After Monday, the weather had a change of heart and decided it was still winter. Fine. Thanks to snow suits, the children were not fazed and still seemed comfortable for their standard outside playtime. They still wanted to eat lunch outdoors (though we found a sunny spot since our picnic table is shaded) and carried on as usual. Unfortunately, our hoped for snow this week did not occur, but in lieu we had some "snow dough" play in the mornings. "Snow dough" is like moon dough but far less expensive. It is simple: a 5 lb bag of all purpose flour and 2 cups of oil. I used 1c of baby oil and 1c of vegetable oil. The result is a crumbly concoction that is mold-able and a wonderful sensory experience for the child.
We've been enjoying a bit of green popping up in the form of an Amaryllis gracing our table. Our candle which we light each snack time is nestled in nearby. It's a fitting visual to a part of our morning verse that the children especially love that goes "Good morning dear stones, and flowers every one". The children start the verse with their hands in fists on the floor and slowly "grow" their hands up until they are stretched to the sky. Outside, we're enjoying the lack of green (as in poison ivy and weeds) in the deep woods and have found viney forts to play in and climb over and through!
It's a wonderful thing to watch how hard these children work outside. To move in so much clothing requires extra strength and they are generally hungry a little earlier. It reminds me a bit of our story we've been telling (generally outside in the sun), about a snowy day when a donkey finds two carrots. He nibbles one, but then thinking of his friend Duck, who must surely be hungry, he walks "trot, trot, trot through ice and snow" to his friend Duck's home. Duck is not home, so he leaves it by her door. Duck is out looking for food and finds a fish, but returns home to find the carrot. She thinks of her friend Sheep...and so on. The children all give a satisfied smile at the end of the story. They can certainly relate to the trot, trot, trot through the cold, but they also take a special interest in one another and think about eachother when one is absent. There is still a bit of a "mini party" when each one arrives. There's a slow unwinding to the day that allows them to develop their play together, but also allows for the time to work difficulties through. It's no wonder they are exhausted at the end of the day. Working with one another is hard, but satisfying work!
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