Sometimes my play begins with a prompt - a tiny invitation to play.  The other day it came in the form of scarlet elf cap fungus. ​

Spring is really springing around my neck of the woods! It is so encouraging to hear so much birdsong, and to have the sun shining through. Each day I am walking and writing, walking and writing - my 2-pronged approach to this in-between time. 

Below are some ideas around expressing gratitude (a wonderful well-being and positivity-encouraging thing to do at any time!) and journalling.

In our forest school groups, this takes many forms, but we try to do this regularly. It demonstrates a reciprocal relationship with the land and with each other. Here are some examples:

• sharing things for which we are grateful in our opening circle time
• singing songs about being thankful (some gratitude songs we sing include: "Thank you to the forest" and "We've got so much so much so much to be thankful for" and "When I Rise")
• expressing gratitude during our closing circle time for something that happened, or that they saw/experienced during our time together
• offering a tobacco tie to Jan, our Anishnaabe Knowledge Keeper and friend, when she comes to tell us stories
• offering seeds and plants to the earth
• offering seeds to chickadees and squirrels and meadow voles in the winter months
• asking for permission (from the plant), then thanking a plant when we harvest it (using the "honourable harvest" as a guide)
• looking very closely at the things in our natural world - journalling about them, asking questions, showing wonder and curiosity and awe

How do you express gratitude at home? Try one or more of these ideas this week:

• Look out the window, or go outside. Use all 5 senses to take in what's around you. You could even do a sit spot again!
• Write or draw about what you see/hear/smell/taste/feel. Feel free to email your responses! Or record these every day in a nature journal.
• During a meal, take turns expressing at least one thing for which you are grateful today. You could keep a family journal near the table for recording these things.
• At bedtime, list 3 things for which you are grateful. It's a great way to end the day. :)

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It's not surprising that an attitude of gratitude is mind-changing, and life-changing too. What we focus on matters! I notice, with my own children, that it's very easy to come up with a laundry list of the bad feelings or moments - these are potent too! For myself, ending the day on a "good note" helps with sleep and with my attitude the next morning. 

 Journals can take many forms. In our programs, we have made some from recycled paper, and we have bought some too. Personally, I prefer blank pages - unlined. More possibilities! Here are some possible prompts, but follow your nose! And eyes and ears and heart. 

• Once you have your journal - handmade or bought - take it outside or near a window.
• Look closely. Draw what you see. Write what you see. Go with what your intuition wants you to do. Perhaps you just want to look and look and look, and not record anything today. 
• Find a leaf, left over from fall. Draw it, looking at the tiny details of the veins. What do you notice about it?
• If you have any spring flowers, sit by them. Draw one. Imagine being that flower. Write about it. What do you see as a flower? What do you notice today?

Some of Josh Shea's ideas of what to look for this week include:

• bugs! (As I typed this - outdoors in my backyard - one just flew by and hit me on the nose) What bugs have you noticed so far?
• In my walks, I hear woodpeckers drumming on trees, robins chirping, chickadees calling out their mating songs, cardinals singing back and forth. What birds are you hearing on your street or in your backyard?
• Look up! Watch for flocks of geese, swans, and ducks flying overhead. How many can you count in one week?
• If you're lucky enough to be near some swamps, ponds, or wetlands, listen for the sound of the red-winged blackbird (conk'a'ree!), and with more daylight the delight of other bird songs. 
• What else are you noticing this week?

In closing, I encourage you to use the outside world as medicine as much as possible as a family. Follow the interests of your children - it's amazing to hear the questions that rise when you allow them to lead their learning.

​We are aware that Huron Natural Area is overrun with people right now, making it an unsafe place to be, so please try to find other areas to walk/explore. Thank you! 

"It's not enough to wish, dream, hope. Even children know this.
We must sail into the sea of uncertainty.
We must meet fear face-to-face.
We must take our dreams as maps for a greater journey.
Dreams, to come true, need a good story.
​So go live one."
~ Vironika Tugaleva

​Last week, I put out the call for maps of Huron Natural Area, with children just using the power of memory, and I'm happy to share these submissions with you. I love how different each one is - different parts of the park drawn, and various stories (I'm sure) that inform the maps. 

Here is what Poesy said about her map, below:
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"This little snake was the baby one I showed my Mom at the end of Forest School one day.  I found it under the log.  The pink house is the bat house in the meadow.  There is a mallard duck swimming in the pond.  My favourite trees are these ones at the bottom of my map.  They are at the beginning of the path.  I drew the place we had the fire on the last day.  In the top corner I drew the fox den, along the path to coyote corners.  I miss forest school so much!"

Another family took up the challenge. Three children made three very different maps. Here is Samuel's map, which shows many areas of the park - kind of like a bird's eye view. 

And here is Eliza's map. I love that both Eliza and Poesy have the bat house on their maps. It is definitely a landmark in the park now!

And here is Ezekiel's map. He did a very detailed drawing of places that included the entrance, play area, and parking lot.

Below is a map that we worked on with several of our forest school groups over the years, adding bits and pieces here and there. Some animal sightings, some special places (note the use of "magic" for many of the areas), and frequented areas. Over the years, we have named the spots too, sometimes according to the animals that we saw there, or evidence of animals. Map-making definitely is a way of storytelling for us - to tell what we've seen and heard and experienced together. Naming these spots, trees, landmarks says, "this land is important to us."

Here are two other ways that we've made maps over the years:

These are "maps" that we make in one session together.

1. Each person gets a stick with a long piece of cotton wrapped around. We have also used yarn or masking tape. 
2. We go on a journey! 
3. We collect things that interest us. [we talk about our picking guidelines - no live creatures, no scat, things that have fallen on the ground, and using the "honorable harvest" to discern whether to pick/harvest]
4. As we go, we attach them to our journey sticks.
5. When we reach our destination, we talk about what we chose and where. As we do that we "map" out our journey, picturing places in our heads as we hear each other describe the treasures collected. 

This name might seem deceptively similar to the name "Journey Sticks", but believe me, these are TOTALLY different. We made these after a year of being together.

1. Be together for a long time. Maybe even a school year. Take photos of adventures together. 
2. At the end of that long time, gather around the photos. Remember together.
3. Pass out sticks and sharpies. Draw or write about your favourite memories.
4. Share your ideas with the group. 

This map is a little more abstract, but it is a way of mapping out our time together - recording memories in drawings, words, and colours. Looking back, highlighting. Remembering where and when and what and which season and which feelings. It's a powerful way of reflecting together... saying "oh ya!! I remember too!"

How do you map your experiences with the land? With each other? With yourself?