Good Reasons to Play in the Mud

As in the words of e.e. cummings today was "mudluscious" and "puddle -wonderful". The kids were having a blast digging for worms, filling up buckets with mud, and making mud soup with the yummy ingredients of leaves, pine cones, and twigs. I was lamenting all day that I had forgotten my camera. It was a beautiful sight to see. The kids were all smiles in the schoolyard today working cooperatively on their muddy projects, and there is a good reason for that. Recent studies have shown that exposure to dirt increases levels of serotonin which makes you happy. There also is research that suggests dirt can help your immune system as well. Here are links to two articles that will make you want to get your child out playing in the mud and puddles!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-buzzell/garden-guide-can-playing_b_591254.html

http://www.mnn.com/your-home/organic-farming-gardening/blogs/let-your-kids-eat-mud

Learning about the water cycle

Last week's swing in weather extremes gave us a good opportunity to learn about the water cycle. On Tuesday the kindergartners helped me gather snow and ice in a muffin tin. We then took the pan and held it over steaming water in a crock pot. We watched as the water vapor turned into condensation on the pan and then eventually "rained" as the droplets got bigger. The next day the weather was so warm that we were able to go outside and build our classroom terrarium. A terrarium produces a mini water cycle inside it's glass container. The children can watch as the water evaporates from the soil and forms condensation on the top and sides of the jar and then "rains" back into the soil.

Spring Fever

We all have spring fever! Last week when the weather was sunny and in the 60's we spent the majority of the day outside. Along with running and making up games the kids dug, moved dirt with the wheel barrow, and "painted" the deck with water. It was a fun day!

New Yard

Blog: Take 2

Last year at this time my kindergartners were making mud pies in our schoolyard. A few days after this picture was taken we received the devastating news that we needed to move from our beloved school. We survived and even thrived under the circumstances. Now a year later we are more than half way through a new school year in a new school with a new schoolyard. I loved our schoolyard before, but we are blessed with our new space. There is more room to play and learn and even a beautiful view of French Creek.

Water in a Solid State

As luck would have it, just as we were studying the different states of matter, we had a snowy icy day to explore water in a solid state. The kids found an icy wonderland of ice covered plants, logs, and trees. A few days later we brought in some of that snow and ice in a muffin tin and placed it over heated water in a crock pot creating our own water cycle.