The spectrum

 We started science class (3-6 year old) at the Cape Cod Children's Museum .

I love to have the opportunity to expose Scout to new things. However, I am always guarded to make sure the "adults" running the program are respectful of the children. Too often I find that the children are treated like possessions to be ordered around and their opinions, wants, needs and interests ignored. Not so here !! I was so happy to see the two teachers completely tuned in and respectful to the children . If Scout wasn't finished with what she was doing there was no pressure for her to "finish up". If Scout wanted to do her experiment a different way she was complimented for being a "good scientist". The teachers spoke in real science lingo..scientist, spectrum, pipet, experiment were words being used. If you live close by I encourage you to join in our class. Thursdays from 1-2:30 (yes a 3 year old stays completely engaged for an hour and a half). There are 9 weeks left. I believe next weeks topic is dinosaurs.

 

 

Making a play-doh rainbow stick. Needing together red and blue to make purple. Notice the "lips of concentration" seen throughout this blog entry!!

 

Snow day

 

A nervously empty hay barn...

 

 

200 bales later...:)

 

 

And all before lunch! Happy snow day :)

Skiing

Of course we want our children to love what we love. Naturally we introduce them to those things. For them to really love those things we must let them do it on their terms. We don't push Scout to do what we want her to do. Even when she shows interest we don't try to "instruct", unless she asks...which she will when she is ready. This keeps the joy in the activity, just like keeping the joy in all learning. So if she wants to go to "ski school" and then mostly just wants to roll in the snow when she gets there, thats what she does. No pressure to "learn". She is learning, that going skiing is fun, and what ever else she needed to discover...whether we understand what that is or not.

Erosion

Winter is here and the bugs are long gone. During bug season we remove the manure from the paddock to keep the bugs from breeding and transport it to a compost heap to create "black gold" for our organic gardens.

Now, this winter, we have another mission. Control the erosion and save the trees. This was a great opportunity to teach the kids about erosion. What is it? Why was it happening? What can we do about it? What are the consequences if we do nothing?

So now, instead of filling wheel barrows, they are designing retaining walls and filling them to save the trees in the horse paddock. How will they work? Which materials work the best? How will the environment, weather and horses effect their efforts? Time will tell, they have all winter to work on it. Next summer we will have trees growing in the black gold, roots protected once again. 

Life is Good!