“Tastes like grilled cheese!”

"Its golden in the treetops, 

Its golden in the sky, 

Its golden, golden, golden 

Autumns coming by" 

Exploring the magic of Autumn in the morning light. 

On our way to the rootball tree, we always pass over the wishing bridge! Hold your breath and make a wish! 

The rootball is a Wren's Nest favorite for many reasons. We get to say good morning to chickens on the way, natural rock slides, and the rootball itself. Its perfect for climbing, peeking, imagining, and discovering.

Rootball fun! 

Katie also gave us a special lesson on fire building. We had many helpers looking for mouse tails (teeny tiny twigs to begin with), rat tails (slightly fatter sticks that come next), birch bark (for initial fuel) and kindling. 

Some climbed, some helped with the fire, and some took time to create with all the beautiful autumn colors and some Andy Goldsworthy inspiration. 

Once our fire was ready and some of us were growing cold, we gathered round for some stories and a little snack. We toasted some VT cheddar cheese using toasting sticks. We warmed them just enough until they were gooey and tasted "just like grilled cheese" all the children exclaimed! 

One last climb on the rootball and we were on our way...

Goodbye chickens! 

We spotted this interesting and sleepy bug on our way back. It looked like a huge blue iridescent ant. Since we weren't sure about it, we carefully picked it up with a leaf. I found out later that its an Oil Beetle, whose secret power is excreting an oil from its legs that will burn the skin or mouth of a predator. Good thing we are careful and gentle! 

We all enjoyed some lunch and some cozy autumn stories. We also listened to music during our mindfulness time, which was especially relaxing. 

Before we visited our sit spots, we ran around in the blowing leaves and had fun. Swinging, rolling down the hill...what could be better!?

Another perfect autumn day of Wren's Nest! 

A rainy search for Red Eft

Ahh, a warm, rainy, autumn day.  This means many creatures of the forest will be out in the fallen leaves and we can take in all the smells and feelings of sweet rain, without any chill! Not much is better in my mind. 

We started the day with some new Marble Tracks. Everyone worked as a team to engineer the perfect path for marbles to roll, stop, and even play music along the way. 

We played some new October circle games like Tommy Tittlemouse and 5 little pumpkins. 

Of course we check the weather to see what we might need for the day. Luckily it was only sprinkling when Maisie brought out our trusty wind measuring stick. 

We had a special visitor too! Lindsay's sister Katy came to read us a story about frogs. We learned that they drink water through their skin and then we drew our best frog pictures for her. 

Wendy, from Common Ground, stopped us on our way out to introduce us to Jagger the puppy! We were so happy to meet him and pet his super soft black fur. 

For todays adventure, we hiked the WHOLE yellow trail! This is a big hike with lots of fun places to check out on the way, plenty of reptiles and amphibians, and a bit of protection from down pours. 

Our first friend! Spotted by Laylas sharp nature eyes, this Tiny Spring Peeper hopped across our path (even though its autumn now, there are still peepers in the forest!) 

We also spotted a few empty Flatback Millipedes. At first we thought they were dead, but it seemed so empty, we decided it must have just shed its skin. 

We also found a red backed salamander on this strange piece of wood in the middle of the trail. To our surprise, there also seemed to be porcupine scat on this wood! After this we spotted 4 Red Efts of all shapes and sizes on our walk! 

We played a game of camoflouge and the rain poured down on us the rest of the way.

Drying off in our classroom and cozying up to a warm lunch was just what we needed after our hike. The rain continued to pour and we all enjoyed its steady patter on the roof. 

We colored together in floor books and listened to some good stories. 

On our way past the garden we noticed the huge bushes of mint. We harvested gently then used them for a light mint tea to warm us while we listened to stories. 

A rainy Wren's Nest Day is always a wonderful one. Until next time! 

Welcome, October!

Our first day that was truly feeling a bit fall. Warm, yet crisp and sunny! We started the morning with some coloring pages of some familiar animal friends. 

Oran always has an interesting book to share with us. 

The sun poured in and the blue sky sparkled. 

So important to fill our bellies with snack before we set out for the morning. 

Our nature table featured some new sensory explorations. Children were invited to combine lavender, grape leaves, and mint using a mortar and pestle, creating new calming and revitalizing smells. 

The path to the Golden Birch Woods isn't always clear! Children used their bodies and minds to navigate over fallen trees, around swampy areas and away from thorny brambles. 

We've starting learning about identifying wild edibles in the forest. Amias shows us a partridge berry, common around here. The surest way to identify a partridge berry is by its low growing vine and the "two eyes", or small white dots. 

Forest art! 

It's important to test tree branches for strength when we climb. We found many of these to be weak and brittle, so decided it was safest to only climb to the V in the trunk. 

All worked together, breaking and finding sticks to build a shelter. Soon it became a bunny home, where the bunnies gathered and stored their food for winter. 

Hello, Slug! 

Katie spotted this huge Artists Conk Mushroom and since it was growing with a big family of others, we decided to harvest it for some Wren's Nest art. All children had a section to add their contributions too. 

We're a big fan of collections here at Wren's Nest...

We also encountered and learned about wild ginger! Easily identified by its heart shaped leave and brown flower that lives close to the ground. We had a little scratch and sniff of this spicy wild find. 

It was truly the perfect day for a picnic! Not too hot, sunny, a bit of wind...ahhh....

We soaked it up as best we could! 

Busy mornings make for tired Wren's Nesters. We cozied up inside while Katie read us Roxaboxen by Alice McLarren, a Wren's Nest favorite. 

We enjoyed the last part of the afternoon out in the big field, playing kitties, rolling down the hill, and officially marking our sit spots with colored ribbons. 

Two children in their chosen sit spots, places we will get to know as the year goes on. 

Another perfect day of Wren's Nest!