Thank you to all of our families for the large and enthusiastic participation in the Family Work Party and to those who solved the Work Party “Puzzler.” This year it was a group of six or seven dads who created an amphitheater out of loose parts. The result is three 12 foot-long plank benches on the back side of Toad Mountain and a stage that is 12’ x 8’made of plywood with an underpinning of pallets and scavenged lumber. It was reminiscent of last year when the play equipment was constructed out of loose parts, without a manual. I was amused and pleased with the problem solving that went into this effort. The backside of Toad Mountain is already being referred to as “Story Mountain.” Now the story enactments will have a real stage and a place for the audience.

The second big activity was the creation of the perimeter organic gardens in the fenced area in the Tadpole yard. The landscape ties were cut to size and the groundhog proofing chicken wire skirt was installed under the dirt on the outside of the fence. As soon as the students create dirt from straw, compost, sand and topsoil, they can plant the seedlings that they are cultivating indoors. There will also be a second attempt at the sunflower hut in the protected area inside of the fence. Last year the sunflower hut project was “nipped in the bud” by hungry groundhogs.

Thanks also to the wood stainers, roto-tillers, mulch spreaders, pothole fillers, and the flower transplanters. The Frogs’ outdoor classroom floor has been graded and we will be topping it with mulch as soon as we can purchase some. The county was out of mulch. Due to the mild winter, there were not as many downed trees to shred causing a shortage.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Work Party, we are now officially prepared for Spring and the April showers that will bring May flowers. There is a report that our Mallard Momma is sitting on 20 eggs. That is a sure sign of Spring!

In addition to bringing April showers, this month is also a time of clearing and preparing the gardens. April also signals the start of some of our spring celebrations and rituals: including picture day, our annual Grandmother Oak Tree Tea Party , and Frog graduation.

March is an idea time to explore wind. Children love balloons. What better way to teach children about the wind than to incorporate one of their favorite play things.

Last week, the children brought balloons to Toad Mountain. We blew them up and put several in large garbage bags to make “air chairs.” The children loved sitting on the new chairs and experiencing the feeling of the balloons bouncing back. Some of them chose to sit and bounce so hard that they popped the balloons. Rounds of giggling ensued!

Some children wanted their own balloons to play with, so teachers blew up balloons for individual children. Others tried blowing up balloons themselves. Some of the older children were able to get their breaths going forcefully enough to actually blow up the balloons!

Another favorite thing to do was to blow up a balloon and let it go. It would fly all over in crazy patterns as the departing air propelled it around. Fun!

For Frog class small group, one of the groups made salad dressing. We used grapefruit juice, vegetable oil, fresh parsley, a little sugar, salt, pepper, and chili powder. We shook it all together and realized that, just like our oil and water experiments showed yesterday, oil and water don’t mix. Some ingredients floated, and some sank to the bottom. The other small group participated in the experiment they missed yesterday, which involved oil, water, and corn syrup with sinking and floating. They enjoyed the challenge of mixing the oil and water.

The following is the complete recipe for southwest salad and the dressing.

SOUTHWEST SALAD

2 heads Boston lettuce, rinsed and dried
1 bunch watercress, stems removed
1/4 lb. jicama (2 c.), cut in strips
2 pink grapefruit, cut in segments (reserve 1/3 c. juice)
2 mangos, pared into 1/4 inch slices
2 avocados, pared and pitted, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 red onion, thinly sliced

Arrange lettuce leaves, watercress, avocado, jicama, grapefruit, mango, and onion.

DRESSING:

Reserved grapefruit juice (1/3 c.)
1 tbsp. chopped coriander or parsley
3 tbsp. olive oil or vegetable oil
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Whisk to blend all ingredients. Drizzle over salad just before serving. Serves 12.

One of our dear, sweet Spring rituals is the spreading of seeds by the children. Between St. Patrick’s Day and the first day of Spring, the children spread clover and grass seeds, with a little help from the March winds, in order to prepare for a grassy lawn after a muddy winter.

With assistance from their teachers, they sprinkle the grass and clover seeds in the front yard. The seeds are then covered with straw to keep moisture in and to keep the seeds from blowing away. The yard is sectioned off to protect the planted patches while the seeds take root.

With the help of April showers, our hope is that the grass we sew in March will be covering our play yard in time for Graduation in May.

This is one the natural cycles of Frog Pond.

As Spring approaches, I have noticed more and more, the beautiful sounds of birds. They are returning to welcome Spring! Though February was rather unpredictable, we hope that March will bring more of the warm, balmy weather that we love. We shall see what the wind brings to us.

I have been at Frog Pond for a little over a year now. Since I started, all my senses have become more attuned to the subtle, gradual changes that each season brings. The winds of March bring a sense of newness to everything around us. I love to feel the spring winds blowing through my hair and on my skin. I love to lay in the warm sunshine and soak it in. I also love the wetness of the warm rains and stomping in mud puddles. It was a childhood passion of mine.

The warmer weather wakens many creatures from their long hibernations.

We begin to notice more insects, their eggs, and larvae under logs. We notice more birds chattering in the trees. The frogs come out from their muddy hibernation in the ponds to lay eggs. The cycle of humming, buzzing, vibrant life, begins anew.

The Frog class will begin noticing these signs of Spring. Their sparks of excitement and exploration of nature will grow to little flames. They are ready to learn and consume the details of what is happening around them. We will explore the wind, the directions in which it blows, what it can do, and how it affects our weather. We will clean out the gardens and prepare them for planting in April. We will soak up the sunshine and remember the growth and vitality it shares with us. As we observe creatures emerge, we will ask questions about them. We will do experiments and search books to find answers. We will give thanks for the goodness with which nature surrounds us and take care of the things we find. A grand celebration of the Renewal of Earth’s Natural Cycle begins now! Welcome, March, and welcome, Spring!

Diana
Lead Frog Teacher

You are at the park. Suddenly, the wind is blowing. You turn your head to catch the wind in your face. As you feel the wind blow against your face, you close your eyes and feel how your hair is whipped about. In that instant you think “kites!”

Next thing you know you are holding a spool of kite string; a kite high in the sky, zooming around. As you pull and give, the kite dances in the sky. Then just as suddenly as it started, the wind dies down. Your kite drops out of the sky and lands with a soft thud. As you lean down to pick up your kite you notice a beautiful patch of blooming crocuses. Instead of picking up the kite, you lay down in the grass, pick a crocus, and examine its intricacies; the purple and white petals, yellow stamen, and thin green leaves. Then you think to yourself, “Gosh, I love Spring.”

I had never seen a crocus before I moved here and I thought they were the most beautiful flowers. They are so delicate and give such a sense of Spring. Spring starts on the 20th of March this year. I hope to see crocuses blooming in the first week.

The Tadpoles will be able to celebrate spring in different ways. During the first few weeks of March the Tadpoles will help clear the yard and plant grass and clover seeds. As the month progresses we will plant seeds for flowers and foods that we will watch grow throughout the Spring and Summer. Then we will harvest them when they are ready. We will make and fly kites and paper helicopters to learn how wind affects objects. We will use bubbles to see the patterns in the wind as it blows. Clouds are great for showing how wind behaves high in the atmosphere. The Tadpoles will be able to watch birds gather twigs and string for making nests. They will visit Grandmother Oak tree for stories and laying in the grass looking for shapes in the clouds.

It will be a month of springtime fun at Frog Pond Preschool.

Heather
Lead Tadpole Teacher

Butternut and Acorn Squash
(the preschool way)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Preschooler washes the outside of the squash, scrubbing with a veggie brush
3. Take squash and place in a baking dish with ¼ inch of water in bottom
4. Bake for about 45 minutes. Depending on size of squash it may be shorter or longer.  It is done when the sides are soft in the neck section of the squash (most solid part)
5. Allow to cool
6. Cut in half and have your preschooler scrape out the seeds and fibrous part using a large spoon and hands (of course)
7. Peel off the skin or scrape out the flesh, and place the flesh in large bowl
8. Give preschooler a potato masher and allow them to mash away.

You can add a little maple syrup or cinnamon sugar and butter if desired.  Or serve them just the way they are.

Reheat when ready to eat in sauce pan or microwave.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Yummm!

Most of us know that March comes roaring in like a lion and leaves meekly like a lamb—except when it doesn’t! Weather has always been unpredictable in our temperate climate. But we can expect March to be a season of change and restless air as winter’s cold fronts meet warming trends of spring, a perfect time to learn about wind, clouds and weather. Weather wisdom is one branch of knowledge that gets lost when we move inside our climate-controlled houses. Children in agrarian societies often have sophisticated knowledge of weather conditions and ecology in their own territories. This knowledge may help them survive in times of hardship. With help, your children can learn to notice weather signs and understand what they might mean.

Get in the habit of checking the weather outdoors with your child before you both get dressed for the day: Is it sunny or cloudy? Windy? Is there frost? Dew? What is the temperature? (Mount a large thermometer outdoors where you can see it from a window.)

You can keep track of weather trends with a simple calendar and stickers available where teacher supplies are sold. Help your child learn the three basic kinds of clouds: cumulus (puffy), cirrus (wispy) and stratus (flat). Most other cloud types are variations on these three. Learn the cardinal directions in relation to your home and then notice what kind of wind comes from each direction (warm and balmy or wet and wild?)

Look for patterns on your weather calendar:  Do windy days come near a temperature change? Which kinds of clouds come with rain? Snow? Warm days? Cold days?  Does the temperature rise or fall steadily or erratically? Do thunderstorms tend to come at the same time every day?  You can make simple graphs like bar charts or line plots that clearly show these patterns.

Keep it fun and concrete though. Try to keep explanations in terms they can understand. For example, when our breath condenses on a cold day we are making our own personal “clouds” and the inside of a cloud is like a foggy day. Read myths and tall tales about weather and then ask your child if these stories accurately describe how weather happens. Check out weather maps, which are graphic and easy to understand. Emphasize local, observable weather events. Weather knowledge helps gardeners to know when to plant, farmers to know when to harvest, boaters to know when the water is safe and everyone to know how to dress for comfort and safety outdoors.  It also adds to our awareness of seasonal cycles and our sense of place and belonging in the world.

Helpful books and stories:

• “How the Weather Works (Science Action Book)“
• “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs“
• “The WIND BLEW“
• “National Geographic My First Pocket Guides: Weather“
• “Paul Bunyan and the Popcorn Blizzard” (check collections of American Tall Tales)

Please note that a small portion of all proceeds from all purchases made using the above links will go to Frog Pond. We appreciate your support!

What a great start to a new week at Frog Pond. The Tadpoles started their day with colored water (red) play in the media table. They splished and splashed, poured and dumped, and filled and emptied.

At the art table, the Tadpoles used their fingertips to paint leaves on a tree. They really like getting paint on their hands and spreading it on their papers.

While the Swimmers (younger Tadpoles) were getting their shoes on to go outside, the Jumpers (older Tadpoles) took turns pretending to be animals. There was a bear, a lion, and two ducks. Just before they started to sing, three snakes began to slither across the floor. Once the snakes were seated back on the carpet, the Jumpers took turns singing a song to each other.

Outside, the Tadpoles played on the balance beam. They walked across it and jumped off the end. The wood was made into a sea-saw and they took turns going up and down on it. The Tadpoles also played on the rocket ship slide and the other slide next to it.

In the middle of play time outside a shadow passed overhead. Upon looking up the Tadpoles and teachers saw two vultures circling overhead. They landed on the roof of the school. It was very exciting. The Tadpoles were curious about them for about 10 minutes; watching to see what the vultures would do. Eventually they flew away.

Inside, the Tadpoles played with legos. They filled the train table with towers and lego-trains. While that was happening, other Tadpoles were pushing baby dolls in carts and putting them to sleep.

It was a super fantastic day at Frog Pond!

Heather,
Lead Tadpole Teacher

Today was a beautiful day! I showed the frogs some things I had found on a walk with my family this past weekend. There were balls of flying seeds, owl pellets, and a piece of animal fur. After I shared my story, some of the frogs went to Huntley Meadows. They took a slightly different path today, on which they found a large log to balance, walk, and climb on. They also enjoyed the beautiful weather, and heard many different bird sounds.

The other small group used sticks, rocks, sweetgum balls, and other natural materials, along with string, to make their own pioneer toys. Some made airplanes or birds. Another made a tennis racket. One made a dog on a leash. Another made a doll of a mother with a papoose (a Native American baby) on her back. They were quite creative in the variety and styles of their natural toys! Then we went out to Toad Mountain.

We enjoyed the weather so much that it wasn’t long before we had to take off our coats! We saw and heard many animals while at Toad Mountain today. There was a large ground hog that ran across the front of our yard and out under the gate. There was a woodpecker high in a dead tree, pecking away at the bark to find bugs for lunch. There was a turkey vulture soaring high over head in circles. And there were either hawks or falcons of some sort that made screatching sounds in the woods. We later saw them soaring in the sky. The children brought their pioneer toys outside and played with them. They also played on the stumps and swings, on the monkey bars, pretend play in a shelter of sticks, etc. We also played Hungry Hippo. The frogs also spent some time outside at lunchtime, since we enjoyed a picnic today!

Diana
Lead Frog Teacher