Oz Farm Week 7

Tuesday October 2, 2018

Waning Gibbous Moon

Today was out first visit to Oz Farm, and what an amazing adventure we had!  Because it was our first time, we spent our morning getting to know the land and the best spots for play and exploration.  Special thanks to our friend Margaret for guiding our explorations, and taking us to the most magical places on the land!  Almost as soon as we got out of the cars the kids found some giant mud puddles, and instantly were jumping and splashing in the newly formed pools.  They were having such a blast playing in the puddles that we ended up having a slow transition into the Redwood grove where we held morning circle.  The Redwoods were enchanting, and we took a moment to close our eyes, get quiet, and just listen to the sounds of the forest.  After our regular morning circle routine I taught the students my favorite water song.  Usually we sing it to call in the rain, but this year the rains came so soon that we sang it to welcome and thank the rain.

The kids were eager to play though, so we only had a short practice of the song and then on to more play; saving the corresponding dance for later (the kids did get really excited about the song later in the afternoon though, and were singing it all through lunch and art!)  In the Redwood Grove was a little natural platform which the children pretended was a stage where they danced for their audience.  We then paused for snack before moving on to meet the Grandmother Walnut tree.  She was a little too slippery to climb today due to the rain, however there were plenty of walnuts to gather and munch, and 3 swings to play on!  Once we'd had our fill of walnuts, we began slowly moving towards the Garcia River, stopping to munch blackberries and learn about Bay Laurel tree's and gather some bay nuts.  By now the rain had passed, our bodies were super warm, and the river looked SO inviting!  We all wanted to jump in the water so badly!  Unfortunately none of us came prepared for swimming, so the only one who was able to go all the way into the river was Indigo.  The rest of us had a lovely time playing on the river bank, chatting about our next visit and our eagerness to get into the river, and watching little water critters flit across the surface.  We had brought some walnuts with us, and Margaret posed the question, "If we put this half of the walnut shell into the river, will it float?"  We all took turns sharing what we thought would happen, and ways we could help make sure the shell would float.  Then we put the shell into the river and..... it floated!  For a little while anyway!  Then Ms. Leah told us about some walnut boats she had made with a different class, and we added that to our Oz Farm to-do list.  Soon after someone spotted a frog, then another frog, and soon F. was able to catch one!  We all wanted to look at the frog and touch him, while also remembering to be gentle and respectful of our tiny aquatic friend.  The kiddo's were so thrilled to be finding frogs, they began making little frog homes at the end of the river for the frogs to find and enjoy after we had left.  When the frog homes were complete it was time to head back to school (already!?).  Oz Farm has captured our hearts and imaginations, and we are so excited to return next Tuesday!