A Joyful Experiment with Lasting Impact
Our Summer of Joyful Discovery has come to an end and what memories we made! Wonderful days full of outdoor dining with flowers on the table; endless water play, complete with aromatic bubbles when muddy; tending our chickens and vegetables; learning the names of new and different insects, flowers, trees, and clouds; describing the life cycle of a flower from seed to seed; counting and measuring and comparing with rain gauges, lengths of sticks and rope, and how much mulch/camp gear/or children can fit in a wagon; making art from nature; reading books and chatting with friends under the trees; stomping through puddles and climbing trees; making seed bombs, clay and mud sculptures, and painting en plein air; harvesting vegetables/flowers/and eggs for weekly markets; and heading home every day, tired but happy, for a rest until the the 3 o'clock Joyful Discovery of the Day appeared! These and many more adventures are stored away in each child's mind, never to be forgotten....
A favorite childhood book by Dr. Seuss, "Oh, the Places You'll Go," encourages children to explore the bigger world as they grow. Over the summer, we discovered the reverse: that young children can learn about the world right in their own schoolyard and feel thoroughly challenged and satisfied. Our outdoor school has proven that children are more relaxed, find the environment full of challenges, ask thoughtful questions, are kinder to each other, and above all, are healthier and safer, when they are outside.
Our summer experiment, our pilot, born out of concern over keeping children healthy and safe, forced us to be more creative and adaptive ourselves. Sometimes necessity truly is the 'mother of invention!' Today we begin preparing for September...adding another pavilion; building an exciting climbing structure and sandbox; roofing our patio...so that we can remain outside and learning throughout the year. We hope you will join us.
