Ottawa Forest and Nature School
411 Corkstown Road K2K0J5 Ottawa, ON, Canada

There is reality of getting/feeling/being cold in the winter. To help hold off the cold so that we can sink into the sparkly magic that surrounds us, we try to dress for it! Todays blog post shares the strategy we find most helpful for supporting children and families in being dressed for the wondrous, winter weather that awaits in the forest. Perhaps you'll find it helpful, too. https://playontheland.blogspot.com//taking-learning-outsid

Winter and snow bring such strong feelings for many of us- extreme joy and excitement, or not. I have met many adults who find it easier to get out on the wintery land if they are with children. Today's blog post starts a new theme for our Forest Field Trip posts- wandering inspired by picture books. One of the sweetest winter inspiration books I've ever encountered is "The Snowy Day" by Ezra Jack Keats. It has inspired many a walk for me with children. Perhaps it can do the... same for you. https://playontheland.blogspot.com//virtual-to-natural-fie Happy weekend, and happy winter wandering in the snow!

What if it's cold outside? We hear this question often, and have many discussions about how to support the learning and play in the windy, wintery cold. Today's blog post shares ideas and experiences that might help you in your journey to get outside more in the winter, too. Good luck!

Our blog series sharing ways that we support rich, risky-feeling play continues today, with a post about playing in and near the water. It's so much fun, and can feel so stressful. Perhaps our experiences can help lighten a bit of that heaviness for you so that water-play feels more doable for you and the children in your care. https://playontheland.blogspot.com//learning-that-emerges- Happy splashing!

They're digging in gravel beside a chain link fence. That's learning through play on the land? We don't all have easy access to forests and trails. There are many barriers to getting deep into the wild, but luckily nature surrounds us wherever we are when we step outside. Today's blog post shares memories, and hopefully some ideas and inspiration, for how to get out onto the land that is near where you live, and for how to see and connect with the wildness that is there. Happy November wandering! https://playontheland.blogspot.com//virtual-to-natural-fie

The staff at OFNS feel such gratitude in our work- to be able to be on the land with children, to learn and grow beside them, to laugh with them everyday. Inspired by World Children's Day, todays blog post (https://playontheland.blogspot.com//a-note-of-gratitude-to) shares the reasons why we do this work. At the centre of it, always, is the opportunity to work with children. We wish you all a warm and safe, kind and magical weekend, hopefully that includes some time spent in nature with children.

https://www.nytimes.com//pa/kids-winter-play-outside.html

Rocks for building fairy houses, for making squirrel restaurants and towers for acorn people- these feel easy to say yes to. Rocks for throwing into ponds or crushing to make fairy dust- not so easy. Today's blog post shares how we navigate this risk with children, how we are able to say yes to all kinds of rock play, and how we keep it safe and kind. Please check it out, and good luck in your own rock play! https://playontheland.blogspot.com//learning-that-emerges-

The weather has given us a break, and the call of the forest is strong! We might not be able to bring many (or any!) items with us to support the play, but the land supports us in so many ways, including sharing natural materials for us to find, explore, and play with. Is it okay to play with sticks??? We always ask a new group that question, and eyes light up when we say yes! Today's blog post shares how we co-manage risk with children so that together we can be kind and safe, and sink into the play with sticks. https://playontheland.blogspot.com//learning-that-emerges-

Bringing Loose Parts along to support the learning while we play is just part of what we do- some buckets for collecting acorns, a couple of rope swings, magnifying glasses for deeper inspection of teeny critters. So what do we do if we can't bring any items along? Will the play still be as rich and magical? Today's blog post shares some thoughts about this question, and some stories of magic that has emerged, with only the land and our imaginations as inspiration! https://playontheland.blogspot.com//taking-learning-outsid