A Wolf Winter

Even though a 'Wolf Winter' blasted us with windchill temperatures at the top of Sunrise Hill today, we battened down the hatches and do what we always do - find a way to get the most out of wintertime!

Just like a predator on the hunt, a wild winter silently sneaks in like a wolf, catching everything in nature off guard with cold snaps and blizzards. It is relentless, forcing creatures to either hide or flee. In Sweden, it is called a ‘wolf winter’ (Vargavinter). The question we investigated today was:  “What is it that’s making this winter more challenging than past winters and what can we do about it to stay safe and still have fun?”

We expect the temperatures in winter to be colder than any other season but this month, we have had more severe wind chill days (when the air feels colder on our skin due to strong winds). If this happens, it can cause frostbite and even hypothermia. What did you learn about the stages of frostbite when we played the game, “Jack Frost Tag”?

We know about dressing for the cold by using layers to help insulate our bodies in order to retain as much body heat as possible. We also learned that our head, hands, and feet lose heat the fastest. We decided to see which would keep our hands warmer - a mitten or a glove.

What did you discover when we tested one on each hand for 10 minutes outdoors?

Every Heron and nature mentor except for one discovered that the mittened hand was warmer than the hand with the glove.

Our inside time today was filled with many different activities that kept us warm and busy. Which ones were your favourites and why?

Arrival activities

Library

Drumming

Sliding

Poetry guests and writing our own poems

Trying our insulation experiment again (Tell your family about the results we got this time.)

Don't forget lunch time, leadership, and learning

We know we can’t change the weather but as Herons, we are getting better at knowing how to ‘weather the weather’ we are given. Being prepared, being willing to adapt, and being resilient are 3 ways we can tame this beast of a winter and still enjoy all the fun and beauty it has to offer! Today you all proved you are learning how to outwit the 'wolf'!