Spending Time with the Cycling Giants

We spent some time with the Cycling Giants last week in their space. We played some name games, and then we got to work sanding a table and chairs they had recently gotten for their space. After that, they painted away. It was a great afternoon, thanks for having us over Cycling Giants!

Clay and Paper Theatre

Today, we went to Dufferin Grove Park and had a great time at the Clay and Paper Theatre. We went with the Twirly Birds, and we were supposed to meet the Cycling Giants later on. But as the skies got darker, we had to leave a bit earlier than expected. However, we did get to see and contribute to some great pieces of art. On Saturday is the Night of Dread celebration at the park, and we got a first hand look at some of the neat pieces that will be seen that day. We also got to paint some of the pieces that will be at the festival too. If you have time on Satuday evening, it is something you should try to check out. You can visit their blog for more details.

Walking through the park, and settling in for snack time. We love eating outdoors with our friends.

Inside the studio, we had some giant crows heads to paint. Inside of the studio, we were surrounded by giant pieces that will be on display come Saturday. We also had the company of some adults who were working on some other pieces, sewing and painting. We took turns sharing the paint brushes and crows heads. They did a fantastic job!

We had a few minutes to play the in the playgroup and discover some new sights.

All in all, a great trip. Thanks to the folks at the Clay and Paper Theatre for their hospitality.

Show and Tell Gallery

Last week, we stopped by the Show and Tell Gallery with the Twirly Birds to look at an exhibit. The kids walked around in partners, observing the different works, and discussed what they liked or didn't like about the pieces and which one was their favourite. It was so insightful to hear the wide array of opinions the kids had and why they felt the way that they did.

Humber Arboretum

The Humber Arboretum was another field trip destination for our group. It was another location that proved to be a valuable visit for us, especially since we are learning about trees this month. There were so many things for us to do see and do, and the Humber students were very kind to our group. In fact, many of the Humber students that we crossed paths with while navigating the arboretum were so pleased to see the kids there, and wished them a happy and safe visit. We ventured into the arboretum itself, which is huge! The kids did an amazing job that day, as a lot of walking was required, but they were troopers. We were excited to see the wildlife that lived in the arboretum, and I asked the kids why they thought it was important to have a place like the arboretum. They all answered that they know trees are important for our survival and we need to continue planting them. This discussion also led us to talk about the importance of providing homes for the animals in the area, espeically with the increased development and the fact that animals are loosing their natural habitat. All in all, we had a great trip!

On our way to the arboretum entrance.

When we came to this entrance, there was a sign asking us to close the gate behind as, so that the deer would not get out and come into harms way....we wanted to be extra quiet after this in hopes we would see some wildlife.

Over the bridge we go..there were many unique pathways and structures that we came across on our visit, including this bridge and many others just like it.

Trying to decide which way to go, as the paths had many forks in them.

When we came to this sign, I read it to the kids, and our mission for the day was to find the seasonal wetland. The kids were so excited when they heard about it that we just had to try and find it.

After walking for a bit, we came across this map, and tried to locate the wetlands.

After snack, we continued on, and one of the kids found this enormous set of stairs. We decided to go up them and see what was at the top.

At the top of the stairs, was a beautiful garden and several water bodies. The kids were super excited and rushed over once they discovered it.

Just relaxing and looking in the water for any fish or frogs.

After resting, we saw a neat building with a bright red door. Inside, was an ecological centre, where we signed in, and got to see some very interesting sights, such as this stuff beaver. There was also a stuffed raccoon on the wall.

Downstairs in the centre, there were some live animals for the kids to observe. Here they are watching a giant turtle swimming around. The kids loved him, and couldn't stop smiling at him.

Across from the tutrle was an iguana and a chameleon. They were neat to look at. Upstairs, we also got to see some leopard geckos.

Before making our way back to the bus, the kids really wanted to run over one last bridge. While there, they looked once more for any fish or frogs in the water. Although we didn't find fish or frogs, we saw some beautiful ducks swimming near by. One kept dunking his head under water looking for food.

The Cemetary

We went on a field trip not to long ago to Mount Pleasant Cemetary, not for any scare worthy purposes, but rather, to go and observe and learn about all the unqiue tree types that line the grounds there. This is a great place to go, as you can venture out on your own discovery walk, which is what we did. It was a perfect day to go, with beautiful weather. When we got there, we had some snack to refuel our bodies and then headed out to look at all of the different trees. We had a nice discussion while having snack about how important trees are; not only in providing us with air to breathe, but also to provide food and shelter for our animal friends. This led us into a disucssion of how important trees are to our eco-systems and our health. We talked about that trees, just like people, go through different growing phases, and that a tree starts from a tiny seed and grows and grows. There were so many tree types around us, we talked about the difference between trees that loose their leaves, and trees that don't like ever greens. I think our favourite trees that day were the Japanese Maple and the Birch trees.

On our way down to the subway using the buddy system to navigate the tricky stairs.

Having a little chat as we waited for the train, talking about how windy they think it will be when the train arrives.

We had a bit of fun trying to find our way out of the subway station, so we rode the elevator looking for a way out...it was fun!

Going up the big stairs, almost there!

Finally at the top, woo-hoo! The kids and I looked at the map, trying to figure out where we should go and what we should do.

We walked through this beautiful arch way to the colourful trees awaiting us.

We thought it would be a good idea to stop for snack, re-fuel our bodies and have a little chat before we went off on our walk.

We couldn't decide which way to go, and this happened many times as the pathways often split. The kids agreed upon the different routes we should take, and we couldn't believe all of the trees that were there. We talked about counting the rings on the tree stump to tell its age, or by looking at its trunk and height to help us decide if it is a young or old tree.

We found a chestnut tree! Looking to see if there were any chestnuts we could gather.

I think we had a great day. The weather was right, and we got to learn about many different tree types. We were lucky that the trees were labelled, and we could count and compare the different types.

Apple Prints

We had lots of apples from what the kids had picked with Leah. We decided to use them for an art project, so we made a huge apple print! We cut the apples in half, poured and mixed paint colours, and then got to work. Our kids experimented with different techniques- pressing some of the apples down firmly, slamming the apples down, using a lot or a little paint, etc. Our masterpiece is now hanging proudly in our space.

The Drop In Centre and Playdough Fun

Sometimes, when the weather isn't so great, we sepnd part of our lunch at the drop in centre. This is a great place for the kids to bond and socialize, as there are many different activities and centres they can participate in there. On this particular day, the kids got to help in making playdough- a classic and a favourite! This was a great activity for them to practice the concepts of sharing, and working in a team environment. They had a great time building playdough structures for some dinosaurs to live in.

Things We Love

While we were doing crafts one day, the kids noticed some beautiful gold ribbon I had left at the space. I had used it to hang some things in the space. We decided that with the left over ribbon, we would make ourselves some bracelets and rings, just because. I love how the kids always find happiness in what may appear like the simplest of things. It gives us a great opportunity to just talk, bond, and be happy!

Stay Tuned...

Lots more updates to come this weekend about our field trips this week, Leah's great art work, playdough making and more!

Greening Our Space

A few weeks ago, we ventured out into Little Portugal to find some plants for our space. The whole idea started after Leah and I had talked about it, then I had mentioned it to one of the kids. He thought it would be a great idea, and could be part of their classroom responsibilities to care for. At the end of the year, he suggested that each child could take a plant home. I LOVED the idea. After much looking, we finally found a few plants we thought would be ideal. Kindly, one of the parents donated some pots to our group so we could paint them and finally bring the plants inside as they have been weathering the cold and rain! The kids worked hard to paint their pots, mixing colours, trying different designes and techniques and came out with finished products I know they are all very proud of. We will be potting the plants very soon, and I am sure we will all have fun getting our hands dirty.