3 cheers for Nature School!

I've been meaning to write something about our Nature School for quite sometime...so here is a little about our special school.

You might call it "outdoor school" everyday.

or

"field trips" every single day.

because

if you go to Nature School, you do not sit in a classroom, or hang up your coat, or stash your backpack in a cubby. Nope.

At Nature School...We get OUTSIDE, exploring our Natural World, every single day of school!

My friend, Sara Egbert is an a-mazing lady (Mommy extraordinaire not to mention a background in horticulture). Earlier this year, she single-handedly opened Nature School. She plans lessons, projects, songs, stories, art activities - the list goes on - basically, a whole curriculum for pre-schoolers (and their siblings and parents) to learn in, of, and all about our beautiful earth.

A few weeks ago, some of the parents got together with Sara, and sewed these cute little "Nature Backpacks" Later, Sara and I got together and made a plan to freezer-paper-stencil each child's name on their backpack, and then we cut out all sorts of different things found in nature (bugs, trees, flowers, etc.) and each child chose one or two and we then appliqued them to each backpack. They turned out cute ;) But the really fun part, is what is inside!

Sara ordered a bug net, some mini magnifying glasses, and magnifying specimen boxes (for bugs or plants) to put in each child's bag.

Watch out, Aspen! This morning...

Sawyer tested his bug net out on his little sister...

Rain or shine, our little class meets weekly (soon to be twice a week) in a different location - anywhere from city parks, to beaches, to gardens, to the zoo. Sara has been so pro-active about her students, providing amazing opportunities for the kids to experience things like...visiting a kind citizen's backyard in Magnolia where they got to observe - through a huge telescope - the Great Blue Heron's building over 40 nests, guided tours from local non-profit volunteer organizations about local habitats, growing our own seeds, and even some education on campus at the University of Washington. She even arranged - and the city agreed - to give our kids a 10x10 plot of land in one of the city's community p-patch gardens, to tend and cultivate and learn to grow our own little garden.

My plan this morning was actually to take a few photos of our class enjoying the Botanical Gardens this morning...but of course wouldn't you know it after I lugged my big ole' camera all the way to Bellevue...my battery was dead when we got there. So...more photos to come :) Maybe we'll get some of them working in the new garden (time to pull weeds and prep!)

Nature school is all about getting DIRTY, MUDDY, and WET. But as Spring approaches, we are excited to shed our raincoats and wellies to enjoy the earth as she warms right up into summer. Nature school is year-round and much of what we learn about is inspired directly by the natural changes occuring in the world around us...falling leaves, buds, blossoms. blooms, beaches, rocks, bugs, little animals - and everything that goes along with our senses - colors, sights, sounds, smells, even taste - it is just so wonderful. Seriously, I cannot say enough good things about this marvelous little school. I feel so lucky we get to be a part of it.

Our wonderful teacher was also recently invited, along with her family, to some special meetings taking place...I am uncertain of the details but I think the gist of it is that people have been saying wonderful things about Nature School and there is talk of working with Sara to model this school so that other people in other neighborhoods can enjoy what we do having such a wonderful school for our children.

A special thanks to Sara, for all the time, effort, and heart that she puts into Nature School. We *HEART* you, Sara!

ps-If you would like to view a wonderful documentary which takes an honest look at some of the consequences of a childhood removed largely from the natural world in place of "today's world" which is hugely virtual...take a look at Play Again. Sara and her family let us borrow it, and there was recently a screening of it at our flagship REI store. I highly recommend it!