Take Me Outside Day - Kindergarten Style

The Scodouleys (Mrs. Scott, Mrs. Mah-Doucette & Mrs. Crossley's class) joined us for an exciting expedition to the forest as part of national Take Me Outside Day.  We committed to an hour outside but ended up spending an hour and a half.  Our timing was perfect as the wind picked up and temperatures were dropping as we were heading back inside.  

The focus of our adventure was to brew some new varieties of forest tea.  Each student was a 'tea artist' and given the task of creating their own special brew using anything they could find that was on the forest floor and not alive.  Their first task was to find the perfect stirring/mashing stick, then they were given a plastic cup with some water in it.  We learned how to safely smell new things and then we were off to brew.  

These new varieties consisted of leaves of all kinds: maple, birch, beech, oak, hemlock; acorns, bark, wood chips, fungus, soil, moss, twigs, etc.  They all had a unique aromatic profile.

After all teas were sufficiently brewed and steeped, we had a toast and then headed back to the school yard to have our tea party.  We shared the names of our new tea flavours with three friends and let them have a 'taste' (smell).  Delicious!

Finally, we lined up our teas and counted how many new flavours!  

Here's the money shot!  

Another successful visit to the forest. 

 Not only is at alive with things to 'explover', 

but it provides one of the best canvases for learning!