Sprouts: A Day of Discovery
Our day began in a way only nature can provide—right away, the children were captivated by a tiny spider spotted during our opening circle. It was a moment of stillness, curiosity, and connection with nature that set the tone for the day ahead.
Can you spot our eight-legged friend?
To get our bodies moving and energized, we added some fun animal stretches to our morning routine. We flapped like eagles, pounced like foxes, shivered like chickadees, leaped like deer, and swam like fish. It’s such a great way to start the day, helping the kids wake up their muscles while connecting to the natural world.
We played a few more rounds of our much-loved “Squirrel and Acorn” game, but this time, the conversation shifted. What do squirrels do after they gather all their food? Do they hibernate? This opened up a little discussion on hibernation and a child’s discovery of a worm mid-game led us down a curious path of wondering about worms as well.
Wormy the worm.
Next, I introduced a new game that was all about building awareness. Often, children struggle with the concept of sitting quietly and just noticing, so we approached this in a playful way—with a twist on hide and seek! Using our theme of squirrels, the children had to find hiding spots while our two eager dogs played the role of the squirrel-chasing dogs. The kids loved it!
After the game, we discussed how the dogs found them using senses like smell, sight, and sound. This led to another round where we focused on noticing those same things while hiding. When we came together afterward, we jotted down what the kids had observed—a fantastic first step toward mindfulness in nature.
Snack time brought a new discovery: a mushroom growing on a log in our circle. Out came the mushroom identification book as we worked together to try and figure out what kind of mushroom it was. It’s easy to get caught up on this hands-on detective work!
No mushrooms were consumed as part of our snack 😜
I wasn’t planning on journaling until the afternoon, but when inspiration strikes, we follow it. The kids were excited to draw the dogs they had just been hiding from, and their illustrations were full of character and imagination.
In the mud kitchen, something new was brewing—recipes! These simple cards sparked so much fun as the children whipped up their own creations. It’s a fantastic way to introduce following steps, recognizing numbers, and understanding the flow of tasks. They loved mixing it all together, and I loved seeing the process unfold!
A future chef!
Looks delicious!
One child then discovered the reusable water balloons in our plunge pool, sparking an impromptu experiment: what sinks, what floats, and why? The children explored this idea with excitement and curiosity, testing their predictions in real-time. (And certainly enjoyed throwing them as well!)
Will it sink, or float?
After lunch, we returned to a familiar face from last week—our fish friend, Fred. Using a poster generously provided by the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority, along with field guides, we tried to identify Fred by comparing his features. Measuring him with our hands, tracing his shape with markers, and using maps to see where he might swim led us down to The Flats for some more pond dipping.
Contact UTRCA for your own free poster!
Where does the river flow after it goes through London?
How many fins does Fred have?
Fish detectives at work.
Down at The Flats, one boy quickly netted a fish, and we got to work trying to identify it. Fish identification is no easy feat—there are so many things to consider, from size to fins, scales to gills—but after a lot of thought, we made our best guess. Then, they caught another—a tiny, fast-moving one that kept us on our toes.
I had to pull them away from their investigation to head back for pick-up, and that was our day—a beautiful mix of play, curiosity, and discovery, as always.
Until next time!
