We Love Our Outdoor Classroom!

What a glorious Friday! The weather was perfect! We couldn’t ask for a more idyllic spring day. We spent most of our day in our Outdoor Classroom.  After a peaceful Morning Meeting, a delicious snack, and a fantastic and engaging experience in gym, we headed outdoors.  After outdoor play, we had lunch outside, and this was followed by an outdoor Writer's Workshop, outdoor Spanish, an outdoor sing along, and an outdoor read aloud!  Here’s a glimpse of our fun ...

Studies show that contact with nature improves awareness, reasoning, observation skills, creativity, concentration and imagination. During our Writer's Workshop, kindergarteners worked with word puzzles, drew and wrote in their nature journals, and read books with a partner or by themselves.  Each kindergartener also got the chance to sit with the "Spanish teacher" and craft a poem by combining two of our recent studies, los colores y los cinco sentidos. We were encouraged to close our eyes and imagine what things we veo (see), oigo (hear), huelo (smell), toco (touch) and saboreo (taste) in our favorite color.  

After many opportunities to enhance critical thinking, discovery, problem solving, and cooperative play we gathered on the hill. First we danced and sang our Earth Day song, “Earth Day is Every Day”, and then we settled in to hear a wonderful story by Byron Katie and Hans Wilhelm, Tiger, Tiger Is It True? Ask us all about it. It’s a heartwarming story with a powerful message about how our negative thoughts result in negative feelings, and our positive thoughts lead to good feelings.