2 Weeks...EEEKS!!

I cannot believe the first day of school at Grow With Me is in two short weeks!  The gardens are growing, the"mud" kitchen ready for cooking, and water tables ready for splashing!

“Camper” Classroom

As we were thinking about the school at the beginning of June, I was given the idea of using a camper as a learning area.  After thinking about it for just a few minutes I thought..what kiddo wouldn’t want to “camp” for school!?!?

As a child I can remember thinking about how fun it would be to go camping in a camper.  It was a little dream of mine that I don’t even think my mother knows.  We are turning our camper into a classroom! The “Camper Classroom” will be right next to the outdoor learning area.  We will use this for more targeted direct instruction, reading, restroom breaks, washing hands, and snack time.  It’s in the works!  Here’s a sneak peek of what we have going on.

The globe picture is totally random...I love globes!

   

The Breakfast Club

Brian constructed a pretty clever chicken coop with the help of google and Pinterest!  An old trampoline, deer stand, chicken wire, and 5 gallon buckets.  We put the coop in the school area so the kiddos can see where their breakfast comes from.  I will be cooking breakfast for them each morning....lots of

fresh eggs I hope!  It will be fun to watch the chickens each day, gather eggs, and then cook them.  The mound slide, sandbox boat, and sand spreading are getting done.  We have created a garden area for growing plants.  We even have a fun rock garden that is super cool.  A good good day at Grow With Me!

Sweet Child

I had a visitor today!  She is one of my students for the 2020/2021 school year.  She checked things out and we cannot wait to spend the year playing and learning together.

She let me know that one of her very favorite things to do is paint! I told her she is in luck...I love to paint!  She picked several rocks from Grow With Me’s rock garden and made them colorful.  She placed them in the perfect spot.

She enjoyed meeting the animals and

meeting my children.  Oh this gets me excited (more than I already have been)!  I know it’s a very tough time for all right now...but the good Lord is showing me that there will be learning, joy, and happiness for these kiddos. We will explore, learn, and grow together in a small group and in a safe environment!  I am so thankful the Lord has provided this.

Nature Based Learning

Bugs and Butterflies

Do you remember catching lightening bugs in a jar as a child? There is just something so intriguing about bugs and insects!

 

Exploring is just fun.  It’s fun for me as an adult.  I haven’t met a child yet that exploring doesn’t engage.  There is a lot of exploring to be had out here!  What do we do when we explore?  We learn!  I can’t wait to use the bug kits, counting trays, and butterfly nets to explore and grow our minds!  

School of "Rock"

Brian, Avery, Sutton and I went for a little outing to celebrate the 4th of July.  We love to go fishing, kayaking, and exploring at creeks and rivers.  We found ourselves at Ten Mile Creek and came across some goodies for Grow With Me.  I love all kinds of rock and we have been on the search for the perfect rock to build walkways by the school.  We found it!  Oh my goodness I cannot wait to lay it out and enjoy this beautiful rock we collected.  Many pieces even have fossils. 

Here are just a few more pictures of some neat projects we have been working on.  A hammock perfect for reading a good book, tick tack toe, and individual gathering baskets and rakes for fun!