News From the Outdoors:
It was another rain-soaked week here at the Nature Preschool, but the Nature Detectives were undeterred by the wet weather and continued to learn about water, aquatic habitats and ducks. On Monday we began to learn about how water travels in a cycle and even created our very own waterway on the playground to show how water travels.
Tree-Rex
Taking a different root.
On our hikes we followed the stream that runs through Woodend to its ends to where it travels under the road in a large pipes. Along the way, we discovered some new and interesting places to explore and climb.
We are over-elm-ingly skilled tree climbers!
Working on their bucket list.
We also made a handful of visits to the pond to check in on the male and female Mallard Ducks that have taken up residence in the area. The AM Class observed the male preening its feathers one day and on Thursday the PM Class, approached the pond so quietly that upon arrival, discovered the male mallard with its bill tucked into its wing taking an afternoon nap!
This bucket has more bugs than Windows 8!
Both classes dug out the nets and buckets on Thursday and had a blast catching aquatic bugs and tadpoles. The AM class caught a dragonfly nymph,which we could see was beginning to develop wings on its back, while the PM class caught a froglet, a large tadpole that is developing its hind legs.
Unbe-leaf-able good times in the rain.
News From the Classroom:
Despite having so many epic adventures outside, the Nature Detectives also had a busy week in the classroom as well. The children had lots of fun building elaborate marble run structures on the carpet, building massive ramps in the block area and making bugs with the play-dough.
Having a marble-ous time
Dragonfly inspiration for our Summer Celebration decorations!
The Nature Detectives also enjoyed multi-colored water in the water table and enjoyed playing with the rubber duckies, basters, sponges and aquatic plants that were found in the water. Water popped up in more learning centers throughout the week, as we experimented with putting some white mums in vases with colored water to see if the water would change the color of the flower petals. We also used colored water and eye droppers to paint some coffee filters that will become dragonflies which will soon hang from our ceiling as decoration for our Summer Celebration next week!
Water in the lab table is rad-duck-cal
With Ms. Susan the PM nature detectives learned about erosion and did an experiment to see how plants and trees help keep the soil where it’s at and keep water clean and healthy. Meanwhile, in the dramatic play area we set up a campsite for some Summery camping fun!
Learning about clean water with Ms. Susan.
Books We Read:
Fireflies in the Night by Judy Hawes
In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming
The Magic School Bus: Wet All Over by Joanna Cole
May the forest be with you.
Weekly Top Hits:
Firefly
Firefly, Shining in the night
Firefly, spectacle of light
Flashing, Flickering oh so bright
Firefly, shining in the night
Why are you hiding in the bright of the day?
Only igniting when the sun goes away
Flashing, Flickering
Flickering, Flashing
Flashing, Flickering
Firefly…shining in the night!
Camping is in tents
Water Cycle Song (Tune: She’ll be Comin’ ’round the Mountain)
Water travels in a cycle, yes it does
Water travels in a cycle, yes it does
It goes up as evaporation,
Forms clouds of condensation,
Falls down as precipitation,
Yes it does!
Spoiler Alert:
We’ll talk about what Summer at Woodend is like and have our Summer Celebration!
Audubon Nature Preschool 