Wooo hoooo!!! What a successful field trip yesterday! I think it was my favorite one so far. Even more than the stream study or the bird ID ones.
I have to give a HUGE shoutout to Scott for letting me borrow his supplies, the kids were fascinated by everything. You should have seen the boys' faces light up when I told them the skull was a real one.
We started the day by naming a stuffed beaver, now known as Mr. Nibblestix. We discussed dam building and beaver anatomy. That is where the skull came in handy. Showing the kids how the nose, eyes, and ears are located on top of the head so they can swim almost entirely underwater had their attention *locked.* The STEM Dam and Lodge building was also amazing. For that, I had prepped material kits for 6 groups-- they had a piece of foil for the stream, a paper bowl with an entrance cut out, some salt clay/dirt to stick the twigs and branches, and another bowl with potting soil and some water to mix more mud. They gathered all of the natural materials and built the dam and lodge on the stream. When they were finished, I did a "Water Test" to see if the dam would hold back the water. I was cracking up as they were zooming all over to get their sticks and dried grass and then problem-solving as they worked. Mr. Nibblestix oversaw the process.
And yet, I still wasn't done with them before we broke for lunch- we made the pretzel and melted chocolate cookies, shaped like beaver lodges. All of my bowls and spoons are still in the bags, needing to be washed. By the time I got home, it was 4 pm and I was POOPED OUT! I asked Gary if people get more tired when they are outside in the cold weather because I really was exhausted. I took a nice hot shower and had leftovers for dinner in my PJs.
I have two more field trips to plan before the holidays- One is for my coworker's HS Pod nextFriday and then the other one is for the JW Pod on Dec 22nd. I wasn't sure if they would still want to have that date because --well, a couple of days before Christmas. But I honestly don't know how they celebrate Christmas, if at all. I asked the mom who coordinated the trips and she said she currently has a full group signed up. I am going to do the Winter Solstice, focusing on the planetary significance and maybe a little bit of winter nature crafts.
I am soooo glad that I am not working today. If you could see how messy my house it-- and how bonkers my Christmas to-do list is... it's baaaaaad.
Maybe scrapping today?? It is the last day for the Party games:
Games portion closing Saturday Dec 13th at 11.59pm
What amazing plans do you have today?
Love and hugs!!
I have to give a HUGE shoutout to Scott for letting me borrow his supplies, the kids were fascinated by everything. You should have seen the boys' faces light up when I told them the skull was a real one.
We started the day by naming a stuffed beaver, now known as Mr. Nibblestix. We discussed dam building and beaver anatomy. That is where the skull came in handy. Showing the kids how the nose, eyes, and ears are located on top of the head so they can swim almost entirely underwater had their attention *locked.* The STEM Dam and Lodge building was also amazing. For that, I had prepped material kits for 6 groups-- they had a piece of foil for the stream, a paper bowl with an entrance cut out, some salt clay/dirt to stick the twigs and branches, and another bowl with potting soil and some water to mix more mud. They gathered all of the natural materials and built the dam and lodge on the stream. When they were finished, I did a "Water Test" to see if the dam would hold back the water. I was cracking up as they were zooming all over to get their sticks and dried grass and then problem-solving as they worked. Mr. Nibblestix oversaw the process.

And yet, I still wasn't done with them before we broke for lunch- we made the pretzel and melted chocolate cookies, shaped like beaver lodges. All of my bowls and spoons are still in the bags, needing to be washed. By the time I got home, it was 4 pm and I was POOPED OUT! I asked Gary if people get more tired when they are outside in the cold weather because I really was exhausted. I took a nice hot shower and had leftovers for dinner in my PJs.
I have two more field trips to plan before the holidays- One is for my coworker's HS Pod nextFriday and then the other one is for the JW Pod on Dec 22nd. I wasn't sure if they would still want to have that date because --well, a couple of days before Christmas. But I honestly don't know how they celebrate Christmas, if at all. I asked the mom who coordinated the trips and she said she currently has a full group signed up. I am going to do the Winter Solstice, focusing on the planetary significance and maybe a little bit of winter nature crafts.
I am soooo glad that I am not working today. If you could see how messy my house it-- and how bonkers my Christmas to-do list is... it's baaaaaad.

Maybe scrapping today?? It is the last day for the Party games:
Games portion closing Saturday Dec 13th at 11.59pm
What amazing plans do you have today?
Love and hugs!!
)


It sounds so much like me.
I guess I was laying on my left side and it was getting numb!!! Crazy, crazy, crazy!!! 