
Fireflies Spring 2018: Week 12 - Birds and Climbing Trees
As we entered the park today, we spent some time by the pond talking to the birds. We practiced our bird calls, and even saw a duck with her ducklings. Once we entered the sandy area, we played some of our favorite games including "Fire in the Forest," and a new one called "Bear, Salmon, Mosquito" a group-play on the traditional "Rock, Paper, Scissors." We also investigated the nearby pond and found remnants of the turtle shell we saw a hawk eat from last week! Jack took note

Fireflies: Spring 2018 - Week 11
What an amazing day! It started out like any other, with gratitudes and a hike. But while we were sitting along the edge of a pond making fairy stick boats, Sadie noticed a bird sitting in a tree on the other side of the pond. While we were watching it, discussing colors, size, shape and what bird it might be, it swooped down, casually plucked something from the water and then settled in a tree right by us to eat! We waited until the hawk was finished then crept over to see w

Fireflies 2018: Week 10 - Sparks and Tunnels!
Two of our friends received super cool survival bracelets for Christmas and Sadie brought hers to program and we all got to practice making a spark with her flint and steel striker! Thank you for sharing with everyone, Sadie! Almost all of us were able to make a spark! (No fires!) So. Much. Pollen! Look! A venus flytrap! Our intern, Hailey, was able to tell us what these mysterious boards are, scattered through the park - snake homes! Native pygmy rattlesnakes and copperheads

Fireflies Spring 2018: Week 9 - Fairy Houses!
Our small group today was excited to build small structures for our fairy gnome friends! Opening circle began in the gazebo meeting area, where we built our first structures. We used pine cones, bark, and pine straw to create interesting structures. Some of our materials didn't want to be left behind! As we wandered into the park, we continued building structures. And on the way out, we saw if the particularly blustery day had knocked any of them over! We discovered that most

Fireflies Spring 2018: Week 8 - Mapping Challenge, Boat Races and Stick Games
Its amazing how much fun and exploration we can pack into two hours at the after school program! This week we used all of the mapping skills we have been playing with to create scavenger hunts! We split up into two groups and led each other on a wander through the park. We used compass bearings, riddles, songlines and pictures to guide each other. It was amazing how much we have learned in just three weeks! We still had some time after designing and following the scavenger h

Fireflies Spring 2018: Week 7 - Story Compass Hunt
The land feels so different when it is as windy and blustery as it was today. Sounds are different, the trees look different and even the smells are changed by the wind. We made sure to look up frequently to keep an eye out for dead branches that might break loose- deadfalls. We also had to keep an eye out for something else - clues! The Wood Gnomes left another adventure for us and this one was particularly challenging. The Wind played a trick on the Wood Gnomes and took one

Fireflies Spring 2018 - Week 6 - Wood Gnomes and Turtles
What a gorgeous day! The sun was warm and shining, the birds were singing and baby turtles were out! After our opening circle, we headed out on a wander and didn't get very far before finding a mysterious bottle with a message inside! It was from the Wood Gnomes and had a songline for us to follow to a treasure! The treasure would help us to discover what our Nature Super Power is. We had a few turnarounds, but Cooper found the treasure and was the first to sit quietly with i

Fireflies Spring 2018: Week 5 - Boat Floats and Games
The fireflies were so excited to be outside in such wonderful weather! After opening circle and sharing gratitudes, we wandered into the park, and stopped at a small pond we found along the way. There we practiced our boat building skills. We found that, given the right shaped leaf, our boats would travel just like a real sailboat! We had a great time testing out different methods of boat building, and tried out different ways of keeping them in our area of the pond! On our w

Fireflies Spring 2018: Week 4 - What Floats?
It was so nice to have a warm evening for our program! The clouds cleared up and the sky was lit up with beautiful sunset colors. We started our afternoon with gratitudes and a sit spot by the bird feeders at the entrance to the park. We lost count of how many birds we could hear and even practiced trying to talk to them. We took a blindfold wander and found a cute pond and discovered that some nearby chunks of wood floated and made really good boats! We continued on to the S

Fireflies 2018: Week 3 - Animal Forms!
We had such lovely warm weather this week after the chilly, chilly evening last week! Also, our whole class was present, so we really got a chance to get to know each other as a community. We enjoyed an afternoon of getting into our bodies and exploring how animals move in their bodies. Deer bounding challenge, climbing like squirrels, stalking like cougars, hiding like rabbits and investigating curious root formations. It was an exciting day! All of our activities and games