News the Outdoors

This week at Nature preschool we began to notice signs of winter coming to Audubon! Outside, we observed signs of winter in the forest, meadow and pond, as well at started learning about how animals prepare for the chillier months!

We discussed how some animals adapt, like deer, and grow longer fur and lose their antlers in the winter. The classes enjoyed playing a hide-the-antler game at the lookout and bird blind where each child got a chance to “lose” and hide their antlers for the winter!

On our naturalist hike with Alex this week, she showed us different animals around Woodend that were either adapting, migrating or would hibernate during the winter months. We also played a new version of Simon-Says, where the children had to follow the directions of either migrating (flapping their arms), adapting (puffing their arms and cheeks out wide), or hibernating (pretending to sleep)! We also investigated the once abandoned fox den, which has recently shown a flurry of activity!

The detectives uncovered a bamboo “hide-out” behind our storage shed this week! They were excited to explore this new area and begin all the “construction” with the scarves and tools to make it a full-blown secret hide out!

News from the Classroom

This week in the classroom we opened up the last shelf of arch blocks, officially opening our entire block collection!

We also filled our sensory table back up with moon sand, this time adding wooden pieces and woodland animals to let the detectives create their own, snowy, forest scenes!

The AM class enjoyed a family tradition share from Helen and Harriet, as well as a story from River’s family! The PM class also enjoyed book shares from Quddus’ and Luca’s families!

All the detectives enjoyed creating journals this week! Each child got to decorate the cover of their journal, before making their very first entry. Each journal page will have a question or prompt about what we are investigating at school, and each child will get to dictate their answer as well as create an illustration. This weeks prompt was, “If I were an animal at Woodend, in the winter I would…” It was wonderful to see how each detective envisioned staying warm during the winter months!

 

Books we Read

When Winter Comes by Nancy Van Laan

Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson

When it Starts to Snow by Phillis Gershator

 

Weekly Top Hits

Winter’s Coming (Tune: Frere Jaques)

Winter’s coming, winter’s coming,

It is cold, it is dark,

I am bundled snug and warm,

Animals sleep safe and warm,

Sleds and snow,

Cold winds blow!

Upcoming Events

Winter Celebration- December 17th, AM 10:45-11:45, PM 2:15-3:15

Winter Break- School Closed December 21st- January 1st