Our original destination was the 100 acre wood but Laura and I decided to head to Hoag's Pond as the day was somewhat windy. It proved to be a nice compromise. The girls enjoyed a day of exploring, playing games, and gift making.
After a check in, we hiked the short distance to the pond. We began our time together settling in to a little grassy area near the pond, eating a snack and chatting about how we would like to spend the day.
The girls decided they first needed some game playing so a few rounds of Poison Dart Frog ensued.
Our attention was drawn to the pond as, with each gust of wind, a shimmer of moving water would dance across the pond like ballerinas. This fascinated us all for about 20 minutes.... and inspired a walk around the pond. We suggested the walk be in silence so that we could engage our senses, and upon return we would use our journals to record our discoveries.
Wow, the things we all noticed: duck boxes and bird calls, tiny bridges and mushrooms, a decaying dock, a single apple hanging from a tree, rose hips, and that shimmering wind across the water. They all honored the silence as they walked. When we returned to our little spot the girls spent some time with their journals drawing and writing about their discoveries.
A suggestion had been made early in the day to engage in secret admirer. Everyone picks a name out of a hat and then spends the day making nature art or gifts of some kind and secretly passing them along to their chosen person. This seems to be a particularly engaging activity for this age group and some of the creations are simply amazing.
After some time it was necessary to eat more food and play more games! Lunch is also a favorite with ALL age groups. We had a stove as well to heat water so everyone could enjoy a bit of hot cocoa. And then a few rounds of Spider's Web.
We had a good lengthy peaceful place before all gathering again and packing up to head back to the pick up spot. Before meeting you all again we shared our gratitude and our words of the day. One of the gals invited us all to laugh as long as possible so we decided to laugh as we walked the last bit of trail. Laughing is contagious..and good for belly and soul.
Thanks for your commitment to this group.
To view the full album of the day, click here.
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