The day started with some rainy weather, which we decided was a good opportunity to switch up our drop-off routine and do our morning circle under the pavilion. Amy joined us in the forest and the children seemed very comfortable with her there. Before going in different directions, Robin briefly discussed how rain changes the forest to be more slippery. The older children picked up last week’s game and engaged in negotiations to ensure those playing were all comfortable and enjoying the games. Robin, Larkin, and Eden played a couple rounds of freeze tag. We read The Gruffalo and began “The Halloween Changeling”, a story from Ireland to be continued. After snack, the superhero game continued and some drew Georgia flowers from our field guide. We’ve been practicing a “Mindfulness Moment” before leaving the forest, where we gather back together for a quick, intentional moment of togetherness as the last thing we do before heading back. Today, we did a “dragon breath”. On the way back, we experimented with being different kinds of animals--animals with tails, animals that are nocturnal, etc. The children are getting more comfortable with our commitment to staying together in our closing circle to practice the art of conversation. They are all seeming confident with the procedures of clean up after lunch and proud of those skills: scraping their bowl, knowing what is expected to stack where, and finishing quickly to go play in their favorite holly bush!