June 30
Previous Weeks
We changed directions a couple times today in pursuit of what the kids wanted to do, we landed back at our favourite pond! There we strung some sticks with fishing line and tried out some fishing. There was rock painting, body painting and the dissection of a dead crawfish that we found. We had a great conversation about stewardship, and how if we caught a fish, we all agreed that we should eat it!
We went over water survival today, how to find filter and purify water. (We “teach” by guiding our group conversation through a series of questioning and building upon their answers in a encouraging way, so the kids feel like they came up with the solutions on their own, and therefore are naturally more excited about it and they learn more from it then if we talked to them. This helps them feel more confident in their ability to creatively think and problem solve)
We then made water filters which naturally took us to ”our” pond, we filtered water, then everyone followed their own interests, we had minnow catching, raft building, nails mud painting and decorating, rock skipping, saws, “ship” sinking….
When we told them the fire ban was just lifted…it didn’t matter how hot of a day it was…
They decided as a group that we needed to race over to the campsite and construct and start the fastest ever made fire, roast marshmallows make s’mores and try our hand at a failed batch of popcorn! Lots of laughs and loud excitement filled the day!
Prompting questions!
– What is one way you can find water in a survival situation?
– What is most important, water or shelter?
It was a building resilience kind of day, as we fought through some discomfort on our hike, but the destination was well worth it! We went to our favourite place in all of the coulees, where tad poles, minnows, frogs, and beaver dams reside. These wildlings observed tadpoles up close wondering how they turned into the frogs at the other end of the pond. We saw our normal forest school site from a whole new perspective up high on the bridge, and noticed different plants that grew on the other side of the river.
Prompting questions!
– What do you do if you see a rattle snake?
– What was the type of rock called down at the spillgate? (The rock you can crush in your hands)
Nothing like walking through the woods being able to ask “can I eat this? “ over and over.
Herbologist, Becky Murry, and her awesome teacher husband Larry came to visit us today as we explored the Coulee bottom learning about the different edibles and medicinal plants. We ate wild licorice, plantain, golden rod, thistles… and our most favourite the prickly pear cactus! We made a nature infused lemonade and it was a majority vote that the nature one tasted better than the regular lemonade!
Once we said our goodbyes we took to the pond to cool off, these wildlings bodies struggle regulating in the heat so I think we will be seeing much more of our pond. Which gives us so much learning opportunities! Today we noticed that the water level dropped, and that many crayfish have made it a home. Some wildlings set sail in nature boats and some made natural paints in the mortar and pestle!
Prompting questions!
– Our water shed starts in the natural beehive area, where does it end up?
– What can you use for a cup if you have none in the forest?
This week we dove into shelter building as a team, constructing a debris hut big enough to fit us all. The water challenge was given, and they worked hard to build this debris shelter. It was a blast hearing most of them squealing as we poured water over the shelter!
We went down to our pond to discover it’s no longer a pond, but now part of the river for the season! That didn’t stop them! Many thought up and worked, I think even harder than they did on the shelter, to build a large dam and test it by throwing in many things to see them catch on their dam. There were so many other side projects happening as well, testing currents, exploring the mud bottoms and dirt ledges, mixing potions. Then a mud war started as the children seeked revenge for pouring water on them in the shelter! Haha. It was a day full of hard laughs and imagination!
We took to the river to cool down, trying to catch minnows, throwing mud bombs and watching them shatter, getting unstuck from muddy situations, and simply wading in the water. Something about water calms the mind and body.
While we went over knife safety and skills, only a handful actually stayed to whittle due to the heat, others headed back to cool by the river.
We ended the day discussing how we should pick edibles away from roads/pathways and where dogs bathroom.
We picked dandelions, mixed up a tempura batter and fried them up. It was a 90% success rate of everyone liking them… which is a hit with wild edibles :).
Prompting questions!
– What is a blood bubble?
– Indigenous people watch bears closely, what did the bears tell them about the lake one year?
(This was a memory that was shared to me recently by a indigenous knowledge keeper)
Nothing quite like a hot day at the river, so many memories to make. These wildlings wasted no time with the heat coming down and the water calling their name. We hung out with crawfish, minnows, and many water critters. Some wildlings made water paints out of plants and some took lots of interest exploring the world of rocks and minerals while panning for gold. We ended the day finding a large natural sea saw!
Prompting questions!
– Why is gold some of the last minerals in the pan?
– Where on/by a river do you look for gold?
– What other rocks or minerals did you find in the river?
It was a warm day but the kids were troopers as we played with water, obstacle courses and climbed trees. We even got to obverse a porcupine in a tree near us the whole time!
We learned how to forage for materials that ignite easily, making a ‘birds nest’ for fire starting!
Many wildlings spent much of the day perfecting their fire building skills.
We of course topped off the day with fire foods, making banana boats and baked apples.
These Rattlers also took to the mud kitchen making soups, pies and potions with nature to create new and exciting treats.
Prompting questions!
– What are 4 methods to start a fire?
– What was your favourite fire food creation?
What an amazing group of wildlings we have this season!! There were so engaged in playing, exploring, communicating that they could’ve stayed at any one site for the entire time!
On the first day we spend alot of time (sneakily) focusing our efforts building a sense of community within our group. We make sure there are lots of laughs shared, conversations, group storytelling and group sharing. We always are aiming to give children a place to feel safe, connected to each-other and the earth as well as time to be fully present.
We went on an exploring walk of our sites and found ourselves staying at our much loved pond site! Where a palate of sensory stimulation takes place. There are sticks, rocks, mud, clay, sand, critters, water, plants…. The wildlings dug for fossils, finding hidden holes that captivated them in a place of wonder instead. They made colourful mud and paint concoctions and sold them for sticks. There was so many interests and projects going on at all the same time I could write a novel.
One of the most beautiful things we see in mixed age groups is how older ones feel a natural sense of mentorship and often will seek to help younger ones, which in turn helps their confidence. While the younger ones try new things and broaden their language skills as they watch the older ones. Mixed ages learning and playing together is a wonderful thing.
Prompting questions!
– Did you find anything unexpected at the pond site?
– What colour and thing did you pick as part of the group story?
