Week 25: Birds, birds, birds!

This week we launched into our next quest and dove into the wonderful world of Ornithology! Each of our heroes chose a bird to study and began moving their avatar along our Quest map as they researched different facts about their bird of choice.

First up was habitats and nesting, and after watching this short video about amazing bird nests we were inspired to try our own hands at this with our Build-a-Nest challenge! Can you tell which one of us is studying eagles??? One thing is for sure, whether big or small, elaborate or simple, we all were left in awe of the incredible feat of engineering required for each and every bird's nest.

On Thursday the sun was shining and we took to the great outdoors for a Field Study of the birds in our area. Armed with binoculars, clipboards, and a list of commonly seen species we explored our campus and the neighbourhood for birds of many a feather. In one quick hour we spotted ravens, robins, a belted kingfisher, hummingbirds, Canadian geese, mallards, seagulls, chickadees, and Pacific wrens!

When not outdoors building nests or searching the skies, you could find these young ornithologists buried in books and researching facts they will be presenting at their upcoming exhibition. It's been so much fun watching them run from their book or computer to share a new and fascinating fact they've just learned, and in doing so, inspiring their peer to discover new and exciting things about their bird as well. We're all learning so much and their enthusiasm is infectious!

Even the hardest working birds out there make time for play, and Spark Play by the river has taken on a new life. Elaborate forts are being constructed, complete with river-stone floors, ivy curtains, kitchen nooks, and harvested moss carpets cozy enough for bare feet! During these hours each day, the guides step way back and are mere observers, offering no guidance, assistance, or interference. Each time I'm lucky enough to be a fly on the wall during Spark Play I'm reminded of one of my favourite passages from Jonathan Haidt's book, The Anxious Generation. "Free play is an activity freely chosen and directed by the participants and undertaken for its own sake. When parents, teachers, and coaches get involved, it becomes less free, less playful, and less beneficial. Adults usually can't stop themselves from directing and protecting. The small-scale challenges and setbacks that happen during play are like an inoculation that prepares children to face much larger challenges later. Play offers exposure to challenging social and physical experiences that all young mammals need to develop basic competencies, overcome innate childhood fears, and prepare to rely less on their parents." Suffice to say, it's not only their favourite time of day ;)

Between Spark Play and Ornithology they're still diligently working at their own pace through their core skills; reading, writing, and math. As our tribe grows and we welcome in more young heroes, these founding learners are so graciously embracing new members to our community and showing them the ropes. Our goal, of course, is to continue to grow and to include more families on this journey. I know I'll be celebrating when that happens, but I will always treasure these early days, when there were but a few of us working towards this shared vision of what our children's days could look like.

I'm thankful for each and every day, for the community springing up around us, and for this unique path we're forging for our children.

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." _Robert Frost