A Rainy Day at Cliveden - February 24, 2016

Better late than never to add these beautiful pictures of your children enjoying a good time in the rain. I spent way too much time fretting about how things would go on our first truly rainy day in Forest school. As always I was pleasantly surprised. The kids were well dressed and were enchanted by the transformation of a familiar place. Water from the sky has a way of doing that! There were plenty of cold puddles to splash in, rain drops to feel and observe and tiny rivers to dam. We didn't spend the entire day outside but pretty much all of it; the kids let us know when they were done being wet. We went back to school changed into some dry clothes, and Jane's group came down to share their gingerbread stories with us. A cozy ending to a wet and magical day.

Gil dancing with an umbrella

Eric could not resist the puddles!

Aliyah and Nyasiah explore a puddle and a river

Dams and rivers.

Pine tree bubbles

Bumpy tree transformed into a beautiful wet skin.

pine needles draped in rain drops

spring is on the way!

Rain drop tasting

Sylvie checks out a puddle

A Day of Hiking

A month after our snowy hike in the Wissahickon, we returned to the same trail for a more extensive exploration. With more time on our hands and slightly warmer temperatures, the kids thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to revisit their previous discoveries and seek out new ones as well. Highlights for the children included hill climbing, rock climbing, wall climbing, sliding down things, splashing in puddles, examining natural versus non-natural features, picnicking in the sun, and playing some tag-like games.

Dorian goes over ground rules at the trailhead.

The hill climbing begins.

What's that in your hands?

The kids stop to admire the puddles.

The rock climbing begins.

The kids generally try to stay on top of things.

Some of us examine a newly fallen tree.

"The snow is making everything beautiful!" - Eric

Here are some more photos from our spontaneous four mile adventure.

A snowball grows as it is rolled across two blocks worth of snow.

The kids pause to take in the view across the valley.

Jason - "Are you sure you want to carry those sticks all the way back to school? It's a long way."
Sylvie - "Yes. I'm sure."
And she did.

Forest School earns its name.

A Spontaneous Adventure

Nothing like snow to inspire and change one's plans for the day. As I drove to school along Lincoln Drive through the falling snow, I realized how important it was to have an unplanned adventure to the Wissahickon. I called Jason and asked him what he thought about walking to the Wissahickon, (and was I crazy to attempt such an adventure with a pack of 5 and 6 year-olds!) He agreed that we needed to act on such a rare opportunity and knew of a path that would take us to a trail in the Wissahickon. He plotted a journey that was equally safe and beautiful along the way as it was getting to the Wissahickon. We marveled at the transformation of familiar things like houses, trees, trash bins, sticks and sidewalks into extraordinary shapes and creatures. The kids were unbelievably resilient and chipper as we walked a great distance (about 4 miles in total) to be a part of one of the most special things I find in the world---freshly fallen snow. I was honored to share the joy and wonder with your children. If they seemed unusually tired and super muddy yesterday, now you know!

Joan brought in a Northern Flicker she found at her farm house in Delaware.

Northern Flicker

Wissahickon trail with fresh snow

Gil climbing the hill in the Wissahickon. 

Snacks under the rocks

Nyasiah and Aliyah climbing in the sunshine.

Nyasiah and Sylvie on the trail.

Sylvie carried these sticks from the Wissahickon back to school.