Jouyeux Printemps!

Happy spring. 

Joyeux printemps! 

Although we've had quite a bit of snow since the first day of spring, I am not complaining- warmer days are definitely ahead.

We have been very busy learning French (spring) vocabulary, making spring crowns, spending our mornings in nature and baking yummy goodies. We hope that you are staying safe and warm...(until the sun decides to stick around for more than minutes.

welcome spring!

The grass is starting to sprout up in various places. Birds return from their holiday. The sun shines through the grey clouds, as rain drops pitter patter. Trees bud, flowers seem to stretch up and out, from arched stiff backs. It's spring. Spring is here!
Happy Spring!

Weekending March 31st (2017)

Oh what a difference a little sunshine makes. Time spent outside always fulfills me. We had a lovely week, spending most of our days outside. We hope you had a great week.

Our Earth Day 2016 {part 2}

Signs of the Season
Spring is in full bloom. The children and I shared a walk on earth day to look at the many signs of the season. Looking through the eyes of the young children, the area in which  we bush-walk did not have great diversity. However, I think it's also because they are still quite young and unable to express verbally what they see.
Another sign noted by one of our friends (who was not on the walk) is that it is much brighter in the mornings than before. Sure is!

Noticing Patterns Colours & Textures

There are a variety of textures that surrounded us, and this is once again one of the things that the children will grow to understand as they get older. There were rough trees to feel, smooth and not so smooth rocks, even the leaves felt different. 

Children love to touch everything. That's why it's surprising that when we get outside, they are reluctant to touch. Sometimes I think it's because they are a bit cautious, and also, we are still "learning" how to get dirty :)
We also looked for patterns, colours high in the trees, and low on the ground. We found some cool stuff.

It was a nice way to celebrate our earth.Of course there are many signs of spring that were not captured. These photos were taken of a particular area in the woods.
We also had a lovely picnic outside.

Our Earth Day 2016 {part 1}

The children and I agree that spring is a really perfect time to celebrate Earth Day. They wouldn't mind celebrating in autumn either :)

My recovery has been slow but steady, and we have a full plate already, so I simply wanted to cut some activities from our week, but celebrating Earth Day was not one of them. You can't have a nature-based dayhome and NOT celebrate Earth Day. That's a big no-no. 

We never have all the kids on site at the same time - unless we have a celebration (even then...). This means that the children don't always get to share special treats and activities with everyone.
We kept our day simple. A bit of food; a bit of art, a nice book, free play, and loads of fun.

For our craft (we did this the day before), we made a collage from found objects. Upon going out for nature walks and just hanging around the house the kids were asked to collected a few items and put them in a basket that I left for them. The items had to be nature-related (they were not confused at all :)
Knowing each child's personality, I knew who would collect rocks, who hates feathers, and who would grab the earthy stickers that I left in plain sight.

I absolutely adore these earth collages. I always love the way the kids bring their own skills and likes to our crafts and I was very happy to see them working on the craft together. I set up the activity on the floor instead of the table, so that the kids could all access the treasures equally.
I think we will do this again and again. It was fun.

Finished products...

Easter egg hunt/spring celebration 2016

 It's amazing what a difference one year has made for all of us. The children are not just toddling around anymore; they are running full speed. 
Our spring celebration/Easter egg hunt was filled with activities that fostered learning, team work, collaboration and problem-solving. 

Moms and dads were invited- which was a very nice treat. We did our circle time outside, and a had a wonderful time. Iman is back from her travels, which is amazing-great help. She is a wonder with the children, and really my right-hand :)
The weather was so beautiful, it didn't feel cold at all. We had a great day!
After the hunt the children indulged in some yummy treats.

I would like to thank every parent. Thank you for running with every idea that I have, Thank you for always being present and open to learning with me (and your child). Your commitment to ensuring that your child...(all the children) enjoy fun-filled days full of learning and wonder cannot be measured, or summed up. 

Thanks to those who were able to come and help out. If you couldn't make it, we hope you will be able to make another event. 
And as always...thanks for sharing your children with me. 

Photos taken by my hubby.