Timberwolf Trail - Week 29 - 2017-18 Edition

The insect investigations have begun. Though out unit will  be taking a pause over spring break, our focus in the early stages of the unit has been "What makes an insect an insect?," zooming in on insect body parts. We practiced today with some insect stations.

We made insects out of arts and craft supplies.

 We completed an "Insect/Not an insect picture sort.

We drew pictures with human and compound eyes.

We invented our very own insect.

We explored a ton of bug books.

After all the work, we were famished so we had to eat some bugs. . . .sort of.

After making our best bug faces, we sat back and investigated insects even further with our good friend, Bill Nye.

In the afternoon, we worked in some spring cleaning by removing a deteriorating restoration tarp in the area that will be groomed for some native planting soon.

We got our hands (and clothes) a bit dirty with physical labor and teamwork.

Spring hasn't felt very spring-like yet but we are looking forward to a lot of spring outdoor fun after a well-deserved spring break.

Tyke Hike #50 - Pike Lake

Well, the Alliance provide official signs, so I guess this Tyke Hike thing is legit. Hard to believe we had our fiftieth hike today. It was a chilly spring morning, but the sun was out and that makes a drastic difference.

And they're off!

Thirty-two hikers and one four-legged friend trekked on some of Pike Lake's beautiful trails. Though it was a bit chilly, at least the muddy  sections were basically frozen over.

We went out for a leisurely stroll in the woods, stopping for some natural play along the way.

Tree Trampoline

We stopped for a snack and a picture at the tower before heading back down. Many even scaled the 96 steps for a view form the top.

Going down is so much more fun.

There of course was more natural play on the way back. I always try to find some great climbing and balancing trees for the kids (and adults). Luckily, Pike Lake has plenty of options.

Fall preview

A great day for hiking allowed us all the opportunity to enjoy nature and get some much needed time in the great outdoors, a sure sign of things to come.

Mojo didn't climb the tower. He's a bit scared of heights.

Timberwolf Trail - Week 28 - 2017-18 Edition - Retzer Visit #5 - Time to Wake

We welcomed spring with a visit from our Retzer Nature Center friends. Even thought it felt like winter, we enjoyed learning about and finding signs of spring.

All five classes started together to talk about spring. We discussed the concept of that, the return of the birds, the end of plant dormancy, and the ever frightening "ice monsters" we might encounter on the trail.

We then split in half. The first portion was a wonderful read aloud, Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt.

We also learned about skunk cabbage.

We saw it.

We smelled it.

Then we headed to the classroom to zoom in on the animals of spring and how they either returned, re-merged, or woke up.

After seeing some animals in action, the classes completed an animal sort.

Then, it was time to head outside for a Signs of Spring Scavenger Hunt.

We found lots of things, stopping to discuss galls, scat, tracks, and birds.

Of course, we had plenty of opportunity to play too. :)