Flower buds and lush green leaves have returned to the Garden of Wonders. As we all shake off the long, chilly winter, the garden beckons us with much work to be done! Our spring cleaning kicked off with students helping pick up trash from the native area and garden, planting violas and strawberries, and weeding multiple different plots.
Though it is tempting, we ask that you please remind your children that bulb flowers like tulips and daffodils should not be picked. A typical GAP afternoon kicks off with free time in the classroom or the chance to prepare the class snack. This week we made celery critters together using grapes, tomatoes and pretzels in an “ants on a log” fashion – sans peanut butter, of course. We also prepared a lovely frittata together using chard from the garden, which was a big hit with the kids. After snack, students are usually given a half hour or more of free play outside. Favorite games include lava monster, marketplace exchange, and hide and seek. After recess, the kids are often split into smaller groups to engage in a garden activity. One of their favorite recent garden activities was drum circle weeding. To help make weeding less of a chore, we allow subsets of the groups of students to drum on their weed pails as the others dance and weed. After a few minutes, they switch. Another garden-themed activity that’s been a favorite in the past few weeks has been You’re Only Safe If… This is a version of tag where the educator says something like “You’re only safe if you're touching chard!” All the students must then run to find chard before they get tagged by the educator. If they are not safe, they join the team of taggers. We’ve already had so much fun this year, and we thank you for your continued support! Julie, Riley and Ariel
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November 2019
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