Balancing on a log

Deep in the fern wood.

This sunny day led us to a favorite fallen log.  This log is so long that the kids practiced watlking up and down it for a long time.  If you follow it to its natural end-behold!  There is another log there-so you can jump or climb onto the next log and keep going.  The younger ones wanted a hand to hold as they walked and the older ones managed just fine on their own.  We are so lucky here in the northwest that even if the kids slip off-there is usually a soft fern or leaf covered forest floor to catch their fall.  As we were up and down the log the kids got more and more comfortable with their own balancing prowess.

I must say that as a forest teacher, I don't help the kids much.  Even those who want my help by holding my hand as they climb or balance-find that I'm not much help at all.  If they resist me telling them how to climb up themselves, then they find a very limp and not strong hand at the ready.  Sometimes they try and direct me to be stronger-but instead my hand goes to the log or branch that I want them to learn to grab-and soon they are climbing and balancing all by themselves.
Our log walk dropped us off into some very high forest brush where we bushwhacked our way through in order to get back in time for our tractor ride! Thank you to Farmer Elise for giving us a fun and very bumpy ride around the park and farm.  We were up high and so we could see the apples on the tip top of the apple tree.  We saw leaves changing colors and the tractor found some deep holes to jostle us around!

Waiting to ride the Farm tractor and wagon.

Now that it is October, we are beginning to talk about pumpkins and Halloween.  Today we read a book about pumpkins and at the end of the month we will carve our own jack-o-lanterns and then hide them in the woods to watch them decompose! We won't be wearing costumes to school because of our need to wear so much clothing to TOP.  But we'll have fun talking about the season.  We also learned a pumpkin finger play today!\

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate,
First one said "Oh my, it's getting late!"
Second one said "There are witches in the air,"
Third one said "but we don't care!"
Fourth one said "Let's run and run and run."
Fifth one said "I'm ready for some fun!"
Ooo ooo went the wind, and out went the lights,
And five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.