Forest School: June 2016

We pause for a group photo on our way to Carpenter Woods.

We admire some lamb's-ear along the sidewalk.

We pause to pollinate some flowers.

We arrive in Carpenter Woods.

Liam and some of the kids do some log walking/balancing.

Someone finds a remarkably intact dead butterfly.

Some big logs beg to be climbed.

The kids find many harvestmen.

Several of the kids provide the increasingly popular piggy-back rides.

Someone finds a roly-poly.

A simple man-made fence provides for a great balance challenge.

One of the kids points out this cool red bug.

Dorian spots one of the kids balancing on a log.

Someone finds some kind of fruit on our way over to Cliveden.

We climb over a big limb blocking the sidewalk after a recent storm.

We arrive at Cliveden for our last closing circle of the year.

The kids play on some massive branches that fell in a recent storm.

We head back to school.

Today for forest school we revisited one of our favorite places in the Wissahickon near "the bridge," "the beach," and "the rock." With temperatures soaring towards 90F, the kids were more than delighted by the cool water of the creek. It felt so climactic after many months of forest school to finally experience the perfect day for water play. The area in and around the water offered much to discover and enjoy: stones of all sorts, sizable fish, butterflies, a swift current that massaged the legs, warm sunlight to bask in, and plenty of splashes.

After our mid-morning snack we headed up into the cool shade of a forest trail. Hiking along a stretch of previously unexplored trail, some of the kids had the idea to pick up large rocks in search of anything exciting to be found underneath. To their joy, they discovered several toads this way. Some other highlights of the hike included trail running, climbing over obstacles like fallen logs and large rocks, identifying some trees, and sharing in conversation as we walked.

We were also joined by many guests in the Wissahickon over the course of the morning. Some familiar younger siblings jumped right in with the action as well as some of our junior high students who were curious to experience forest school with the youngsters firsthand. In addition, down by the water we met a man who was fly fishing and very generous with his time, allowing several of us to examine and learn about his extensive set of beautiful lures made largely from natural materials. He even gave one to us as a gift that had lost its barb. Also, a small pack of golden retrievers fetched for the kids, dashing into the creek many times to return a variety of balls and sticks.