Imagine

We got this great book about nests from the library. It was amazing to see and learn that different kinds of birds make different kinds of nests. They all had one thing in particular in common, "They all need to hold eggs". With clay the children sculpted nests and eggs to go in their nests. We used dried grass and herbs to make a "cozy place for the eggs, where they can be warm."

Since our initial inquiries concerning feathers our class has been talking about birds. We set out various loose materials, corks, tp tubes, beans, sticks, tape and glue and and invited the children to make a bird.  We discussed the characteristics that are unique to birds. The children worked hard to show us what they knew about birds. In the below photo we see two birds, each made by the same child on different days. So much more attention to detail on the second try! These beautiful birds are displayed in our studio, some are hanging from the branch in the corner and some are on the green shelf . Please, if you have the time take a look.

I brought in a feather that I found while walking one afternoon that I thought would make a nice conversation piece. What are feathers? Where do they come from? The children have naturally started to express an interest in birds because there is a Pileated woodpecker nesting in one of our Oaks on the playground. We learned that birds are the only animals that have feathers.  Birds have three kinds of feathers, and the feather that I found was a birds flight feather. We celebrated this new knowledge and our bird skills by naming species of birds and drawing different types of feathers. After our initial drawings some children realized that other shapes are similar to a feather.  I took a few moments the next morning gathering fallen leaves. The class loved touching and feeling them.  I set out some paint and decided to leave a provocation for children to transform the dead leaves into feathers using paint and their imagination. It was a great way to p

As a final step in exploring the ideas of dirt and all things that live in it, the class planted our growing herb seedlings in big planters to give their roots more room to grow. The children decorated giant cups individually and then we set up an invitation outside for each child to plant a seedling. We know that plants need air, sun, and water to grow and so we found a nice sunny spot for our potted herbs to call home. It was a fun way to continue welcoming the Spring.