The Hike Continues

This morning we arrived in the Wissahickon for a day of hiking in the cool spring weather. We pushed farther north than last time and split our time between a low trail near the creek and a high trail. This route allowed us to examine a variety of habitats all the way from the banks of the creek to rocky bluffs and overhangs above, past a pond to a secluded patch of forest, and over small tributaries coming down into the valley.

Over the course of the morning we came upon several interesting creatures including Canada geese and goslings, mallard ducks, frogs, worms, centipedes, and some amazing clumps of tent caterpillars which are amassing in huge numbers this week ahead of their transition into moths. Part of the group also thought they caught a glimpse of the bald eagle that has been spotted by other visitors to the Wissahickon this week.

We gather at the trailhead.

The kids remember a bridge crossed on previous outings.

The kids explore some freshly eroded soil from yesterday's downpour.

Dorian helps the kids read a historical marker along the trail.

We come across some geese and their goslings.

A cave-like overhang interests some of the children.

One of the children spots and correctly identifies a male mallard and a female nearby.

At our snack spot the kids take some time to dig.

Some interesting creatures surface among the diggers.

The kids elect to climb their way up to the high trail.

We pause at a pond to look for frogs.

We spot some tent caterpillars nearby.

The kids examine the caterpillars more closely.

Some of kids do some "horseback riding."

A small stone tossing operation quickly grows in scale.

The children enjoy producing record-breaking splashes in the creek down below.

Back to Cliveden

Today for forest school we returned to Cliveden for the first time in many weeks. The group had a fun-filled time rediscovering all that this site has to offer. Warm springtime temperatures brought back memories of our first experiences onsite back in the fall: running, rolling, and exploring all over Cliveden's grassy fields and wooded hideouts. We also had the pleasure to host and share our experience with a group of even younger children and their parents as they joined us to learn more about the forest school movement and how we run our program.

The children are introduced to hammers and nails.

Some of the kids build a sculpture from found materials. The stick on top works as a weather vane, changing direction to match the direction of the wind.

The kids take turns using the auger.

The kids play a game of tag.

The visitors arrive.

Some of the visitors take turns learning to use the tools.

The visitors jump right into the spirit of forest school, exploring and engaging with the natural world.

The idea of building a catapult emerges and the construction phase begins.

The design is modified along the way. Perhaps it's more of a ballista?

A set of keys is found buried in the ground.

A half-sawed log becomes a chair.

An expansive game of hide-and-go-seek brings some children to seek shelter under a blossom-covered tree.

Some of the group starts up a game of duck-duck-goose in the sun.

The kids discover the joy of running with a trap in the breeze.

The kids take turns being spun around by Dorian.

The spinning leads into... acro-yoga?

The kids discover all sorts of shapes they can make together with their bodies.

Some kids transition into piggy-back rides.

A game of limbo starts up.

A game of leapfrog follows.

Noticing the Outdoors

Today we returned to the Wissahickon for a day of extended hiking. We launched our expedition from the same trailhead that we used a couple of months back, but this time we headed northwest into uncharted territory. From rocky bluffs to open meadows, the route brought to our attention the beautiful diversity of the area, but it was the kids themselves that really stood out.

Our intrepid group of hikers did not balk even in the slightest way at the prospect of two miles of hiking and climbing. Instead, they thrived throughout the journey, often pushing onward with much energy, enthusiasm, playfulness, and curiosity. Even more outstanding though, was the visible growth among the children in their ability to notice.

In the era of "screen time," spending time outdoors can feel like a luxury, but being outdoors and actively observing one's surroundings with an interested and keen eye can be even rarer. At forest school, we strive not only to provide our children with an expanded physical horizon, but to use outdoor spaces to expand the children's mental horizon, growing the habits of mind that allow for children to become active and engaged participants in their world.

Over the course of the morning, the children demonstrated again and again their acute ability to notice. They perpetually pointed out items of interest both far off and near at hand that had gone unnoticed by the adults. The following are some highlights: a rock formation underfoot that looked like a scale model of a bridge, a hollow fairy-sized nook at the base of a tree, a bird of prey flying silently high above the tree tops, a woodpecker heard from a distance, structures across the valley obscured by tree trunks, a slew of unusually shaped plants, flowers, and seeds, a small cave in the side of the bluffs, branches that made for convenient coatracks, and a particular boulder in the distance that we last saw over three months ago from a completely different vantage point.

The group heads out along a new stretch of trail.

The group soon reaches a high ridge that offers an expansive view.

We descend to the promontory of the Toleration statue.

The children play on the rocks and look out across the valley.

The children investigate a sizable burl.

A tiny home-like hollow is discovered at the base of a tree.

We take a break to have a snack of celery sticks and hummus.

The children discover the climbing potential of a fallen tree.

The children adorn Dorian with natural ornaments.

The kids take turns experiencing a tree from the inside.

The kids pause for a moment on a pair of bench-like logs.

The kids delight in roaming across an open field, perfect for a game of tag.

Preparations are made for lunch in the shadow of an enormous uprooted tree.

The children notice the boulder and beach from the site of our December trip to this part of the valley.

We loop around and view the Toleration statue from below.

The children seize the opportunity for some last-minute rock climbing.