October 25
So many things are happening with these wildlings all at once, and today was no exception. Tarp construction, pumpkin destruction, marshmallow faces, sword fighting, traps were set, and rocks were warming for wax art.
We ended the day making apple cider and apple crisps over the fire as leaves fell and chickadees visited.
November 1
The vote was in, and back to a favorite place we went! For some exercise and fun that no gym can offer 💪.
November 8
We started the day going over the 5 C’s of survival and the importance of packing right. Then,
divided into two teams with a poorly “packed” bag of the 5 C’s, they were tasked with setting up camp and figuring out shelters, water, food… With a ton of excitement and hard work, they built two completely different shelters, and of course, we had to put them through the water test!
Their reward: fire-making and marshmallow roasting at the pit to end the day!
November 15
Last days are always bitter-sweet, and this was no exception. We made pizzas and doughnuts over the fire, foraged mullein leaves, and made tincture. Everywhere you looked, these kids were busy at play and hard work—from building ground forts with tarps to stick forts up high in the trees.
Thank you all so very much for spoiling us by allowing us to spend so much time with your fantastic children! ❤️❤️
Previous Weeks
Where the wild mint grows
Along our walk to the mini Forest we foraged wild edibles too add to our hot chocolate. We settled in to explore, whittle, rest by the bridge, and build an amazing walled fort! We found a rusty possible ATV top deep in the cherry bushes where wild mint grows abundantly and tall, every step fills your senses!
We ended the day feeling the vibrations on the bridge as a large train passed by.
We all decided to check out one of our sites that we’ve never taken the Rattlers to! We call it the “Mini Forest.” We quickly settled in, where many spent most of the day whittling knives and whistles.
It was a day that was fantastic for helping these wildlings understand that even if a tree looks dead, it doesn’t mean it is dead. After learning how to tell if a tree is dead, many Rattlers took it upon themselves to become dead tree hunters. With saws in hand, they hunted and sawed down dead chokecherry bushes to make room for the new growth of chokecherries trying to find sunlight and space to grow bigger!
With a large-scale discussion, these wildlings decided to take to the caves again! They convinced me that mining and digging are key factors to learn for survival because “you have to dig for some survival houses.” 🙂
If your wildlings haven’t taken you to the caves yet, you should get them to! It’s a world of fun and an extremely intense workout that these kids happily tackle again and again!
We ended the day by finding wild mint, and most grabbed a bunch to take home to make some mint tea!
After spending the beginning of the day establishing bases in the bushes and visiting with the chickadees, who are fiercely storing food before winter, we headed to the train bridge to cool off in the mud and water. We discussed the importance of knowing survival cordage, and those who wanted to learn made their own bracelets and necklaces out of cattails. After a massive mud fight, we ended the day by cleaning off our bodies and reading a book about the travels of water.
P.S. I added a lovely picture of my son’s feet after Forest School today so your kids will always remember. It’s the little prickles they got in the water that day! 🙂
With the rain as a steady constant today, we took to “the caves” to keep our bodies moving and minds busy! Everyone quickly settled into whatever called to them—exploring, whittling, and learning tarpology. A couple of kids volunteered to go foraging for the group. After gathering many things, including rose hips, asters, chokecherries, and cactus, we added our finds to make wild lemonade. We ended the day playing Otter and Fish and took the long route back to warm ourselves up!
Chokecherry-stained teeth and mouths were everywhere today! As the heat moved in, we headed out to enjoy the day down at the pond. Berry painting, mud sliding, fish dissecting, hammock swinging, and making prickly pear cactus salsa were all happening at once! We ended the day by finding the perfect spot to hide our geocache and going over knife safety.
