Adventure Day

 Today was a great day.  Even though it was super hot it was extraordinary.  Today, was the last day of our summer session  on Camping and we ended it with a trip to Frog Pond with the children.

All week we had been telling the children we were planning something special.  The trip to Frog Pond was magical.  Each and every child was completely blissed out walking on the trail and talking about the squirrels, butterflies or dragon flies we were lucky enough to see.  It was a beautiful experience and even though it was hot we were completely in shade and there was a lovely warm breeze.  It was the perfect choice today.

 I asked parents for egg cartons this week so I could make these really cool collection boxes.  I found the idea on pinterest and made up labels for the collection boxes.  The children knew that the label was the guide for the scavenger hunt and I didn't have to say where things went.  They just instinctively knew.  The inside of the carton was perfect for all the tiny little objects.  When we couldn't find something we just adjusted our expectations and picked something different from our environment.

 It was the best hour and a half of my day today.  Such excitement, discovery and wonder about it all.

 When we came back to the school we made some smores this afternoon and finished off the nature looms we have been making all week.  Remember when I asked for branches?

 I really loved this project and although it was a lot to prep.  The children really got into the spirit of weaving some lovely things we have been collecting for a long time.  There were leaves, seedpods, pinecones and bark.  I love where art can take you and how we used what we could find for this project.  I hope you love them too!  The looms were made with a lot of love.  ~Michelle

So Much Making...

Loom Making

This is another look at our activities this for this week.  I think I am making the teachers just a tiny bit crazy with all the freaking "Making".  This week so far we have made 22 nature looms, lots of art from the free art shelf, strawberry jam and we tried not so successfully to make ice cream in a ziploc bag today.  The looms are for our big outing tomorrow.  I will say this...it's very cool what we are doing with them.

Tomorrow we are off to Point Pleasant Park to fill our looms and do a scavenger hunt.  More about that tomorrow though.

This week I asked parents for egg cartons and tree branches.

The weeks for Camping have gone super fast and they are so action packed that I can't get everything done that I had planned.  The day seems to go so fast.  Needless to say we are all tired come Friday but it's a good tired.

hand Print Campfire pics with roasted marsh mellows

 I Loooove how these pictures turned out!  Thechildren were really into making them.

Strawberry Jam making

Ice Cream in a ziploc bag sort of!  I think it would have worked out better if I had not been trying to make Ice cream for 22 children.  Here is the link on how to make Ice Cream.  Fight the urge to make more.  Follow the directions exactly!  

Picture making from the art shelf

A Camping we will go...

Our Circle Time Campfire

 The school year has ended and we are full on into our Summer Program .  The Summer program is new to me this year as I have never offered it before or worked a summer in a number of years.  I am having a blast!  I thought I would feel exhausted but sometimes a change is just as good as a break.  Our Montessori Classroom has been put away and we are full on with lots of art, adventure and free play!

I took this opportunity  to set up our gigantic tent for pretend play but also it is our place to gather for stories and songs.  The tent is a big hit.  We have also enjoyed a lovely camp fire and some pretty cool art activities.

We made some large trees.  I have a client who asked me in March if I wanted a bunch of sono tubes and I said yes not knowing how I would use them at the time.  They sure came in handy when we built our forest.  We have since painted out tree tops green and built many more trees.  It is definitely feeling like we are on an adventure.  What else can I use those sono tubes for?  I wonder...

Ferry Trip to Dartmouth

Speaking of adventures...we hopped on the bus and went down to the waterfront to catch the ferry over to Alderney Landing.  It never ceases to amaze me just how excited children get, to go on a bus and a ferry.  We are so lucky to live in such a great town and have access to good public transit.

Duck, Duck, Goose

Once we got to our destination, we stopped for a snack and a game of duck, duck, goose and freeze tag.

Stain glass Butterflies

We also made some beautiful stain glass butterflies.  Not sue I would do those again.  it was a ton of prep on my end (well actually Ms. Ann's end)! Thanks Ann for all that cutting last week.

Camping Lanterns

We also made some lanterns.  We used large mason jars and we glued tissue paper all over and lit them up with tea lights for our rainy afternoon movie of Mary Poppins!  We encouraged the children to bring their sleeping bags.  Ahhhhhhh I just love cozy rainy afternoons with a good movie and popcorn next to the campfire.   ~michelle

Gardening Here or There

community Garden plot

 Today my body is tired.  Good tired.  In my house we spent our entire weekend building and planting our raised garden beds.  It has been a long time coming for us.  This time last year, we were knee deep in moving in and renovations had started.  It wasn't much of a summer and I hope we never have to live like that or experience that kind of stress ever again.

This summer already feels so much better and now that our garden space has been established, a weight has been lifted.  I really need and crave that garden space so much.  I can't explain how much joy it brings me to putter in that space and by extension to teach the children about plants, seeds, growing and harvesting.

Community Garden plot

mud pile at Community Garden plot

 It was my intention to take on another garden plot and we purchased two for Maple Tree this year at the Common Roots Site.  We have even gone so far as to get one of the beds partially built.  The problem is that the sits spot is actually really far from water, soil and shed.  Also, our children were told not to climb on the mud pile. I get it but really what's better then a mud pile.  The hours also for the Community Garden plot don't work for us.  The garden shed is open from 3 to 6 PM daily and that's when the water is turned on.  Those hours do not work for preschoolers.

I also hate the idea of all the complicated busing for our Cork Street Campus Children and so for these reasons I am letting go of this space and plan.

Maple Tree Garden Quinpool Campus

That doesn't mean that I've given up on the idea of gardening with your children though!  On the contrary, I plan to bring them to the Quinpool site instead, where the hours are better, there is always a bathroom that is child size and friendly, where all dirt can be climbed on and played with and where we have a fenced back yard in shade for the children who just don't want to garden or need a break from it and want to play.  Yes indeed we are gardening for sure and there will be many trips to the Quinpool Garden plot to play and learn!

Raised Vegetable Beds

Cucumbers and Sand Cherries

Cutting Garden Flowers and Herbs

They Have Arrived

The following was told to Ms. Stephanie yesterday from the children waiting and watching!



Today when we came to school we saw two butterflies. The cacoon can also be called a chrysalis, and a butterfly comes out of it. The butterflies are orange and black. They eat oranges. By lunch time there was six butterflies. When all the butterflies are out we want to let them outside so they can fly. 

They eat oranges

Map Snippet

Ms. Stepanie - c it looks like you are really enjoying the map project. 

C- yes because my sister has one at home :) 

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

A Basket of Beads

I love how the children are exploring the basket of glass beads on the shelf right now and I love where their imagination takes them.  Enjoy!

This Moment

{this moment} 

- A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

This Week at Cork Street...

 This week at Cork Street our children are exploring picture making inside a frame!

 There is lots of great Life Cycle working going on!

Map Making for the Older Children! 

And well, just time for pouring lots of sand and having deep conversations!

This Week at Quinpool Rd...

Rainbow glass beads for Creating and Making

 Wow, where is the time going?  We are 41/2 weeks away from the end of  our Maple Tree school year or term!

In some ways, we are all feeling ready for that break and in other ways I am sad.  I find it hard saying goodbye to the children we have had for two or three years.

This week we are sharing some snippets from our classrooms.  This is the time of the year that we see all of the gifts from the children.  The culmination of all that hard work from the last year or two.  Take a moment to reflect on that and how much your child has evolved and grown.

The Plant Table

We've been busy planting out garden by starting seeds inside.

Tadpoles 

 We've been watching out tadpoles with interest and excitement!

More Life Cycles at our Nature Table

Learning about Life Cycles. 

Life Cycle Work of the Praying Mantis

Life Cycle Work of the Butterfly

Caterpillars, so much waiting for change.  Its a good lesson in patience!

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Sidewalks and Sunshine

 One of the things I love about this time of the year is that the sidewalk chalk comes out and the children create scenes or stories on the sidewalk.  It is amazing to me how much detail goes into each and every picture.

I love how children draw faces and accessories on their characters.  When you take the time to ask children about their drawing you learn so much from them.  Not just about a rocket ship crashing into a house but what those space people were eating at the time the crash happened.

I love how the drawing stretches out and not only becomes wide but long and the need for more space becomes apparent.

 It might look like just lines and circles but man is it lovely and the beginning of so much more.
~Ms. Michelle