Reflecting & Feeling

We sit together to reflect on our Christmas party. We want to understand how we feel, which moments stay with us, and how the day touches our hearts.

Fides shares, "I feel scared." His words are small, but they hold so much. When we try to ask more-what makes him feels scared.  He gently pulls away, as if the words are too big. This remind us that facing challenges,-whether in feelings or experiences,-can sometimes feel overwhelming. It is a quiet, tender moment, and we wonder what might be happening in his thoughts.

Pranssi's eyes light up as she shares what makes the day so meaningful for her. She likes when her family sees her dancing. Her joy is clear-she feels love and pride from sharing that moment with her family. The connection to her family feels important to her as she recalls that moment. 

As we listen to our reflections, we notice how each one of us expresses ourselves differently. We sit with our words, our body language, and our expressions, observing how we process and communicate our feelings about the day in our own unique way.

She is also very into the song Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and her excitement is contagious.  Inspired by her love for the song, we all dance and sing together, filling the space with laughter, music, and connection.

During our riding experiences outdoors, we observe many stumps on our pathway. It makes us wonder of the situation here. In this situation, it is amazing actually how hard it is for us to just ... notice. There is always so much to think about, to foresee, to consider, to worry about, to remember, and to deliberate upon.

We keep revisiting a specific storybook If I ran the Rain Forest by Bonnie Worth, a story that opens up a world of imagination and care for animals living in the rainforest. As we turn the pages, our thoughts and ideas begin to unfold in beautiful and meaningful ways.

Pranssi, with her usual gentle and caring spirit, shares "I will carry the monkey and I will run very fast." Her words show a deep sense of responsibility, as if she wants to protect the frightened monkey and keep it safe. 

Fides, full of creativity and thoughtfulness, says, "I will dig underground." He adds, "I will build houses with woods." His words reflect his desire to create spaces where animals can hide, feel safe, and find a home. He imagines digging deep and building strong, protective shelters-places where animals can find peace.

Being determined to come up with a possible solution, Fides offers straws to build the house. He must have remembered some stories mentioned straws as part of the house structure. Building with straw is not new, but its use has been increasing. The Three Little Pigs had it all wrong! Homes, schools, parks, and even businesses have used straw bales to build sustainable, durable, and attractive structures.

Never running out of ideas, Fides comes up with another suggestion when asked,  "Can we have another way to build our houses if not from wood?". He suggests referring to bricks to build our houses. In this way, Fides demonstrates a divergent thinking. It is a creative process that involves exploring many possible solutions and using left and right brain thinking.

Inspired by our ideas, looking for ways to make our visions real. Together, we observe the brick wall in our space. "How can we build like this?" we ask. We lean in, our eyes curious as we notice the shape, texture, and strength of the bricks. This moment sparks something new.  We decide to extend this moment by using clay to build the homes we imagine. Our hands move with focus and purpose as we shape and mold the soft clay.

Each house rises slowly, molded with intention and love. Some are simple, with sturdy walls. Others take on more detail as we experiment, inspired by the textures we see on the wall. We pat the clay, creating spaces that feel warm and safe. The moss we have gathered in the forest earlier becomes the finishing touch-soft, green, and alive, connecting our work to nature.

We experience the power of connection: between imagination and reality, between ourselves and the natural world. Through clay and moss, we learn to see with our hands and our hearts, building spaces where everyone-no matter how small or frightened we can find a place to belong.

Thinking in line with the sense of belonging, we feel for the birds during this cold weather. We keep this question in our head, "How would the birds find food when the ground is covered with frost?" We think it is important to have some food available for them. An idea comes on board!

Since we have our Christmas cookie balls, why don't we make ones for the birds?  We mix the seeds and wow butter to form a round shape like balls. Pranssi scoops some mixture to put in between her hands and keeps making a circular motion patiently.​

Now the challenge is to hang them onto three different tress we have around us. A ladder is going to be an aid indeed. It turns out we love tree climbing and its challenge and adventure of climbing trees in our backyard and the natural world.

Snow globes have always been a timeless keepsake that encapsulates the beauty and serenity of winter. By creating a dry version, we eliminate the need for water and preserve the delicate materials, allowing us to fully explore and personalize our creations. This craft is designed to engage our fine motor skills, sensory exploration, and imaginative thinking while fostering a sense of accomplishment and joy.

We use a variety of materials to bring our dry snow globes to life. Mason jars serve as the foundation, with each child receiving one to decorate. Miniature Christmas village pieces, including small houses, lamp posts, and figurines, help set the scene. To complete the winter wonderland, we include miniature evergreen trees, artificial snow, and different types of glitter, such as white, silver, gold, and iridescent varieties. For assembly, we use a hot glue gun (handled by educators for safety). 

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This learning experience is a delightful blend of creativity, sensory exploration, and fine motor skill development. Each one of us creates a unique scene, reflecting our personal vision of a winter wonderland. We eagerly share glitter and snow with our peers, fostering a sense of community. We also practice patience, precision, and decision-making, taking pride in our completed snow globes, which becomes cherished keepsakes to take home.

Kindest,
Children & Friends.