Posts filed under ‘Outdoors and Literacy’
Wisconsin Protest Meets Outdoor Adventure
Last week I canceled Ski club. Organizers also canceled most of Winterfest.
Not for extreme cold or lack of snow, but because of the protest at the Capitol.
It’s been a surreal week.
On Wednesday, Superintendent Nerad closed Madison schools because so many teachers called in sick.
On Thursday, many other principals closed schools due to teacher sick-outs. I canceled ski club because we had no kids to take.
On Friday, schools remained closed and people continued to swarm the Capitol in growing numbers. Organizers canceled Winterfest which was to take place around the Capitol on Saturday and Sunday. A few events moved to the Memorial Union.
Since I had planned to take kids to Winterfest, we went to the Union instead. To avoid traffic headaches, we rode the bus. This was quite the adventure for the kids. Little did we know that we’d be crammed on a bus with dozens of protesters heading downtown.
The kids loved it. They got to see how peaceful protesters behave and they got to see all the people around the Capitol. They enjoyed reading the signs.
“Beam Scotty Back,” was a favorite though they didn’t get the Star Trek connection.
When we got to the Union, the kids watched sky divers land on the ice, snowboarders compete and snowsculptors sculpt. We ate our PB&J outside. And of course, they ran around on the ice and acted silly. The big fun was collecting snow eggs from the ice, as they called them.
It wasn’t the same as Winterfest, but they didn’t care. Perhaps they got something even better. They got to ride a city bus and see a historic political event. Teachable moments don’t get much better and the best part is that I didn’t have to say very much. They just soaked it up.
Have you ever been a trip where the unexpected happened? Did you take your kids to the protests? Do let me know.
Diane Schwartz takes kids cross country skiing at Blackhawk Ski Club every week until March 4. You can also find her getting ready for spring at Schumacher Farm Park in Waunakee. Become an email subscriber today and receive a free 11 page Bubble Activity Guide for free.
Reading, Bubbles & Sidewalk Chalk
Today feels like summer.
The sun shines warm. The wind blows hot. And the sky is deep blue.
So, it makes sense to do summer things with the kids like sidewalk chalk, bubbles, and reading.
Yes, reading.
The first Tuesday of the month, we have a read aloud with Tracy Moore, the children’s services librarian from the Hawthorne Library. She usually reads two stories and then does an art project with the kids. Today she read, “One Stuck Duck” by Phyllis Root and did a felt board story about a pig going on a picnic.
Afterward, we went crazy with the sidewalk chalk. We made cats, butterflies and princesses, traced our bodies, played hop scotch, and made lots of scary faces and designs. The bubbles blew quickly through the air in the warm wind. It was magical and perfect day.
I love making connections between the outdoors, reading and art. Hopefully, this pattern will stick with the kids and leave them wanting more of all three. This summer, we’ll continue our library reading program to help keep them active with books and learning. We want our kids to enter the school year ready to learn.
I hope that you get creative with kids now that the weather has turned gorgeous. Try adding a book into the mix to add some literacy.
Diane Schwartz is a K1 teacher at the Goodman Community Center in Madison, WI. She specializes in getting kids outside. For a free 11-page Bubble Activity Guide, just go to the home page and subscribe to this blog.
