug and dance in the rain. 

Here are three simple things to explore outside this week rain or shine with your children.

1. Take a rain walk and see how many worms you can find.

2. Take the same exact route on a sunny day and see how many worms you can find.  Where did the worms go?  Encourage your children to ask questions.

3. Take a shower in the rain.  Bring out the shampoo.  It is a blast for kids of all ages.  Whether they are young enough to go naked, wearing a bathing suit or full rain gear they will have great memories.

This article brought to you by Pam Worth Director of Tiny Treks the pioneer nature exploration program for young children that has been established in the Peninsula for 15 years.

For more information, visit our website at www.tinytreks.com

Do we want our kids just doing school? Dr. Ken Ginsburg asked that question at an amazing talk in Winnetka on Friday night. The evening motivated me to rethink the questions I ask my children on a daily basis. As an educator, I know not to ask "How was your day?" "What grade did you get in English?" I try to be creative, however it often does come back to academic achievement. So on Saturday morning I had a conversation with my 16 year old. She is getting her first C+ in her honors Spanish class. She has talked about dropping down. I thoughtfully decided to try a new approach to talk to her about this class. "Tell me about Spanish?" I asked. She lit up and said, "I love it. The teacher is amazing and I love how she teaches. The class is really fun. I love how I am learning in it, although parts of it are really hard for me." We talked for a few more minutes and I said, "Why would you drop down it sounds like you love this class." Relief washed over her. I realized she thought she needed to drop down because she was scared of doing poorly. After our conversation, she set a realistic goal of how she could get help in the challenging parts from the teacher and the importance of focusing on why this class got her excited and not on the grade.

Tiny Treks in the Winter...

Obviously, it is more difficult to get outside in the late fall and winter.  It is cold, dark and wet out there and sometimes I think our bodies tell us it is time to hibernate-just like the bears do.  But with the right clothes, anything is possible. 

As an outdoor education teacher, I am outside for up to 4 hours a day, most days.  Do I get cold?  Yes-if I don't prepare for the day.  Yesterday it was 45 degrees out and I was missing a layer, had forgotten gloves and found out that my jacket was no longer waterproof!  Ugh!  I won't make any of those mistakes again. 
Good outdoor clothing for you and your youngster is essential. 

I suggest buying waterproof clothes at REI since you can always return them if they don't work out.  But I also saw some waterproof pants at Target that looked just fine and they were under $20 for me and about the same price for a little person.

So-my point is-get the right clothes on and then dive into the winter with abandon.  The joys of the fresh smells of the earth and wet leaves overshadow the dark and coldness.  The hot chocolate will taste all the better for having had the deep breathing of clean air.

The Outdoor Preschool is a success!

The Outdoor Preschool-a new nature preschool in Redmond is opening it's woods to kids beginning this September and we almost are full already!  Every Tuesday and Thursday will be an outdoor exploration of a new kind-one where kids can make forts in the woods and investigate their natural world in any weather.

If you can't join the preschool-join Tiny Treks on fridays all year long.  We'll be doing what the "big kids" are doing in preschool but with a mom or dad or nanny instead.  Hope to see you soon!

Tiny Treks begins a Preschool!

As I research how to begin a drop-off preschool in the weather-prone Northwest-I ponder "what do I want these children to learn at this school?"  As a recent graduate of the University of Washington's teaching program I learned alot about how to excite children and get them motivated.  Yet when I got into the public school classroom I found the automated schedule of school wasn't what I was interested in pursuing.  I like the freedom that nature and outdoor experiences affords.  So that makes me want to start an outdoor preschool in my area.
How would this work you might ask?  Well-the kids would arrive dressed in weather-proof clothing such as waterproof pants and boots and a layers on top-fleece perhaps or wool sweathers and a water proof jacket.  Gloves and hats included for much of the year.  But as soon as the children (and I) are well dressed for the weather, we can have such fun outdoors!  We can build forts and create "art work" to hang in our forts.  We can have outdoor tea parties and make art projects from the forest floor.  We can research birds-using binoculars and a bird book.  We can create a map and then follow it.
These children would be learning about what books can teach them, how to follow maps and math using nature as their guide.  All without being told to "sit down now" and "stay still". 
Stay tuned for more inspiration-and I would love to hear any input from you!