Mushrooms and tracks

Our small group ventured out to the forest this morning. We left the centre with an intention to link our experiences with the charcoal to the forest. Our experiences from the day before lingered with ideas of mark making, tracks and circular marks on the paper. We set out to pay attention and notice these connections on our walk in the forest.

At first our walk was fast paced, and the children quickly moved. We had to intentionally pause and slow down. I stopped at a puddle where a large impression was embedded into a mud puddle, drawing the children to come back, pause and look at what we had found. The preschoolers were quick to declare that a “dinosaur” had been there. I noted this and we continued walking on. As an educator, I consider this notion once again of there being no need to correct them in their thinking, it was not about right or wrong. It was about being present, noticing and seeing what else is in the world around us.

As we moved Into the edge of the forest, the children slowed their steps and began to notice and see the most intricate findings. A child stopped under a branch and noticed a small droplet of water hanging delicately from a branch.  We talked about the slow motion, similar to our slow lines with charcoal. Small circles on paper, transferred to ideas of mushrooms that were located as we moved.

These experiences are having me consider the ideas of creating alternative ways of being. If we intentionally pay attention and bring notice to the world, how will we think and do practice differently and engage with those around us? How do these moments influence or create new ways of being?