Hello Friends! 

It has been a while since we have updated you on the happenings of our organization. Exciting news is that we are back in the forest, learning and playing together in person! It has been a whirlwind these past few months but we are beyond grateful for our staff and the learning community that helped us get to where we are today. This is our third year being in our forest classroom where we are learning and growing in nature together! It has been wonderful to see our friends again and we are grateful to be in such a beautiful location, rich with resources and learning opportunities. Reopening program during the pandemic has had its obstacles, however, we are taking the appropriate precautions to ensure that we can safely continue with in-person classes. 

The great thing about being an outdoor school is that social distancing is already made easier. 
There are also the added psychological benefits of being in sunlight and fresh air that is a necessity during this time. As an organization we are following the up-to-date CDC guidelines and have suspended our seasonal workshops for the time being. However, our nature immersion program is up and running three days a week, and we hope to re-launch our workshops and family nature play class as soon as we can. 

During program we have created subgroups so that each class has a pod of five children to avoid cross contamination with other groups. We have designated hand washing times and are making sure there is no sharing of materials. While the learning curve of operating during a pandemic has been steep, we are thrilled to be in nature and giving the children an enriching and nourishing educational experience.

We are in our fifth week of program, and this week our theme is Salmon and Autumn leaves. 
This is an awesome way to learn about the cycles of seasons and how animals and nature are intricately intertwined.
Last week, our focus was minibeasts! The kids loved making bug hotels, finding roly-polys, slugs, and learning about the different minibeasts that live in the forest. 
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Hello Learning Community! 

Exciting news! Barnacles and Bees has been approved for a PPP grant and we are up and running with all your favorite people, so please don't hesitate to email any questions as they come up!

And now for some ants. I don't know about you, but I have a love hate relationship with ants. I hate when they scurry into my house (where we live in West Bremerton is basically an ant hill)  but I love how they pull by little ones into observing nature because it is neat to follow them and find out where they go in such a hurry. Small, common creatures are so accessible and this week we are looking at one of the smallest, and most common: The Ant. 
Ants facts 
Ants are insects which are part of the Animal Kingdom. The Family of ants makes up 8,000 species!! The black garden ant? It is one of the most common species in Europe and North America. They are very social creatures and goodness their colonies (families) are big.
What are the ant's role within their colony?
1. Queen Ant: She is larger than the other ants, and her role in the colony is to lay eggs. 
2. Worker Ants: These are most of the ants, they are daughters of the Queen ant, they CANNOT lay eggs and are sterile. Work? They collect food, take care of eggs, larvae, they defend the nest, and are in charge of making the nest larger. Whew!
3. Male Ants: During warmer months, the Queen lays eggs that hatch into male ants, and new queen ants. They both have wings and only live a few months. Their job is to fly off and mate. The queens will find new sites, and the males don't live long
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Also, for more information I found this really cool link, if you want to know more about how ants survive the rain, Paisley was wondering if their colonies just fill up with water. Well your questions are answered here.

Indoor Activities: 
1. Ant Farm
Go online and purchase an ant farm from our local Bug Museum. You will NOT regret it. I won't say "endless amounts of entertainment" but definitely will engage your little in observation and asking questions about behavior. The blue gel one, actually glows in the dark. 

2. Films about ants 
Humans have always been fascinated by ants. There are a few movies out. A Bug’s Life (1998, rated G: General Audiences), is one of team’s favorites :) Now watching movies is a great way to learn and open conversation about a theme with your children. Cyrielle likes to take 15 min after the movie and review a couple of facts and jot down her kids' response. What is the title of the movie? When was the movie made? Who are the main characters? What type of bugs are they? What is the movie about? Anything that will spark a conversation and a learning experience.

3. Play Dough 
We (and especially I) have been finding it relaxing to create insects with play dough and then using something from outside to add elements for the ant. For the ant, I found it helpful to skewer the playdough on a toothpick - head, thorax (neck), and abdomen. 
Body parts facts:
* Ant Antennae : They touch AND smell with them
* Mandibles : These are used for so many things since ants don't have forearms to help them do things. So these powerful mandibles: biting, crushing, cutting, digging, fighting, and hunting.
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Outdoor Activities
1- Ant Hunt:
Take with you three different vessels for collecting an ant inside and see if you can find
- An ant mound on the pavement or in the forest
- A trail of ants
- An ant carrying a piece of food (or being food, I actually saw a Northern Flicker eating some!)
Bring them home (backyard) and note the differences between the ants. 

2- Using mandibles
Find some leftover cardboard and draw the outline of 2 mandibles for your kiddos, hand over some scissors, and with you present, have them cut out the shapes. With the pieces, challenge your kiddo to pick up objects with them. Share that ants use these parts of their body to pick up heavy objects and use them to pass food into their mouth. 

Extra fun (not Ant related): Create a Volcano from By the Shore, Nancy Blakey
- With a shovel dig a hole in the sand*, and set a bottle inside
- Build a mountain shape covering over the bottle, cover it with bright white shells to be dyed by the lava, if you like
- Take the lid off and add 3 TB baking soda and 1 tsp of liquid dish soap with funnel
- Then finally, add 1/2 cup vinegar with red food coloring
- Stand back and watch
* it doesn't have to be sand but it is nice for packing and showing off the color you use

I hope you are all doing great, and enjoying the beautiful weather out there
Our team cares about you and misses being with you in person 

Robin

Hello dear, dear Nature Learning Community,

I took a jaunt over to a new State Park today called Jarrell Cove on Harstine Island and I gotta say it was the trip I needed to ignite some State Park exploration relatively close to home. I LOVED this park, I was feeling a little fearful that Paisley was determined to have a bad time when she mentioned she hated trees upon entering the park (I'll bet she was going to a playground or the zoo...like "before the virus" as she says)  but then she was quickly led by moths into meadows of daisies and being intrigued by wood shavings. At one point we ran into some bikers who were interested in her moth/butterfly carrier and he was all too ready to share about how she captured it. She also started to share about her Nature School that, when the virus was over she would be going back to every day. The lady was THRILLED to hear that Bremerton had a Nature Program for our kiddos! I felt a sense of pride while Paisley explained our Program to a stranger with passion AND relief that it is just waiting to start again!

Caterpillars!
Like the caterpillar we are all just waiting to emerge from our chrysalis to flutter about, but while in this phase we are gathering our strength and what we need to face a new world...WITH WINGS.

Information:
This week we are visiting the Animal Kingdom!
- Caterpillars are invertebrates and they are the largest group of animals compared to those with a spine.
- They have a "segmented" body, exoskeleton, and jointed appendages
- They are a type of insect which means they have three part body (head, thorax, and abdomen), 3 pairs of jointed legs, AND an exoskeleton (a nice hard exterior to keep them protected)

Indoors activities: 

1- Play dough Caterpillars! 
The Credit for this goes entirely to Raising Up Wild Things. I had an activity where you were going to form caterpillars with play dough but I LOVE how she uses dried flowers to add detail, and patterns for the segments of the caterpillar. You could also just use ANY nature material that you find. 

If you don't play dough made, or have any, here is a recipe

Listen to a Poem: Don't cry Caterpillar from Grace Nichols

" Don't cry caterpillar
Caterpillar don't cry,
You'll be a butterfly, dash by and by,
Caterpillar, please don't worry about a thing,
"But", said the caterpillar,
"Will I still know myself - in wings""

Outdoors activities:  

Caterpillar hunt:
- Go out and find evidence of caterpillars
Possible Tools: Magnifying Glass, Ruler, Nature Journal, Bug Carrier
- Look for leaves that have holes in them and see if there is a caterpillar underneath
- If you choose to take the caterpillar with you, take a some leaf that it was eating
Amanda shared with us how they witnessed the metamorphosis of a Black swallow tail butterfly. So cooool!
Here are some instructions about how to raise a caterpillar to an adult stage.

Yoga Sequence:
- Start this sequence as a caterpillar in an egg, on your knees and folded down, head tucked in (child's pose)
- Breath here nice and slow, in and out through the nose, waiting and being still
- Slowly start to move the head, and pop! bring the head forward not moving the body and start nibbling at the egg shell. Your first meal!
- You need to search for more food! To move, lengthen yourself out and then jump or wiggle your feet to behind your hands, and repeat 3 times or so
- When you find food to eat you are to return to your knees and nibble away using your hands.
-Now the more you eat and move around, you continue to get longer and longer until when you go to eat you are lying flat on your belly.
- You have eaten so much that you have become a huge caterpillar! Lay on your back, reach your hands to your toes and grab the big toe and rock from side to side
- Crawl one last time to find a place to be still, lay on your back and draw your knees in and wait here
- 3 breaths here and then shoot those legs up and out!
- Come to sit on your bottom and bring the feet together with bent knees, flap up and down like a butterfly!
- Get to your feet and fly around!!

I hope that you all have an excellent week!
Robin

​Outdoor Activities

1- Clay Pots with Grass Wick: (from Forest School Adventure: Outdoor Skills and Play for Children by Walmsey and Westall) 
You need some air dry clay, so hopefully you have some lying around, if not it is worth purchasing..
*before you begin, make a wick out of things you find: grass is a great option, and goes with our theme, moss, string, bark, cotton, wool. twist it together until it look like a wick (or like cigar shape)
1. Get a clay ball the size of a lemon
2. Work it into a nice ball, then take your thumb and make a indent
3. From where you put your thumb in, work it around in a circle, pressing into the edges
4. Now take thumb and forefinger and pinch a spot on the rim to create a spout (to lay the wick to rest)
5. Choose your oil: sunflower, coconut, lard 
6. Lay the wick you made, half in the oil, the tip resting on the spout. 
7. Dab the oil on the tip of the wick a bit, now the wick should be able to draw up the oil as it goes
8. Light her up!

2- Dew Drops on Grass 
Eye-dropper in hand, a jar of water goes forth and tries to land a dew drop on a blade of grass. It is excellent for patience building, and a steady hand. 

3- Bottle Filter: from Forest School Adventure: Outdoor Skills and Play for Children by Naomi Walmsley and Dan Westall
This filter works well with many layers taking out the big chunks of dirt..but WON"T remove bacteria and chemicals...you must boil the water after if you want to drink it.
1- make muddy water, or go find some in a pond (your activity might end here if you just have fun making muddy water and that's okay
2- Gather natural materials
- crushed charcoal
- gravel
- grass
- leaves
- wood shavings
- pine cones
You don't need all these materials, you just want a combination of small and big pieces to make some nice layers for the water to trickle through

3- Put everything together
- You need to grab a plastic bottle, piece of cloth
- cut the bottom off the plastic bottle and wedge the cloth into the neck of the bottle
- Then fill it with layers in this order as best you can: charcoal, gravel, grass, leaves, wood shavings, pine cones
- make sure that everything compacted down nice and tight. The larger particle of dirt will be snagged in the top chunkier layers, and then the smaller particles will be caught by the charcoal 

That's it from me, can't wait to see what you guys are up to this week.

Survive but also thrive!
Robin
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Hello Learning Community: Co-Founders, Board Member, Families in the Program

The virus may be affecting our rhythms but out in the natural world, the animals are still keeping to theirs. This is the time of year where the Northern Flickers (a beautiful bird) start drumming on trees. Here is a great video below since it is more likely you will hear them before you see them. If you would like to learn MORE about this amazing bird that will probably show its head where you are, here is a great site with information about them and more local animals. They are a really neat bird that is actually around in urban areas and forests. 

Question this week..."Do woodpeckers get headaches when they hit wood over and over again? 

Inside Activities: 

1. Picking up "Ants" like a Northern Flicker
Northern Flickers have tongues that have sticky saliva made special for catching ants and other small bugs. One Flicker's stomach was found to have 5,000 ants inside, so they like them. 
Method A
            - First, you will find a string and attach a clothespin to the end of it--this is your bird's head so maybe draw some          eyes on either side. 
           - Second, make it sticky, wrap tape with sticky side out, get creative. 
           - Next, spread out some sunflower seeds or something that looks like it could be ants on the ground
          - All that is left to do is to dangle that string down (from whatever height you feel comfortable with) and pick one up. Collect them and see how many you can get
Method B
          - Use those same clothespins and pick up sunflower seeds, or other things that could represent ants. 
           - You could just plop them in a tray...or you could arrange them on paper with sticky glue in a need design

2. Watching your Northern Flicker Trap:
Northern Flickers LOVE to eat ants, so if your yard abounds with them you have a leg up. But if you don't you can still lure them out, all you need to is set out peanut butter, and apple slices. Do this before a meal so that your kids can watch from the window to see the Northern Flicker that is drawn to these tasty foods. 

Outside Activities:

1. Making a Bow and Arrow 
from "Play the Forest School Way" by Jane Worroll and Peter Houghton
This has nothing to do really with Northern Flickers, but I did think that looked like a good time and that we need to do it. I really want your FEEDBACK on this one. 

2. Northern Flicker Drumming: 
This one is pretty straight forward: it is experimenting with different tools and surfaces to make that woodpecker drumming sound that we all love. Now the Northern Flicker loves to project and be as loud as possible, so finding the combination that will do the trick might take some time. 

Flickers also drum to puncture holes in whatever is available to find food but to also make a home. If you are so fortunate as to have a log that you can make a hole in for a home then try taking a peg and a mallet and hit it to make a hole that could be a cozy lodging for a bird...or just to make holes cause it is fun. I did this with shells the other day because my friend from Program, Odin, had inspired me a while back...except that I used metal knitting needles and it was a blast and therapeutic. 

Print this email off, post it up and try some of them...that is my goal for this week.

I hope that this email finds you well and that this week begins your passionate study of birds if you have not already begun that journey 

Have a great week! 
Robin ​

Are you Interested in learning more about outdoor education, nature connection and sharing your experience with the community? Barnacles and Bees Facebook Group is live!

Inside
1. Flower Pressing
Take the blossom and place between sheets of wax paper and then place something heavy on top for 7 days and see what kind of flower pressings you get. 
2. Dandelion Syrup Cont'd
Step 2: 
- Wash them thoroughly, cut the petals off and put them on a kitchen towel to dry
- When dry, put the petals in a pot and cover them with water. Bring them to a rolling boil for about one minute. Remove from the heat and cover. When cool, put them in the fridge to steep overnight. 
Step 3: 
- Next day, sieve the petals from the water--using a spoon to press the petals with a spoon to get all the juice out. 
-Use the juice in the pot, add sugar, lemon juice and simmer, covered on low heat until it has thickened, stirring occasionally. The MORE sugar, the THICKER. 
- Check consistency after an hour, did a spoon into the syrup and it will be thick enough if it sticks to the back of the spoon
- Store in the fridge up to 3 weeks

I do hope that each of you is thriving where you are planted for the time being. Speaking to our families, if you are not thriving, and you feel a lack of support, please do feel free to contact me via email. Just a drop off and pick up I want to check in with you and see how you are! 
 Take care out there, soak in that Vitamin D like it is going out of stock,

​Robin

Hello dear families, 
 
I hope that all of you are continuing to adapt to this crazy world that we are living in and that you are finding a new rhythm in which to thrive. There are some definite silver linings in this time when we are driven from being with our communities in person--much like a theme for this week. 
 
Garden Snails. Your delightful slime trails, spirally shells, and slow cautious approach out of your shell are all so intriguing. Although garden snails are able to climb up plants and eat your beautiful blooms, they also will eat all the dead and decaying plants, and as an added bonus their poop is a nitrogen rich fertilizer that will enhance your plant's nutrition!
 
This period of being contained more at my house has allowed me to strengthen my skills in art projects. It really has NEVER been my thing. But actually it is very much my daughter's thing. When I have invited her to come participate she has been like , "what?! really?! YES! Wait, is there glitter? No glitter?....Yes still." 
 
1- Snails Fun Facts: 
- When a snail is born, it is born WITH its shell and it grows with that shell. So when we hurt the shell, we also send pain to the snail as a whole.
- They love to come out in the rain because it is easier for them to move about on their muscular foot. 
- When it is dry, they take refuge under rocks and logs and sometimes even seal themselves inside their shells
- These creatures are nocturnal and can eat several times their weight a day with thousands of replaceable teeth! Eek.
- Even though people usually group them with "bugs" they are not! they are mollusks (yes, yes...clams, oysters and muscles).
 
Resources that I gleaned from this week:
- Curious Kids Nature Guide by Fiona Cohen 
- Woodlark Blog
- Eye to Eye by Steve Jenkins
 
2- Activities for beginning the day, winding down, resting, and reflecting: 
- Night Walk:
This activity might not be for everyone, but it is fun to do once in a while. Since snails are most active at night, go and take a night walk to search for snails in your yard with flashlights. During the day search for them under old pieces of bark, rocks, and skirting the dark unlaying parts of plants :) The ones that I have found in my yard have been clustered in units: it has been cool to compare patterns and sizes! 
 
- Observation of the Slow Snail: 
Here is a link to an excellent tutorial on how to make a snail habitat.It is from the most excellent blogger named "Woodlark", she has some amazing ideas! Snails are really cool to watch and see what they might do. It's a chill way to spend your sit spot time, or just to be relaxing. The snail could even lead your child in a game of copycat where they do what the snail does, lol. How to Make a Snail Habitat.
 

​3- Activities to inspire, foster focus, and allow for motion:
- Swirly Snail Patterns:
Again this is from the Woodlark Instagram, because it is so fun! When using dry ingredients from your house to make the snail pattern, Paisley discovered that if you use a small twig with clear glue on the end, it was excellent at re-positioning  things!
All you need is: cardboard cutout of snail, clear glue, whatever dry foods or plants you have : beans, lentils, rice... We used pussy willows too :)
 
- Slime Strength Experiment: 
This at home experiment tests the strength of slime! 
All you need is : a willing snail, a piece of plastic, a dime, some sand/dirt, a leaf
 
- Painting Weather Rocks:
With the coming of snails in this season, the weather is liable to doing crazy things. One minute it's raining, the next storming, later hailing. The snails are very aware of the weather changing, and even in old folklore they were said to have been able to predict weather! 
So, the idea is to paint rocks with a weather scene on each one. Your kiddo can be in charge of picking out the weather rock that matches what they see outside. It's possible they might not move it all day, maybe 10 times a day. It's all a surprise.
 
Have fun this week, stay healthy AND happy
I miss “our in person learning community” more than my trips to Trader Joe's!
 
 Robin (Mrs. Moss)​

Hello Families! 
 
Well it was supposed to be Garden Snails this week but on my neighborhood walks I have been noticing the trees doing some amazing things, and I thought that it would be a good time to focus our attention on the trees. Like us they are stuck where they are and there they must thrive. 
 
1- Activities for beginning the day, winding down, resting, and reflecting: 

Tree Hugging game from the "Forest School Adventure: Outdoor Skills and Play for Children" 
This game is so fun and requires calm awareness. It is a great way to begin the day and get their creativity stirring. 
- Take your kiddo to where there are some trees. Have no fear if you don't have any. If push comes to shove you could just use things around your house. 
- Make sure they can't see and then lead them to a tree
- Lead their hands to the bark and then let them explore the bark with their hands, noticing all the details
- Lead them back to where they started, spin them around real well and then have them go and find the tree that they touched, seeing if they can notice the qualities they experienced blind
 
Sit Spot turned "Lay Spot" 
This time at their sit spots, have them lay on the ground so that they can notice and describe the branches and how they leave the trunk of the tree. It is a good moment to read aloud a poem or a create a spring story telling.
 
2- Activities to inspire, foster focus, and allow for motion:
​
"Leaf Printing" from "Forest School Adventure: Outdoor Skills and Play for Children" 
- Find some scrap fabric or paper towel
- Find some green leaves and Flowers 
- Lay them under the cloth of choice
- Take a hammer, and smash the cloth and see what prints come through!
 
"Acorn Hide- and-Seek" from "Play the Forest School Way" 
Turns out a lot of our trees out there in nature are pantry thanks to squirrels. In the chills of Winter the squirrels get tunnel-visioned about building stores of food by choosing random locations to hide their little bites..and then they forget where some of it ended up. Silly Squirrels. 
- Pretend your little one is a squirrel, and have them hide 10 nuts out in the yard.
- Encourage them to devise a way of remembering WHERE
- Then go for a walk, and look at the trees, see where there are buds, and where the flowers are in bloom
- Then when they come back, get them to try and find where they put all 10 nuts. 
 
3. Woodland Mapping 
- Find a whole PILE of sticks 
- Help your kiddo to make a circle and then have them divide into the 4 directions: North, East, South, and West. 
- Go off into each of those areas by putting heels to the edge of the circle and then walk forward in that direction
- Bring back treasures from that direction and set it in that slice of the circle 
 
I hope that you are all doing great, and let me know if you have any questions,
We are in this together, we will endure!

Take Care,
Robin

Hello Hello Families! 
This is our first at-home learning week experience!
I am so excited to hear from you and how it goes. Whether or not you delve into any of the activities or games - it would be great to hear about what your little was interested in as we explore Birds and Nests.  This is not meant to be a lesson plan exactly; but I have divided up our activities below according to the intentional flow (i.e. , to mimic what we would *normally* be doing during our time in the classroom. Our activities and structure is drawn from the Coyote Mentoring guide. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out!

Supplies: *journals* perhaps you all have some extra journals you could use for our time at home?

1- There are times in our day when we are just beginning, winding down, needing to rest, or wanting to just reflect. 
​​Perfect time to observe some birds:
a) From the comfort of your window. Leave some food for your feathered friends and have some binoculars handy, pay attention to who comes for a visit - maybe note the feathers, legs, size, and maybe create a sketch! 
b) Have fun creating a hide outside for bird viewing (be sure to leave out some seeds)...this is especially fun at the end of the day, cause birds are SO busy then. 
c) Find a sit spot. We like to make fires with them, just peaceful...quiet enough to hear the birds, bring their nature journals to their sit spots.
d)  Go for a walk if you can and perhaps find nests. And with winter still happening, they are going to notice easy. 
e) Once you have a nice bundle of bird nest materials, try leaving it by where you saw the birds collecting food, or just a spot you think a bird might find.
f) Make a cozy nest inside before bed, as a way to slow down and get cozy.

2. Then there are times in the day when kids are ready to be inspired , want to focus on a project, want to be in motion!
This is when you can:
a) Bird Stretches/Breaths (from Mindful kids Cards / Little Renegades)    ​
b) Look up some pictures of bird nests that are in your area (Robin, Chickadee, Crow...) What materials do they use? What is their technique? How big is it?
c) Go for a scavenger hunt to collect some of those materials you found in your search of bird nests! Or just any materials that they can find that look string like, soft, what they think would be good to make a nest with. Urban birds get VERY creative, finding things people leave lying around, or other animals leave lying around
d) or...play an active game that looks at the Bird's senses of Hearing and Sight
- Coyote and Deer 
- Hungry Birds 
e) With left over materials found, create your own bird nests.
​I have included a playdough recipe and that is great for holding the nest together. When done you could find a "y" shaped branch to perch it in, or take it inside. 

Have fun out there !
Robin

Are you Interested in learning more about outdoor education, nature connection and sharing your experience with the community? Barnacles and Bees Facebook Group is live!

I'm sure you all have been hearing about Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) going around in WA. 
Kitsap County is preparing people to take steps for preventing the spread and we want to help with that.
If you have not yet looked at it I invite you to read Kitsap Health District Public Health News.

As we want to gather/play and learn as usual and keep doing what we do we also want to be on the safer side.
So if anyone feels sick: temperature, flu symptoms or a cold, please stay home and rest.

Thank you! B&B team.

I was asked by a parent the other day if our kiddos in program were notably more sick being that they were out in the elements so frequently. Kitsap County has had a rough virus season to be sure, but one thing that I have been delighted in is not being trapped in a room sharing scissors between sneezes. It seems to us that on the whole most kiddos have not dipped in their attendance with being sick, showing off their excellent immune systems.

Who says that you cannot go to the beach in Winter? Beach Days despite the cold, have not been spent huddled up under a blanket.  The benefits of adding fire to the program stand out on beach days with that assistance of Barry's Dad Scott providing warm rocks for kiddos who need to give their hands a break! Then they are back to the sand. Another aspect of Beach Days that is beautiful is the variety of terrain that is available for the kids to explore while still being in view. Feeling quiet and want to be away from the crowd? Stand on the pier in the sun looking over the edge (with a grown up). Feeling the need to climb high? Climb the small cedars that border the beach, or the bluff (in view of an adult). Want to have NO plan and just wander? The water's edge is perfect!

As I am sure that you have heard us say, our program is still budding and finding its stride. We are always learning what works and what doesn't work. What a relief it has been to learn that kids have the most amazing imagination! So much time has been spent packing up materials, unloading, cleaning up...when it turns out (especially Friday's crew) that materials/activities are not really needed, or they can be minimal. The other day our staff members were given the hint from a group of kids that they had they play under control and that we didn't need to really participate, they just took off! We stood back watching them play and tears welled up a bit as we have watched these friendship circles grow and bring in kids of all ages and abilities. If you can pretend to be unicorn, you're in! If you want to run around aimlessly and try to tag each other, you're in! I'm just proud of all them! 

A shout out to our NEW parent volunteer Kyle! Ryan's mom is coming every other Friday, and bless her, her first day was a beach day! Other volunteers can attest Beach Day is a lot to take in, and it was great to have some fresh eyes to have us refresh with the kids some basics for the beach. You can help your kiddo remember these on beach day:

1. Keep their layers dry by having toes in the water rather than the whole body
2. When playing at water's edge, eyes forward to the open water
3. Play in view of an adult (that is always a rule but is more of a challenge to stop and ask an adult to move to where they want to go...like down the beach)

Making Candles, Journey Sticks, and Cedar Wands

With themes like earthworms, evergreens and the coming of more light this season in the North West, there are so many activities that come to mind that kids would love to do, and where they would find a challenge.

During our week on light, the kids were invited to make their own candles! We had a mallet for them to break up the wax, and a container to put it in so it could double boil on the fire. Then they went gathering bits of forest floor, chose their essential oil, and then if they wanted to they could pour their own wax. We were not at all surprised by the excitement for the mallet, but were blown away by the skill some showed for pouring their own wax into the tin.

Evergreen weeks brought the making of "journey sticks" and "cedar wands".. These activities were great not only for fine motor practice but patience, and learning when to ask for help.We did the cedar wands during huddle groups so that the kiddos all got to practice the skill without the option of free play, which is lucky, cause there are many who would have ditched the activity and missed out on how empowered they felt afterwards. 

In conclusion, we can plan all the fun activities we want and hope that the kids will love it, but when it comes down to it they love to imagine their own play, and really don't need much to do it. When the team sees a rainy day before the program starts, there is an instinct to pack lots of extra materials to help the kids cope. However, we find the kids running in the rain pretending to be dragons guarding their eggs, or using their fire to encircle people, only to undo it with a magical stare. They are all so closely connected through pretend play, games, and the projects they create. It's a joy to stand and watch.

Group Games, Worm Experiments, and Sit Spots
Group games have been a great way to gather together and teach a skill, all while making it accessible to all abilities. Some games we have learned would do better during huddle groups instead of the large group. In place of a lengthy gratitude circle, and a large journal time at the end, we have decided to play more games in program.

We also did an earthworm experiment where the kids got to help clear a square in the ground ready to receive a mixture intended to encourage the worms up to the surface. Most all the kids stared in anticipation, waiting (some longer than others). ALL wanted to hold worms. There were many observations made on their movements, size, and whether or not they had the "saddle"--showing that they were adult worms. 

With all the excitement during a program day, we really treasure the slow moments: people arriving slowly and with different energy levels, sharing snack with one another, and sit spots. There was a time when we were putting this practice to the side; however, we have found the perfect opportunity after snack. When have packed up the kids have the chance to go off to a place by themselves (in view of an adult) with their journals or flannel pieces. It has been exciting to see them tote their journals to a place to take it easy.

Building Trust and Friendships 

I've said it before, and I will say it again. The friendships forged out there in the wild are amazing to watch grow. At this point in our program we have the kids just naturally wanting to play in the same area, we haven't (with the exception of beach day which seems to stir a sense of wonder and need for exploring) had to wrangle/remind kids to stay in one spot and in view of one adult. Our mix of different ages and strengths is so apparent when someone needs a helping hand or a friend who feels the same way. 

Here are some of our favorite friend moments in program:
- Seamus holding Lucy's hand across the icy parking lot to our beach spot, and then keeping her company on the peer.
- Jim making a crowd of unicorns and dragons a pot of stew after running in the meadow
- Barry helping Max through the ivy bush after they found some plastic litter they wanted to pick up
- Reed encouraging Pierson as he scrambled down the bluff at the beach
- Alsea and Lando both at different times helping Maria Sofia down the big steps on our hike
- Owen inviting anyone who was willing to join him in a game of "animals", much to Theo's relief who didn't have the courage yet to ask

We love all our little ones. Just the other day in the dappled sun, the kids all spontaneously starting singing our "Hello Sunshine" song as they walked back towards the parking lot. Myself and Reanne both just looked on with wonder and were blown away, they were all so at ease!

Announcements! 

Enrollment: 
March is your month families to get the days you want for next year. Once April hits we will be inviting the people on the wait list to choose their days before opening to the public in May. 

Moon Mothers: 
Do not miss out on the chance this Spring/Summer to join this workshop. Led by the amazing Krystal Meiners, you get an opportunity to connect with nature all while investing in yourself and community.  https://www.barnaclesandbees.com/moon-mothers1.html

Hike Day and Beach Days
Please notes that Beach Days have you drop off at the regular spot with pick up at the beach: 
March 16th
March 18th
March 20t

Our first month back is already over and the kids have all been amazing at getting back into routine, all while bringing lots of energy and excitement with them to the forest. We have seen some challenging weather this month, and some kids have powered through it stronger than others. While there have been moments of sadness over having chills and being wet, all kids have been willing to work through gear malfunctions and adjust their playing plans to still find joy in being outside. 

With the extreme wet weather, we are thankful for our shelter, hot fires,  and hot water bottles! With the number of chilled toes and hands, we are feeling good about our decision to buy hot water bottles and a massive thermos for the program. New this month has been the addition of a tent. In fact, the tent has been so fun that we may need to consider purchasing another one, so that we can truly have a place available that is dry and peaceful for those that need a break. 

In the midst of teachers, volunteers, and kiddos being sick it has been so encouraging to see our team continue to show up ready to engage with kids. Mentioning our team, we NEED to shine a light on our newest team member Maddi! Maddi has joined us as a staff member on Fridays and we are so thrilled to see her continue to work with kiddos. Families, you would be impressed by her seemingly endless supply of patience, kindness, and peace. One Friday, a number of kiddos had forgotten that an adult must see you where you play, and whilst they were being lovingly collected, and rounded up to stand along a wall for a pep talk, Maddi was found in front of them all with a pretend cup of hot chocolate in her hands--smelling and taking sips. They were transfixed and transported to a cozy place drinking a cozy drink. We love our team of staff, volunteers, and families that bring snack and contribute to our learning community--this is what we envisioned from the beginning. 

With all this rain and wind, all our families are doing such a great job making sure that their little ones are bundled up nicely and ready to play. Excellent work! We are finding some of our more spirited friends who love to get wet are not interested in keeping on their gear. Please feel free to remind your kiddos that it is important (if raining in Winter) that we keep our waterproof layers on to avoid being really wet and cold.  

Mud Play, and Forest Craft

This cold and wet January we have been looking at the characteristics of the Winter season, and then given attention to the plants and trees that continue to thrive this time of year despite the lack of sun. We are all thrilled to see that the kids for the most part do not mind the rain and enjoy all manner of play. In fact, I would say that it has inspired a lot of our imaginative play this month, and provided material for creations made with tools. 

Mud. There is no substance on earth like it, and there are so many things you can do with it! This month has been the perfect month to explore it more deeply, as well as all over. We have seen mud become face paint, delicious cupcakes, swimming pools to lounge in, something to kick up and see how far it will go,  and paint to make a mural with. One week, Jamaal brought a dump truck to program, and it was not long into free time until the our regular mud builders were filling the truck to the brim full of their mud mixture--completely absorbed. 

Fallen branches from trees have also supplied us with materials for some of our activities this month. During free play time we invited the kids to join in and make magic wands and looms. Both these activities showed us that most struggled with this fine motor activity, so it is one that we want to revisit and continue to build on. We also learned that if we are going to have an activity that we would love the kids to engage with then we need to not only offer it during free time. As cool as making a magic wand may be, pretending to be dragons that have a nest to tend to is much more fun with a group of friends. So we have decided that activities that require focus and guidance we will introduce during huddle times before snack. We will still offer the materials of course during free time if kids really enjoy what they are doing. 

Working as a Team:

Having a mixed age program has a lot of benefits to it. We enjoy watching the older kids teach and model for the younger kids how to participate and learn new skills, and the younger kids allow us time to slow down, listen, and take things in around us. Although these ages work well together, it has also been great to see our huddle groups (groups of kids that are roughly the same age) learn new skills as a team and with peers with some of the same abilities and attention span. 

In the older huddle group, we will call raccoons, Reanne has been blown away by their industry in working together to solve a problem and stay on task. The other day , the kiddos went in search of "y" shaped branches that had fallen from trees and found their old friend  Miss. Maple. They were there in the fall asking the tree if it would please let its leaves fall down, and now having not one leaf they noticed that one of the branches had fallen. After the kids hugged the tree, they worked as a team to carry her "y" shaped branch back to our camp. Also, the older kids have been taking forays in the forest on new trails which the kids have been more than willing to explore. 

In the younger huddle group, we'll call them chipmunks, the kids are excellent at pointing out the details at about 3 feet high. The other day we were looking for winter trees that had leaves and needles versus those without anything on branches. We referred to the trees with full branches as being awake during Winter, and trees without leaves that are asleep during Winter. We had found a Cedar tree on a Friday very much "awake" and our good friend Dax pointed out that the bark on one side was rubbed roughly and left soft. All the other kiddos were happy to test it out and offer up suggestions about why they thought it was rubbed so much, others just wanted to touch for a while. One other thing that I notice about the younger kids is their attention to noise and their desire to find the older huddle group in the forest. When we were one day finding "y" shaped branches, they could hear the older kids off in the distance and wanted to set off on the trail in pursuit and use what we call our "deer ears" to find them. 

Implementing Core Routines: 

So, we started this routine a little while back where we told the kids that we would go to free play all at once instead of letting them choose when they were done their snack. It has been going great and now we have seen a more peaceful side of everyone during this time. The kiddos are given an option of either reading or drawing findings or something out of their imagination! We have photographic evidence of some of our most energetic kids absorbed in a book. 

During winter we are very much in the mood and habit of making fire with the kids, and they are responsible for filling emergency water jug, gathering kindling, and staying behind the yellow line. The kids have been great as we have experimented with what we call "Fairy Fires". These little bundles of light are a shell, with a pulled apart piece of cotton, and a smearing of Petroleum Jelly. These fires stay lit for a while and the kids love guessing which light will go out first, and noticing the embers that dance at the very last. 



Announcements! 

Fall Enrollment Information:
Barnacles and Bees will be expanding in the Fall, information are available on our website. Priority enrollment for B&B families will start March 1st. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. We would love you to share your feedback with the larger community of Kitsap, to those families that are trying to decide on an outdoor program for their kiddos. In the coming months a survey will be available for you to share your thoughts honestly/anonymously. 

Workshops:

Land Art Love Letter 
Friday February 14th: 4pm - 5.30pm -$15/kid
We'll take a meandering hike together in one of our favorite park in Bremerton to create land art installations using natural materials found along the trail. We'll rearrange, balance, and lay together sticks, stones, leaves, mud, pine cones and other natural found objects along the way. We'll learn about a few famous land artists and their techniques, and we'll have time to collaborate on a group project and our own special art pieces as well. This will be our ephemeral "love letter" to the Earth and for other people who happen to be enjoying the trails while we are there. 
Sign up here!

February Community Members:
February 5th: Kitsap Regional Children's Librarian Kirstin Mueller
February 28th: Ueland Tree Farm's Mark Mauren

Beach Days!!
February 19th Wedneday
February 21st Friday
February 24th Monday
The tides should be with us on these days. Dress warm! 

Reminder! No School
2/17 Presidents Day

Snow Days
For those of you who have not memorized the Parent Handbook, and didn't have a clue as to what happens in the event of snow. Have no fear. As we are still a new organization, we are figuring this part out and have come to decide that we as a program don't always agree or have the same considerations as the school district. 

So, if the school district is closed, or is delayed we will inform you buy 7am via text if there is a change for us. We will just need some time to check in with our Ranger, or go and scout out ourselves. Since Lead Teacher Robin is a chicken in bad weather conditions, she will advise families whether or not the hill to the park is safe. If the hill is safe, and the park is full of snow, the Ranger has informed us that we can drop off at the gate. 

​Robin C.

This edition of program happenings is a fusion of November and December so that you have both months in a nice tide package. It has been a BUSY time of year, and as the weather continues to get colder the kid's ability to endure is impressive. 
There has been a bundle of new experiences for the kiddos this season, and its been a treat for both staff and volunteers to watch our young explorers make new discoveries and repeat their favorites over and over. However, while what we have been providing has been fun, it doesn't compare to the creativity these kids show us, and the friendships they are making. Watching what these kids pretend and discover is inspiring and hilarious. To be sure, we have even come close to tears watching them collaborate in group projects and find joy in solo missions:

• Seamus tasked himself with being a good friend; he brought Gillian pretend blankets and anything else she might need (she was willing to play her part)
• Jim made rocket fuel out of mud and explained how the rocket will get it out of the ground
• Odin informed us that it was going take 6 weeks of labor to complete his "natural bug house" (complete with pool)
• Alsea and Lucy helped classify an Orb Weaving Spider and swapped stories about bumblebees
• Josie, stood watch over her stick during a game of Fox Feet...with all seriousness and focus, while her sister Finley lounged in the hammock for some much needed rest
• Maria-Sofia came out of her shell and then started painting gold shells!

In the midst of all this progress, while moving into the new year, we want to spend more time with the kiddos talking about how to handle strong feelings, what to do when people feel differently than you, and that their actions can have an impact. Last year I began implementing three core rules, and this year we have made a pledge. You can help prep your kids for program with these reminders:
A : Adult must see you where you are playing
S: Is what I'm doing safe?
K: Is what I am doing kind? 

                                           " I pledge to be kind to others, to animals, to plants, and to mushrooms"         

Warmth in Winter
The only thing that could have made the addition of fire in program better is if we had logs around an ACTUAL pit. That said, it has been supremely helpful to have the yellow square around the fire pit to show the distance needed to be kept from the fire. 
One week into making fires, the Park Ranger  found us in the forest on our mushroom hunt and was excited to hear that we were showing the kids how to make, tend, and extinguish fires safely. I was so excited to hear what kids already knew about fire safety. Owen, for example, shared that if you catch fire you need to " Stop. Drop, and Roll". We found mainly that kids needed reminders of where the boundary was moving from place to place; we didn't see an intentional curiosity to touch or be super close to the fire. 
In building fire, everyone has a job to do: gathering tinder and larger logs, stretching cotton balls, and getting the water in jugs for emergencies. We talked to the kids about the 3 things needed to keep a fire going: fuel, oxygen, and heat. Afterwards, there were a handful of kids that were excellent at prompting (espcially Jim, Reed, Dax, and Ryan) when to add more fuel!
In conclusion, it just so happens that we have a parent who is an EXPERT fire builder. Barry's dad Scott. He was a genius and brought lava rocks to warm up on the grill and hand out as hand warmers, which were well received throughout playtime!

Salmon Spawning 
It was SUCH a treat to have Pat Kirschbaum and Teresa Smith come out and join us from Kitsap County Public Works and educate us on the salmon drawn to the creek at Jarstad Park (which by the way I found out you CAN access by foot throughout the year). I think I can speak for all of those present that her salmon puppets were something special, and really brought to life the whole process that salmon persevere through. 
Although we did not see many salmon, the kids did get to see a few, and close up. The look on their faces was priceless, when one was moving up close. One salmon that we spent some time with was in the last stages of her journey and the kids got to see the ragged fins, and the toll the journey had taken on her. 
During our session on Salmon we honed in on the sense of smell as a tool to find our way. Back in our forest, the kid acted out the salmon's life cycle MANY times, and dug some impressive holes with their feet. We were blown away by the kids ability to move on their belly up the hill, like salmons up a creek. 

Wild Life Refuge and Liberty Bay Books
This month it was our honor to welcome the Wildlife Refuge staff from Bainbridge Island. We had a great turnout and it was awesome to get the opportunity to meet the beautiful peregrine falcon that they brought with them. The caretakers of the falcon have cared for and rehabilitated many of Kitsap's wild animals. These individuals have devoted their lives to protecting wildlife and were able to impart some of their insight and experiences to the kids. 

We were so thrilled with how many families joined us for this experience, and are grateful for the chance to view this magnificent creature. His caretakers were certainly attuned to his anxiety, and knew that it was time for him to re-enter his cage a little earlier than expected. It would have been nice to watch the falcon fly around and show off some of the speed we heard they are capable of. Despite not getting as much time with the falcon as we hoped, we all got a great learning opportunity. For example, did you know that a humble pigeon can fly at 100mph? To catch a speedy bird like a pigeon a falcon has to fly much faster. Apparently 250mph! 

Not every community member can bring a live falcon, but there is another way to keep children captivated. We had the pleasure of inviting the manager of Liberty Bay Books, Nathaniel, to our stump circle for story time. He brought a variety of books about the West Coast. He read Little Red Riding Hood in the Pacific Northwest, and Homes. After two books, some children were restless and a predictable crowd stayed for a third lengthy story about two cats on an adventure.

If you were to go to Liberty Bay Books with a general idea of what you wanted to read about, Nathaniel could supply many options. He was so blown away by our kids and wanted to stay for nearly the whole program. He says that he looks forward to coming for more story times in the future. 

Announcements! 
Our Impact Report is available on our website. CC has carefully drawn up what Barnacles and Bees has been up to the past 12 month. We also are proud to share that we raised over $3000 during our Fall fundraiser campaign. Funds will be allocated to our annual Funds to support our educational programs, scholarships, technology, training.. One more time, thank you for your support!

Our Winter Solstice Workshop was so much fun,

Reminder! Program will be closed for Winter Break:
12/20 to 1/3 
When you come back, there is a good chance we will be dealing with a good deal more chill, so please be sure to layer up. Also, tea sign up will be available the first day back!

Snow Days
For those of you who have not memorized the Parent Handbook, we will be following the Bremerton School District's lead for closures. If they are closed so are we. Now, Illahee State Park does not have a plow, and with heavy snow and wind in the forecast we will have a secondary location prepared for drop off.

Our mission is to build an inclusive learning community that fosters a rich connection with nature, inspires confidence and creativity, and leads to the development of curious leaders, connected to each other and the planet that we share.

We have noticed over the course of this month that the kids are getting closer together. Maybe that is just to do with the cold air and the need to be close but whatever the reason it is so encouraging to see new friendships being made, and a level of comfort around each other in the great outdoors. We don't have kids bolting in different directions, as is the worry of many a parent when I talk to them about what we do, but rather this is this desire to stay around their friends and develop this sense of community out in the wild! We have the seen the shy and quiet find their voice in stages, and for some all in one swoop. We have seen the already bold slowly learn to give others a chance to talk. My personal favorite has been watching our older kids lead and encourage our younger ones, and the young kiddos establishing trust but also a sense of independence when they don't need help from a grown up. 

Since the colder weather has moved in we have been on trail more, finding our way around the park to the North of our learning area. In the coming months we will be exploring more West towards the canons, metal slide area, and BEYOND! We have been staggered at the endurance being built and the trust being established with our younger charges on the trail. For our older more experienced hikers, their leadership, and confidence is what we hoped for!

Caution! Unfortunately we cannot comb the whole park for hazards and as we have be branching out from our area, it is with sadness that I share that we have found 2 needles since being at Illahee. It is our procedure to notify the park and properly dispose of the needle. That said, in order to prevent kids from picking up what they consider to be an odd sort of treasure we want to familiarize them with what it is and why not to pick it up. If you can also take opportunities when you visit parks to remind them to show an adult before picking curious objects up. For those of you who do not know, the policy for finding needles in parks is to call 911 non-emergency to report the location of a found needle and THEY will dispose of it. 

Making Music in the Woods
It was such a treat to have Krystle Slone join us in the program as our Community Member. She shared her skills as a music therapist and the kids were in tune with the musical experience. It was a truly relaxing and community experience. We walked away wanting to bring music more into the classroom. Krystle even left us with a tune that we could continue to sing together in program, typed out below

The kids took away the awareness of making musical instruments out of what they could find in the forest. Krystle had them walk down towards the stump circle and find pieces in the woods that they could use to make music with: stick on the stumps, shaking the leaves, rocks together, stick on the table were among those created. A few adult mentors shared later that a shared glance after the song they learned together spoke to the peace they felt, and the need for a cup of tea to complete the experience. 

" Hello sunshine
Hello warm light
Hello birds that are singing good morning

Be kind to everyone
Everyone under the sun "
(chorus repeats) 

Slowing Down, Listen and Grooving to the Music
On rainy days, the kids STILL love playing in the rain but their are moments of wanting a break and having a dry space. It is the first season we have really experienced rain and we have found that in that shelter there is a great opportunity to hear the sounds all around and look out like looking out a fishbowl. During our time on leaves, there we SO MANY falling from the tress, and with the rain on the roof it was the perfect setting for some poetry. Gillian also called the big space looking out over the water and forest her "TV" and the kids have taking to watching in that space. 

Also during our leaf season, aside from the pure delight of running through a pile of leaves, the kids got an chance to dance like the autumn leaves while listening to the composer Vivaldi. You have not seen the video in the October album, you must!

Two Eagle Nests
One day we were sitting on our blanket, in the only patch of sun we could find with our snack we some birds caught our eyes up above. Young Eagles, Learning to fly!! One of the Eagles was holding a stick in its hand, maybe reluctant to leave the nest so taking a piece with him, and dropped it down to our area! Violet was DELIGHTED thinking that it was a present just for her, other kids spouted off theories about why the bird did that, and Seamus weaved a story about an eagle dropping down a present for him on his boat. 

It was at that time that the Eagle nest in our area was created. This nest has brought EVERY kiddo over to it at one time or another to play. Dax has tirelessly filled the baby eagles' water dishes, Paisley, Lucy, Odin, and Violet have made it soft and beautiful inside, and heaps of kids have pretended to be eagles leaving the nest so that Reanne can come and bring them back (her cardio for the season).

Coming Up:
Winter workshops: 
Winter Solstice Lanterns
Land Art Love Letter

Reminder! Program will be close on
11/11 - Veterans Day 
11/29 - Friday after Thanksgiving 

November 4th Community Members:

Diane Bachen: 
Member of the Audubon Society on Bainbridge Island, Diane loves to spend her days pointing out birds and explaining their behaviors. Among her peers, she is PREFERS to hang out with the little ones and she thrives in our environment. Since this coming to you late, I will say she came November 4th and the kids LOVED her. She was patient, kind, and so knowledgeable...and the kids can sense an expert for sure. She cannot wait to come join us again after the winter thaws out in Spring.
Kirsten Muller:
Our visitor from the Downtown Bremerton Library is coming to read books to our kiddos on our theme of Salmon for the week and we cannot wait to have her visit on November 15th.

Field Trip!!
For those of you who are undecided, I would like to extend the invitation again. 
When: Novemebr 13th 9am to 12pm
Where: Jarstad Park , Bremerton WA (although more in Ghosrt) 
Why: To watch the Salmon run!! (we hope, be thinking rain!)
 
November 29th :
We invite you all to OPT outside with us and share your pictures in our photo album

This first month has flown by so fast, and we have already seen growth in your kiddos amongst the moss, trees, and leaves. There is an abundance of creativity, collaboration, and building of confidence. Each child is walking their own journey and conquering their own areas that need growth while also enjoying their strengths with new or familiar friends. A big thank you to our parents that have given their time and care: 

• Odin and Aspen’s Mom, Megan on Mondays
• Max’s Mom, Madi on Mondays
• Lando’s Dad, Jamaal on Wednesday and Friday
• Seamus’s Mom, Krysten on Friday
• Dax’s Mom, Josie thanks for all the bugs and slugs!

In Relationship with the Rangers
Head Ranger Kinnan and his Rangers John and Cindy met us at the start of our year. Besides introductions and making some good memories, they gave us excellent guidelines on how to help keep ourselves and our park healthy and safe:  

1. As you know we build a boundary around our learning area out of sticks, and the Rangers have been more than happy for us to keep that up during the week. We would be most grateful to any parents that would like to come and help pick up the sticks and put them off to the side at the end of the program. Contact Robin is you are interested! 
2. Chalk. No chalk. Apparently this is form of graffiti, and even though it washes off, it can have an impact on the trees. 
3. Trees, and decomposing logs, those are ours for the taking. We assume the risk and can help decomposing logs get to dirt sooner. 

 
All in all the Rangers are passionate about this little piece of paradise and are eager for the kids to grow their attachment to this space. Ranger John has been by the Friday class and brought along some crabs from the shore and shared his knowledge about the species. Ranger Cindy has given the kids on Friday a chance to ride in her cart and a new fern to plant and care for (we will ask if she can come by and see the kiddos on the other days too!) 
 We have a pledge we were taught by Ranger Kinnan that we have brought into our daily routine, feel free to use it when you visit a park!
                                             “ I pledge to be kind to others, to animals, and to plants” 

Community Member: Amy Lawrence from Olympic College
We had the enormous pleasure on Monday October 16th to have Biology professor Amy Lawrence join us in class and educate us on earthworms and their role in creating and nourishing dirt. We performed an experiment where the kids watched worms pop up after mustard powder was sprinkled on the dirt above. They loved it!

Getting in the Routine of Things
New to this year is a more structured and consistent plan of what we set out to do each day. While there is flexibility to allow for lack of attention span, distractions, and for unexpected long periods of time at the bathroom and cleaning up after mud, there are routines that we strives to include each day:

• Welcome and Gratitude Circle: after warming up upon arrival we gather with “Here comes the sun” and when we have sat we say hello to each person before they share what they are grateful for
• Lesson Time: During this time we break into two groups based on age and we get into the topic for that week using our journals as a way to record what we learn when appropriate
• Rest: This time if for taking care of ourselves. The kids have a bathroom break , wash up, eat snack, tea time, and then let their interests lead during free play time
• Sit Spot: Here we break up into two groups again, where we travel to different locations and indulge in some quiet observation of our surroundings. PLEASE feel free to find a spot at your house where your little can sit and visit all year round! 
• Goodbye Circle: Where we say good bye to each child and share what we learned and enjoyed that day! During this Circle, please, parents and caregivers JOIN US, sit right along with your kiddo if you like. You can also look in their journals right beside sign out. 

Coming Up:
Nature Journals Take Home
When: Week of October 7th. Please BRING BACK your kiddo’s next day
Why: I have been recording in your kids’ nature journals with them, and now it is YOUR turn to respond to their activity, and reflect with them. You also may include any questions that you have for me and the staff. 

* If you forgot to take these home with, have no fear, you can take them home next week!

October Community Members:
Elizabeth Wrenn
With experience in the outdoors and being a Ranger, Elizabeth has consented to come to our learning space Friday October 11th to lead us in a learning walk. She will also be at drop off where she can engage with the kids in an activity. 
Krystle Slone
Music anyone? Monday the 21st, Lucy’s Mom Krystle will be joining us in class to share her skills in music therapy and I cannot wait to see how the kids respond to her methods. Outside is such an amazing place for music to thrive, the birds are singing all day, so now it is our turn to add some tunes. 

Beach Day
The week of October 28th will be our next voyage down to the beach, and again drop off will be at the regular spot with pick up at the beach. Please inform whoever is picking up your little one. 

Announcements - Back to School!
New office space!
Barnacles and Bees office is now located in the Kitsap Business Center in DT Bremerton. We are over the moon to have a commune space to work from, to gather and to store our class supplies. New mailing address :
Barnacles and Bees, 6th St, Suite 370, Bremerton, WA, 98337

New Board Members:
We are welcoming, Laura Ryser as our board treasurer and Katie Swanson as our fundraiser/event coordinator. 

Grant Application Update
We submitted application to the Kitsap Foundation Competitive Grants on September 27th, ideally to support a new program focused on combining our love for community gardens and accessibility to outdoor after school program (K to 3)  in Bremerton.

June and July have just flown by like a hot summer wind and our kiddos have been soaking it up and going with the flow. In our group picture taken half way through June, we were all amazed at the children's ability to gather and follow directions as a group. Of course we had hoped that they would pick this up, but to seeing it in action and how much they have grown together is breathtaking and inspirational.
This month we gathered together in a circle holding hands, taking steps in and taking steps out, wiggling our arms, and acting silly. The act of creating this circle together really seems to have brought them all together despite different personalities, which has been amazing to see. The circle has also been excellent practice in focusing their attentions...and being silly as a group.
Speaking of group activities, something that we had been wanting to try since we chose our location is creating a river down our dirt slope from the bathrooms. It was amazing to see a group of kids work together as they created a production line of those fetching water, and those clearing the stream of rocks; it was proper fun outdoors and the level of interest and energy was wonderful.

Wandering Free
In these last weeks together we experimented with the idea of wandering about the forest in new places that we have not been to before. The kiddos have grown so very familiar with their forest, along with the map that we have filled in together, that they were willing and confident in exploring new terrain! On our first day, the kiddos learned to make arrows on the trail so that those following us would know which way we had gone.
On our first day exploring we found ourselves at the end of a path by a large cliff. It was here that kids settled themselves near the edge and took in their view. One by one each kiddo was invited to see what it looked like from a spot that jutted out some. Alsea found a spot quickly in a gully that she imagined her dad could build her a house. Barry pointed out a spider that was right in front of him on a delicate web. Owen chose a tree far off that looked good for climbing, and on went the observations unique to each explorer.
We have also explored the steep trail taking us to the top from the beach, taking the fork both ways, the journey ALL THE WAY down the beach. We found the trail took a loop through the forest, over a bridge and back to our stump circle. Mid way through these wanderings there was a problem proposed: we are lost and are not sure how to get back! The kids kept their cools and helped to find our landmarks and clues left behind. They all have a natural-born sense of direction ( all the same we will continue to teach North, South, East and West).

Hunting Stories and Bows and Arrows
This Summer, we were certainly the most active we have been in our program to date: in the way that we told stories, in our games, and just in how we moved about. The kids all wanted a part to play in the story when a tale was spun about how the children set off to find food to bring back to the group, or in telling about their adventures in the woods -- all except Gillian, who wanted to make it clear that she would NOT be living in the woods to collect food and sleep; she would be in her bed at home.
Clustered around, the stories went a little something like this: One morning bright and early, everyone gathered around a fire eating some breakfast and preparing to go on their hunt for food. All the kids went in different directions in the park and had different methods for collecting and had different tools (and here the kiddos would chime in). One time Paisley was sitting up in a tree, waiting for an opportunity to find something with her bow and arrow only to walk away with a whole sack full of acorns. In another story, Alsea found herself in among berries and gathered enough for her friends and herself to feast on. Other kids had stories where they tried to catch larger game but found out how tricky it was to be stealthy because either the birds would give them away or their footfall was too loud. They had to settle for less ambitious sources of food, like crabs, fish, honey, and rabbit.
These stories were such a fun way to connect with the kids in the outdoors, and then we added the bow and arrow as a prop and activity. This toy was excellent as it not only practiced gross and fine motor skills but also perseverance when they were not successful. By the way, everyone should buy bow and arrow for their home. It is great fun.

Summer Break!
Play Classes
We would love to see our regular families at the class, it would be a great way to stay connected! Just let us know that you are coming on our website: www.barnaclesandbees.com
July 12th: Smith Nature Play Park 1 to 3 pm  
August 23rd Illahee State Park 1 to 3 pm 
August 30th Illahee State Park 1 to 3 pm 

First Day of School
Monday September 2nd 9am to 12pm
EVERYONE is invited to come to this day no matter the day that you are registered for, just to meet everyone in the program, and say hello to all the staff. The only thing is that you have to stay with your kiddo that day! 

Reminders
Fall will be coming before we know it! Please, if you haven't yet please fill out the medical form online that is at the back of the parent handbook and send it to robin@barnaclesandbees.com

May has flown by and the kids have grown incredibly confident with our learning area's boundaries. Friendships in class are also strengthening and with that comes a whole host of skills to learn: compromise, self-awareness, being clear about likes and dislikes with the use of language, inviting others to join in creative play—and accepting the answer. Given the two areas of development above, we saw a lack of official guidelines helped the kids find their boundaries both in the forest and with one another. As most of you are aware: ASK is being used in the classroom: Adult (can an adult see me?), Safe (is what I'm doing safe for myself and others?), and Kindness (am I being kind?). This mantra is a great tool to start a discussion with kids in those moments where a solution needs to be found.
We have seen new life popping up everywhere, kids are tuned into what is happening in the bird's nest that we found under the shelter roof, they are watching some kind of berry grow on the main climbing tree, and observing some really frisky squirrels. With the growth of the natural world around us, it has been such a privilege to see the kids develop new skills and grow more and more confident in their abilities! 
 
Caterpillar Study
This month we spent time on caterpillars, both on the beach and in the forest. We began our time on caterpillars by forming playdough into a caterpillar shape and then adding details with forest debris. Some of the kiddos really got into this, some not so much. However, when I was comparing our human body composition to the caterpillar's with the use of a diagram, most of the children were engaged and some bewildered that we share some similar body parts! 
The kids really came together to care for caterpillars on the beach where we showed them a live caterpillar in a specimen container. Giving a living creature to a group of little ones proved to be quite the challenge for our class leaders to restrain the overzealous and make room to include the quieter kiddos who prefer to hang back. The kids worked together to find food and sticks for the caterpillar to eat and climb on. We saw how they moved and tried to emulate them—which, it turns out, is a difficult abdominal exercise!
The mesh screening on the cage allowed the kids to see the difference between the prolegs and legs on the caterpillar. When we found the yellow-spotted millipede we assumed it was a caterpillar until we realized that there were no prolegs but rather, tons of legs from head to toe (if you'll forgive the expression)! 
 
The Ranger's Visit
This month, we had both of Illahee State Park's Rangers come and visit our program. Ranger Murray has been a huge help in getting our program settled at Illahee, and is himself an advocate for outdoor education—his own children in an outdoor program. He was thrilled to be able to come and share his knowledge about plants, leaves, and trees in the forest. With recent interest in making fires in our group, Ranger Murray was able to explain how fires work in the forest how it is that they spread so quickly and without us being able to see it. He reviewed the reason for rules surrounding fires in the parks, and why some of the year they are not allowed to happen at all.  Our main activity was with play dough, where a core group of about seven kids stayed engaged the whole time. His idea was to create the different parts of the leaves with the green play dough, but as you can imagine, their brilliant little minds were bursting with creativity. The Rangers allowed the kids to give them a tour of the different areas in our zone.

We are hoping in the fall that Ranger Murray will be available for a forage walk with the kids! 
 
Moving and Sitting

The kids have blown us all away with their development in large muscle movements! Every. Single. One. With the addition of the hammock, the kids have enjoyed the swinging sensation, and sensation of being suspended. They are challenging themselves with climbing the clay cliffs and the giant log on the beach. Kid's challenging themselves on our regular climbing tree looks different for everyone, but there has been a recent addition of dangling from one of the branches before timing a careful drop. Climbing the mossy tree with ropes tied around it has been a favorite, and we played a new game that involves running in the directions of North, East, South, and West. 

Perhaps the greater challenge has been our time in "sit spots," but here there has been a lot of development in that arena as well. Only this last week of May, we had an excellent retelling of his time alone by Seamus, and it brought tears to Reanne and Robin. When others come back from their time of observation, they are not keen on talking until their peers start and then that sparks their memories and desire to share and be a part of the conversation. 


Coming up in June

Monthly Community Guest
When: June 5
Diane from the Audubon Society on Bainbridge Island is coming to our class for the largest chunk of time we have had from any of our visitors! We will be building nests, talking about qualities in bird song, and going on a hike in search of birds. It will be an excellent day so don't miss it! 

Year-End Community Group Hike
When: June 28,10 AM - 1 PM
Where: Green Mountain: Gold Creek Entrance 
What to expect: This will be a light paced hike that will take us by a beaver pond. We will stay together as a group and have some time together as a learning community. This is a great chance to spend some time with all those parents you have had not gotten the chance to get to know this year. 

Beach Days:
Don't forget to pack sunscreen and water for your kiddo. And if you could please make sure they have gone to the bathroom before they leave for class, that would be so helpful for us so we can hike down the beach without having to come back right away.

Sunday Evenings Emails in June:
Watch for emails that describe what is going on during the week ahead. This is something that we are hoping to implement in the come new school year and I would like to know if it has value for you and your family in engaging further with what your kiddo is learning in class--or just know what is going on in class! 

One of our deepest values at Barnacles & Bees is Community & Inclusion. Our organization would never have been launched if our local community had not come together to support our vision and mission of a sustainable future. However, this place couldn’t be more precious without the amazing people and organizations that are here in Kitsap and beyond.

As such, we began our Guest Mentor program at Barnacles and Bees where we have invited community members to join us in the classroom and share the special skills, abilities and cultures that make up our thriving community. We are working to incorporate Guest Mentors in our classroom every month and so far have had Cindy Van Winkle from Lighthouse for the Blind as well as Kirsten Muller from Kitsap Regional Library. Up next up is our very own Ranger Murray from Illahee State Park!

Guest Mentor Spotlight:
Cindy Van Winkle (and Balsa the Seeing Eye Dog)  | Lighthouse for the Blind

Cindy Van Winkle is a member of our blind community here in Kitsap. She joined our classroom in March. Working with Cindy was an amazing experience and having her in the classroom for a day was instrumental in helping our children further understand the amazing world of “Senses;” something that we had already been exploring a great deal in our sensory-rich environment. We were grateful to have Cindy join us with her seeing eye dog, Balsa – details of our day can be found below!

What was our day like with Cindy?
We started the day in our circle. Cindy asked all of the children to go around the circle and tell her their names and ages so that she could get a sense of who they were (and where they were). Once they had introduced themselves, she introduced herself to them and explained a little about what it means to be blind.

This month we have dabbled in plant life, trees, and wildflowers. But the real showstopper has been the beach. We have gotten very comfortable at our stump circle—but it is at the beach where the kids have been challenged in new ways and inspired into new realms of play. For those kids that feel more comfortable floating from group to group, I saw at the beach a desire to investigate and play on their own, guided by what held their interest. At the beach, there is no shortage of climbing opportunities, and kids don't have to wait their turn to climb our little—but marvelous—tree in our regular playing area.

April has seen our program building on our regular routines, adding layers of complexity. For those children who have taken to journals, their entries have grown more specific. Our class map has gotten more detailed with the exploration of new places (I have earmarked future cartographers). In our interest-led free time, the imaginative play has become more complex and inventive—and they mix up who they play with. 

One final summary note: volunteers! A huge thank you to Alsea's parents for stepping in and making beach days less stressful. Not only were we able to keep tabs on all the kids, but we were able to have more intentional interaction in a rich new environment. 

April Community Guest
Our community guest teacher, Kirsten Muller dug into one of our favorite subjects with us: worms. Kirsten is our children's librarian at the Downtown Bremerton Library and she is a gem! If you can ever make her story times on Tuesday Mornings at 10:30 am you will not be disappointed. The kids so enjoyed her—and the gummy worms that she brought along with her! We are hoping to make visits with Kirsten a regular occurrence in the future, and in the meantime, if ever you want to know more about a subject, I can think of no better librarian to help you find the books you need.

Lastly, while we don't spend a lot of time on books during our sessions together, it is important to note, as I am sure most of you know, that reading is so very very important. Whether you and your child are following a story or are learning more about a favorite subject, reading is an excellent way to boost vocabulary and focus and support your child's natural curiosity. Recently, I acquired a massive National Geographic Nature Encyclopedia and I cannot say how many time we have turned to it for reference. 

Keeping Hydrated
Up until this point, we have served up hot tea for the kiddos and they have in the past been more than willing to drink up as a need to stay warm. However, I have noticed in recent weeks as spring has sprung that the desire for tea has waned. Therefore, we are going to try out infused water! I think this will be fun, and I have to say, the kids have already thought of some neat ideas for flavored water.

Earth Day and Kitsap Great Give
The entire team at Barnacles and Bees was floored with the amount of participation from our families in cleaning up Stephenson Canyon! In the end, nearly a dozen families participated, enabling us to haul no less than eight bags of junk—not to mention a couple of tires—out of the creek bed. And we even made it to the waterfall. 
Afterward, several of our participants met us for a celebration at Crane's Castle, where we shared in delicious food and delicious brews with our community1 We loved hosting this event so much and would love to plan another one in the coming months. Following the Earth Day event, we announced our participation in Kitsap Great Give, a 24 hour period of giving though Kitsap Community Foundation. A generous group of local leaders and organizations created a bonus pool to help all donations made during that time frame go even farther, and we are proud to say that we fundraised $1,500 for our programs in this incredibly short window of time. 

We are overwhelmed with gratitude to all of those who participated in our event to improve one of our local parks, as well as to all of those who gave or spread the word about our campaign. 
 
Coming up in May:

Open House!
Saturday, May 4, 10 AM - 12 Noon - Illahee State Park
We know that our current parents already love the program and how has grown this pilot year. But we would love for you to come out and help parents who are on the fence decide whether or not this would be a good fit. We are always grateful for opportunities to come together with our Barnacles & Bees community!

Parent Teacher Conferences
We last met in February to talk about your child's progress and it is high time to get together to share praise and discuss new goals with each of your kiddos. We can meet at the beginning of classes or towards the end. There are also some exceptions where I am available to meet outside of class time at Crane's Castle!

May Community Member
Wednesday, May 15
This month we are welcoming Washington State Parks Ranger Patrick Murray to the program and he is DELIGHTED. He can't wait to help bring up the next group of nature enthusiasts and show off his uniform. Ranger Murray was an integral part of our ability to launch our program, and we are thrilled to welcome him into our class!

Beach Days
Remember that drop-off and pick-ups are at the beach. The days chosen this month are purely to spread them out, so if high tide, fun at the beach at high tide, but if we have low tide we will try our best to hike down the beach, so help encourage your kiddos to go before the start of class.

Once-a-Week Classmates
Last month was the first full month for our new friends Seamus and Odin. As you may be aware, they are only with us on Wednesdays—which means they get less time to mix with the rest of the gang. So in an effort to help them feel more integrated, I just want to put out there, that meeting outside of class time—at a Hike-it-baby event or park is totally encouraged, as is mingling before and after class.