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:
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. It has been a positive pilot year for us! A LOT of work, love and laughs. Creating the organization, the processes and developing quality programs that are financially sustainable and aligned with our mission were our number 1 goals (see our Impact Report). We created Barnacles & Bees because we knew there was a need in our community, our wait-list for our Nature Immersion Program keeps growing every week and we want to be able to serve our families without compromising the quality of our programs. It is a learning curve and we know the limitation of our own resources that is why we need your help. As a non profit organization (501C3 - 83 1313312) and a charity your donation is tax deductible. It will go towards our Barnacles and Bees annual Funds to support our educational programs, scholarships, technology, training.. We are committed, and really proud, to be part of this beautiful community. We are incredibly thankful for all who have shared this journey with us, and that have helped to make this organization a reality. We are especially honored to have had so many dedicated to our success including our founders, our team, our volunteers and board and so many community members. We look forward to continuing to build partnerships with individuals and organizations who share our mission and vision for a nature-filled future. There is no small donation! $5 donation allows 1 kid to participate to our Free Family Nature Play Class $25 donation will help a family to participate to our Seasonal Workshops $40 donation allows 1 kids to be part of our Nature Immersion Program for a morning or afternoon. 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:
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:
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:
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! At Barnacles & Bees, our monthly Guest Mentors are helping us "see" the world through the eyes of other, impactful people and organizations in our community. And it's awesome! 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. When she finished the book, she explained what braille was: a form of writing using raised letters so that blind people can feel the words. Next, she read a book out loud to the children—"The Pout Pout Fish" by Deborah Diesen, a book that some of the kids were already familiar with. But the remarkable thing to see was that she was reading by using her fingers—reading braille! When she finished the book, she explained what braille was: a form of writing using raised letters so that blind people can feel the words. The illustrations were also raised and when the book was done, she invited them to come up and feel them. The children thought this was pretty amazing and several even tried feeling the pictures and letters with their eyes closed so that they could share Cindy's experience of the world. Next, Cindy introduced the kids to her Seeing Eye Dog, Balsa, and taught the children how to approach a working dog that they want to touch. First and foremost, ask the blind or assisted person if you can pet their dog. That person may say no, and if they do, that's okay! BUT they may say yes! If they do say yes, the blind or assisted will likely give instructions on how to pet their dog, but mostly you want to remember to be gentle and pat the dog on the head. This isn't a dog who is going to play or fetch a stick. But some gentle love is perfectly appropriate. Most of the children put this into practice and took turns going up to Cindy and asking if they could pet Balsa. "Does your blindness make your other senses into superpowers? The children had a great Q&A with her afterward. Some key questions included: "Does your blindness make your other senses into superpowers? Like can you hear REALLY REALLY good?" (No.) "Is your daughter blind, too?" (No.) "When your eyes are open, what do they see?" This was a tricky one, but the short answer is: nothing. No light. No fuzzy figures. Nothing. But it is important to remember that not every blind person is blind the same as Cindy. We ended our time together by playing one of our favorite games: "Fox Feet." Cindy sat in the middle of a circle and held a stick. The kids took turns creeping up to her in an effort to take the stick away. If she heard them, she'd point at them and then it would be the next child's turn to try! We've played this game many times since Cindy's visit to us, and its great fun! Feel free to try it at home! Barnacles & Bees is hosting an Open House this on May 4th at Illahee State Park. Please join our team where you can learn more about a day in the life of a Barnacles & Bees including our Guest Mentor Program!
Learn more about our Open House on May 4th here. 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. Fall enrollment is coming! We invite you to join us for an open house hosted by our team on May 4th from 10am to 12pm, to learn more about a day in the life of a B&B student. Lead Teacher Robin Cockrel will guide parents and kiddos alike through the immersion program routine and answer questions about the curriculum, all-weather education, and what to expect day-to-day. Executive Director Cyrielle Willa will talk about enrollment and tuition. We are going to meet at Illahee State Park at the baseball field (see below). Please note that a Discover Pass is required to park at all State Parks. On Saturday, April 20th from 1:30-3:30, we will be doing a waterfall hike + creek clean-up at the lovely Stephenson Canyon in East Bremerton, followed by a happy hour, and evening soiree at Crane's Castle Brewing from 4:00-6:00. Both events are family friendly and open to all!
Can't make it to the work day? No problem! Our happy hour is open to all and is kid-friendly. Join us in celebrating our good green earth with fun, friends, pints and pizza! For every pint purchased - Crane's Castle will generously donate a portion of the proceeds to Barnacles & Bees! The Great Give is 24 hours of online giving hosted by Kitsap Community Foundation. Every dollar you donate is boosted by the Bonus Pool! Do you know what moss feels like? Do you know the taste of honeysuckle or salmon berry straight from the plant? Have you ever sunk your toes so deep in the mud that you felt your roots come alive? Help the kids in our community have these experiences and more by donating to Barnacles & Bees 🐝 during the Kitsap Great Give! From now through April 23 you can help make an impact by reconnecting children to nature with us! We're diving into spring and we are loving all of the sunshine! The world is in bloom and we are watching our classroom changing all around us. Despite a surprise week or two in the seventies, it's still early in the season and we're never too far from the water—and the breeze that comes with it. The weather stays pretty cool, so make sure you're layering up for class. It's easier for us to peel layers off when it gets too hot than it is to warm up with layers once we've gotten too cold.
We spent the last few weeks thinking about our senses and how we use them to perceive the world around us: seeing, touching, hearing, smelling. (We're not working on taste so much, given the environment!) We are trying to get away from simply identifying the things we see, and instead using our other senses to describe them. If you'd like to try a little at-home enrichment, try picking a random object from around your yard or home and putting it in a bag. Then ask your child to close their eyes and stick their hands inside the bag. The goal isn't to guess what is in the bag, so much as it is to describe what they feel when they touch it or smell when they hold their nose over it. Give it a try! The things your child says may surprise you! First Day at the Beach We had our inaugural trip the beach—the first of many to come! We are so fortunate to have this little slice of Washington: a washed pebble shore complete with clay caves, logs and roots for climbing, and a sandy beach at the end. We stayed pretty unstructured for the day in favor of letting the children explore. There was some very fun (and very supervised) risky play when a few of the kids decided to climb the roots of a fallen tree on the beach and scrambled up a cliffside That kind of play is so important in helping children to just be in their bodies and to learn how to make safe choices in the future. It also teaches them to be courageous and builds self-confidence when they realize that "yes, I CAN do this!" We did some "sink or float" experiments over the edge of the pier. This highly-scientific game involves picking up some objects from the beach (make sure they are natural elements and not trash, for instance), guessing whether we think they will sink or float and why we think so, and then throwing them over the edge of the pier to see if they will float. One kid found a giant piece of driftwood that all the children thought would sink because of its sheer size, and to everyone's surprise and delight, it floated! We used a rope and pale to "fish" over the side of the pier during high tide. We didn't actually catch anything, but it was thrilling to watch them pulling up buckets of water and then using the buckets to create some more mud! At the end of the day, we collected some clay from some of the clay caves and used them in our nature journals for an extra special souvenir of the day. I have to say, the kids surprised all of us with how well they listened. We were very anxious that we might have some scuba divers in the class, but everyone exercised some really excellent self-restraint, and for the most part, we stayed pretty dry. It was so great to get away from our usual classroom environment for the day, and we were thrilled with how well they have listened. We hope to make a twice-monthly visit to the beach. Our Community Member This month, we had a visit from our very first guest teacher: Cindy Van Winkle, who is a member of our Blind community here in Kitsap. As we mentioned above, we have spent a lot of time thinking about our senses this month, and Cindy was instrumental in setting us down that path. 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. Next, she read a book out loud to the children—"The Pout Pout Fish" by Deborah Diesen, a book some of the kids were already familiar with. But the remarkable thing to see was that she was reading by using her fingers—reading Braille! When she finished the book she explained what Braille was: a form of writing using raised letters so that blind people can feel the words. The illustrations were also raised and when the book was done, she invited them to come up and feel them. The children thought this was pretty amazing and several even tried feeling the pictures and letters with their eyes closed so that they could share Cindy's experience of the world. Next, Cindy introduced the kids to her Seeing Eye Dog, Balsa, and taught the children how to approach a working dog that they want to touch. First and foremost, ask the blind or assisted person if you can pet their dog. That person may say no, and if they do, that's okay! BUT they may say yes! If they do say yes, the blind or assisted will likely give instructions on how to pet their dog, but mostly you want to remember to be gentle and pat the dog on the head. This isn't a dog who is going to play or fetch a stick. But some gentle love is perfectly appropriate. Most of the children put this into practice and took turns going up to Cindy and asking if they could pet Balsa. The children had a great Q&A with her afterward. Some key questions included: "Does your blindness make your other senses into superpowers? Like can you hear REALLY REALLY good?" (No.) "Is your daughter blind, too?" (No.) "When your eyes are open, what do they see?" This was a tricky one, but the short answer is: nothing. No light. No fuzzy figures. Nothing. But it is important to remember that not every blind person is blind the same way. We ended our time together by playing one of our favorite games: "Fox Feet." Cindy sat in the middle of a circle and held a stick. The kids took turns creeping up to her in an effort to take the stick away. If she heard them, she'd point at them and then it would be the next child's turn to try! We've played this game many times since Cindy's visit to us, and it's great fun! Feel free to try it at home! Coming up in April: Community Member This month we will be welcoming Kirstin Mueller, the Children's Librarian at the Downtown Bremerton location. Kirstin is gifted with making story time an interactive and sensory rich experience for kids. She makes a story come alive. She comes April 3rd and I have told her we are learning about worms, to which she asked permission to bring gummy worms, and oodles of books to fill their heads with information on worms! More Days at the Beach! Remember that drop-off and pick-ups are at the beach. This time I have found the days and times for low tide that fall on our school days, even though the kids enjoyed high tide for "fishing" purposes. New Arrival Welcome to the Barnacles and Bees team at Illahee, Odin! We are so excited to have Samuel and Megan, and their little one Aspen joining our community; I know all those families dropping off and picking with join me and the other mentors in making them feel welcome. ** Don't forget: if you want to follow all the pictures that are being taken during class follow the link sent to your emails. Feel free to leave comments, and to upload pictures that you take at home of YOUR kiddos continuing their outdoor education at your home, we would love to see how they are getting on. Mark your Calendar! Spring Nature Art Workshop Barnacles & Bees is partnering with Amber from The Makery to offer this 90 min Family Art & Sensory Nature workshop. We will have 10 simple projects that provide open-ended art and sensory experiences using nature as the inspiration and medium, and kids will wander independently to what interests them! This workshop is best for ages 18 months to 5 year olds. When: Friday, April 5 Time: 2pm - 3:30 PM Where: Smith Nature Play Park, 1261-1299 Park Ave, Bremerton, WA 98337 Group size: 20 kids Regular price: $12 per child Discounted price for Barnacles & Bees family: $8 per child Earth Day Work Day and Soiree When: Saturday, April 20 Time: 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM at Stephenson Canyon, and 4 PM to 6 PM at Crane's Castle Brewery for refreshment Where to park and Meet: Beside the greenhouse off of Birch Street at 1:30 This is a chance to build community and to practice conservancy as a team in one of our What: county's hidden gems. We invite you to join us after for refreshment at the family-friendly brewery Crane's Castle to enjoy each other's company and to talk about the Kitsap Great Give that is taking place Tuesday, April 23rd Location: Stephenson Canyon (2800 Birch St, Bremerton, WA 98310) and following at Crane's Castle (1550 NE Riddell Rd #180, Bremerton, WA 98310) 2019/2020 Fall enrollment Pre-enrollment for Barnacles & Bees Families: April 1-30, 2019 Nature immersion Open House at Illahee State Park: May 5, 2019 Open enrollment for everyone: May 1-31, 2019 This February was one for the books! Not only did we see record snowfall unlike anything our region has seen in nearly 100 years, we are in the second month of our program—albeit a shortened month. But don't worry! We'll make up the lost time at the end of the term. We are so proud of all of the kiddos who come to learn and play despite the colder temperatures we have experienced this month—snowmageddon aside. Here are the things we would like you to know about February at Barnacles & Bees.
Mapping Out the ParkAt the beginning of February, we began to create a map of Illahee State Park. In the beginning, the only thing filled in on our map was our learning area—our stump circle, shelter, bathrooms, and park boundaries. Since then, we have filled in the map together with local landmarks, prominent trees, rocks, and more. As a part of this process, the kids have begun to name some of those landmarks. Our main gathering space has been deemed "Eagle Land" due to the number of eagles we have seen fly through the area. The children have also dubbed a large stump next to the shelter "Snail Stump," because a child can actually crawl inside it and imagine what it is like to be a snail in a shell. Their creativity is so much fun to experience! We don't expect our kids to learn to be master cartographers from this experience. But we do hope that they will learn a little spacial awareness and that they will learn to recognize the landmarks that surround them, and feel some affection and pride for them. In the coming weeks, we will continue to fill in our map. When it is complete, we will laminate it and use it to support an exercise in teamwork: "treasure hunts"—a fixed point that the children will need to work together to find. Online Photo Album For the month of January we created an online photo album that we add to each week so that you have a window into our time outside. We invite you as you look at the pictures to comment and have a conversation among yourselves about what you see going on. Also, in the interest of ongoing communication with parents about how their child is doing in class, our Lead Teacher will email two to three families per week with progress about their child that week, with particular highlights and updated goal setting. Photo album here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/t7nfn9oxn78JaYYcA Finding Our Routine Last month, we shared a little about our core routines. We've added new activities and made changes to others as we continue to find our rhythm together. Here are some of what's new: Boundary Setting: In our earliest classes, we began each session by marking the boundaries of our "classroom" by walking its perimeter together and wrapping it with brightly-colored tape. While this was effective for our first week, it quickly turned into an unnecessary, time-consuming task, particularly as the children became accustomed to the space. We decided to let this activity go, and we are thrilled to see that the kids have an inherent desire to stay together, although we do give gentle reminders to play where they can see an adult, and an adult can see them. This change in our routine has allowed us to and dive directly into routines relevant to learning and play. Emergency Drills: It's important that our staff are prepared to handle any emergency situation, and the children are prepared to respond, particularly in a classroom without walls. Each day, we do a handful of "emergency drills." The teacher blows the whistle, and the kids must immediately stop what they are doing, come running, and wait to receive further instruction. We're proud that with each drill, they get a little faster, and a little more responsive. We will continue to practice this throughout our time together. Free Play: On a typical day, once we've had our morning circle, we have about 40 minutes of unstructured free play. We come back together for a snack in our stump circle, which is typically integrated with stories and sharing. Then it's back to play! They have fun and explore—together, or on their own—with whatever excites them. It is this kind of play that cultivates curious and creative learners who are engaged with their surroundings. Just last week, a child collected seven earthworms! The other learners gathered around and we examined them and asked questions together. "Why is there a moist trail behind the worm?" "Where is the front and where is the back?" "Which will go fastest?" Naturally, we held a race to answer the last question! Coming up March: Guest Teacher We are thrilled to welcome our first guest teacher this month—a member of the Blind community in our region and a staff member at The Lighthouse for the Blind in Seattle. We are still working to secure a date, but she will come and talk to the kids about what it is like to be blind, and how they can use all of their senses to experience nature. This will be especially helpful the kids engage in their own sensory awareness, particularly with our Sit Spot routine. St. Patrick's DayOn Monday, March 18, we will celebrate St. Patrick's Day in class with a treasure hunt utilizing our new map! (No need to send green food or dress your child in green!) We embrace celebrating cultures. If you want to share your family's culture with the class, please send me an email at robin@barnaclesandbees.com and we will coordinate an opportunity! Mark your Calendar! Barnacles & Bees Free Family Nature Play Classes Be sure to invite your friends with little children to our free family nature play-classes at Smith Nature Play Park. Family Nature Play Class is a great way to show others what a day in class is like for your child. It's exciting, it's fun, and best of all, it's free! When: Friday, March 1st, 15th, and 29th Time: 1:00 - 3:00 PM Location: Smith Nature Play Park (1261-1299 Park Ave, Bremerton, WA 98337) Where to park: Kitsap Community Resources parking lot Where to meet: We will start on grass by the parking lot. Make sure to check in with CC. For more details about the class click here Spring Nature Art WorkshopBarnacles & Bees is partnering with Amber from The Makery to offer this 90 min Family Art & Sensory Nature workshop. We will have 10 simple projects that provide open-ended art and sensory experiences using nature as the inspiration and medium, and kids will wander independently to what interests them! This workshop is best for ages 18 months to 5-year-olds. To sign up follow this link: Registration/Payment for workshop. When: Friday, April 5th Time: 2:00 - 3:30 PM Where: Smith Nature Play Park, 1261-1299 Park Ave, Bremerton, WA 98337 Group size: 20 kids Regular price: $12 per child Discounted price for Barnacles & Bees family: $8 per child 2019/2020 Fall enrollment
Our immersion program has been running for over a month now. We are so grateful to be part of the adventure with this awesome team and amazing families. Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more live info!
The weather has been nice, we are founding our marks and settling in our chore routines. We just received our letter of determination from the IRS! We are saying goodbye to our fiscal sponsorship and hello to growing up as a 501C3 :) We are truly excited that the first month of our nature immersion program at Barnacles & Bees has been such an adventure with your littles! We've had sunny, cloudy, rainy and frosty days to explore the forest and our classroom and get to know our surroundings and each other. Here are the things we would like you to know about January at Barnacles and Bees.
A Morning at Illahee State Park Our goal for the kids when we part from their caregivers in the morning is to set off and acclimate to being outside. Our class has experimented with going on a hike first thing but our default has been to go directly to the lower shelter of our main area and create our boundaries. Once we have done this, the children have been diving directly into interest-led discovery alongside their peers. Before we know it, we are gathering around the stump circle where we have our snack to refuel, listen to a story, and warm up with hot tea and hot water bottles. After snack and story we go into our sit spot routine where the kids are invited to use their senses to be calm and still in their own space, observing their place and connecting with their surroundings. We then gather and invite the children to come back to us with their findings and share what their observations and found items with the group. In our first month, the first part of our day and the last part of our day is free play time. As we move into February we will be beginning our day with a hike instead of going down to our central location for the rest of our day before heading up to the shelter for pick up time. Online Photo Album For the month of January we created an online photo album that we add to each week so that you have a window into our time outside. We invite you as you look at the pictures to comment and have a conversation among yourselves about what you see going on. Also, in the interest of ongoing communication with parents about how their child is doing in class, our Lead Teacher will email two to three families per week with progress about their child that week, with particular highlights and updated goal setting. Core Routines Core routines are the activities that we do every day. They are skills that are practiced day in and day out and have the potential to create the foundation for the kids’ time outside. We encourage you to carry on these routines at home for additional practice. The routines listed below are just the ones that we started with this month, but we will be building new ones in February! Nature journals are an opportunity for children to document something from their day; it may look like, for some kids who are not as interested in putting pencil to paper, a dictation from a mentor in the class based on a conversation they are having with the kiddo, or a simple taping of specimens onto paper. This routine, now at the end of the day might be moved to after sit spot time so that the information is fresh in their mind. As it is right now, at the end of the day the kids really just want to climb and run around before their caregivers pick them up! Wonder Questions make up the meaty “learning” portion of our day. It lays the foundation for curiosity and questions that kids can conjure and create when they are outside. In the months to come this will also be where we introduce the topic for the week. The mentor’s job during this time together is to set some items in the middle of our fire circle and ask wonder questions, sometimes prefacing with a story about the origin, sometimes not: “ I wonder where this came from,” “ I wonder how it got its shape,” and “ I wonder if it can be used for anything.” The responses that come from this time together is my favorite part of the day! Trash and Needles Just like in hiking, we believe that what you pack in you should pack out. We also want to teach our children that we want to leave places better than found them. When you are packing your little one’s snack, we invite you to consider using reusable containers so that we can reduce the amount of waste that we create. However, sometimes, there can be waste in the park that is beyond our control and we want to educate the children on what NOT to pick up and investigate if they should come across something risky. Through a connection in the medical field we have gained an example of what a needle looks like and that they should alert a mentor if they find one. We have a sharps box and a process for dealing with the needles if we are to come in contact with them. If you ever find any needles in the park please let us or the Ranger Station know. Coming up February: Valentine’s Day For this holiday, I want to take the time to celebrate friends! On Wednesday February 13th I invite all families to pack just one type of snack but enough for your little one to share with the group. I will provide camping plates for the group for everyone to eat off. Sharing is caring! Presidents Day This is just a reminder that we will NOT be in school for this holiday Monday February 18th. For those of you who get this day off, we hope that you enjoy it with your families! Parent Teacher Conferences Conferences are going to be held with the Robin towards the end February. Everyone’s schedules are different, so a calendar will be brought to drop-off and pick-up in February so that parents will be able to schedule a time outside of program hours. Mark your Calendar! Barnacles & Bees Free Family Nature Play Classes are back! When: Friday February 1st & 15th Time: 1pm - 3pm Location: Smith Nature Play Park, 1261-1299 Park Ave, Bremerton, WA 98337 Where to park: Kitsap Community Resources parking lot Where to meet: We will start on grass by the parking lot, check - in with CC. Spring Nature Art Workshop Barnacles & Bees is partnering with Amber from The Makery to offer this 90min Family Art & Sensory Nature workshop. We will have 10 simple projects that provide open-ended art and sensory experiences using nature as the inspiration and medium, and kids will wander independently to what interests them! This workshop is best for ages 18 months to 5 year olds. When: Friday, April 5th Time: 2pm - 3.30pm Where: Smith Nature Play Park, 1261-1299 Park Ave, Bremerton, WA 98337 Group size: 20 kids Regular price: $12 per child Discounted price for Barnacles & Bees family: $8 per child 2019/2020 Fall enrollment
We have 48hours left before our Indiegogo fundraising comes to an end. If you follow us on Facebook you already know that we hit our goal of $5000 on #GivingTuesday. Now Every $ over our Indiegogo goal will go toward our scholarship fund for low income families. Please consider donating on our fundraising page or sharing this post on Facebook or Instagram. Spreading the word will help us continue building our outdoor learning community! Follow us @barnaclesnbees Thank you!
Barnacles and Bees is teaming with NOLA Baby to collect gently used outdoor gear to create a library of warm, waterproof layers for kids that play with us outside in our Family Nature Play Class and our Illahee outdoor program starting in January! Another reason to love this store!! From now through January - you can drop off your donation at Nola Baby, or during our December Family Nature Play Classes. Below are the items that we are in most need of. We are also open to other donations like toddler backpacks, small water bottles, reusable snack bags and more!
Join us for a family-friendly hike this Black Friday and leave the holiday store crowds behind. Gather, breathe and celebrate community connections.
When: Friday, Nov. 23rd Where: Ueland Tree Farm When: 10:00am We are live!!
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