As the weather gets warmer and warmer the Oak Tree children have noticed an increasing amount of animals that have decided to make home in the school yard.  Going on nature walks and observing the wildlife has sparked an interest in bird watching amongst the children!

The educators of Oak Tree have been teaching our bird watchers about habitats and birdlife, which has lead us to making our own bird feeders to take home so the kids can continue to bird watch from the comfort of their house.  

Some kids wanted to make their bird house especially unique by adding wind chimes made from spare keys, lots and lot of bright colours to get the birds attention, and extra cushion so the birds have somewhere to relax when they go home.  

The Educators at Dawn and Dusk know how important it is to have an outlet for all the energy the children bring, so we get creative with different ways to get them moving & shaking!

Recently our Pine Tree group wanted to play indoor soccer, so we gave them half of the gym and the freedom to set it up how they saw fit. Using gym matts, they built an "arena" before squaring off in a game of soccer that lasted over an hour!

Sometimes we have basketball available in the morning, which a few children really enjoy. Nothing quite wakes you up like a shooting a few hoops before heading to school!

And for some low-key morning movement, we've introduced yoga, guided by Cosmic Kids Yoga on Youtube. 

For those who are bursting with energy when the sun comes up, we want to be able to match those vibes and provide opportunities to shake it out. The Educators know it can be hard to sit and concentrate in school when our bodies just need to move (that's why recess breaks are so important to a child's day of learing!) and we're committed to finding new, fun, and interesting ways to exert that morning energy. Thanks for stopping by and checking out what we've been up to!

There's something fascinating about miniature worlds, and the Oak Trees dove right into this tiny land of animals & the elements. There were bins of mud, snow and water available for exploration & sorting of the animals. 

They got right to work sorting the animals into their "preferred" environment. This opened up a discussion on food chains, climates, and the unique way each animal contributes to the environment through everything from their dung to their migration patterns.

More than just pretending to be in an itty bitty land, the Oak Tree group had a more scientific approach to this set up, provoking questions and answers from each other and the Educators. A fine example of playing to learn and learning to play.

As our backyard here at Dawn & Dusk thaws/dries out, we'll have first hand experiences with our own wildlife and their habits. With all the nests and coccoons throughout our forests and bushes, we will have endless opportunities to  continue exploring this very interesting subject!