Mysteries of Mother Nature!

Pin Cherry trying out her new binoculars!

Wow! A day of mysteries at Harrington! Think about your day and look at these pictures. What were your favourites?

Discoveries Around The Hall

When you arrived in the morning what did you discover, maybe for the first time ever? Some of the Turtles found toads just hanging around the Hall. Thank goodness we painted some binoculars so we can use them to find even more nature hiding in the grass, the trees and the leaves next week. Did you notice all the yellow jackets out and about? They definitely weren’t trying to hide! They would have loved a bite of some yummy Turtle snacks!  Our little friends, the white caterpillars(Hickory Tussock Moth Caterpillars), were also showing up everywhere. Do you remember what could happen if you touch one of those little furry creatures? What did you learn about your friends during our ‘Over Here’ game? Did you notice that some of your friends actually like the same colours, food and games as you do? Mystery solved!

Poo-Dunit?  A Forest Floor Mystery

Who knew there were so many different kinds of poo? After reading our story “Poo-Dunit?” by Katelyn Aronson, could you match all the animal poo samples with the animals that left them?  Did anything surprise you in our story?  The mice sure had an important job!  Do you remember what happened in the spring thanks to the mice? 

After solving the mystery of all the animal scat we went off for a wander through our own big Mystery Forest! Did you see any animal scat? What did you find that interested you? We might not have found any poo/scat but sure found some bugs! Some of the Turtles built a ramp and had bug races. Which bug was the winner?  

Were you surprised you could make your own bow and arrow? Thanks to Dragonfly for supplying the string and some building support! Amazing what we can discover about ourselves!

The Mystery In The Library

There were a few mysteries to be solved in the library. Where do you put your books to return them?  Hint: It’s a blue box. What books or magazines to take home to read? There are so many good books to read at the library. If you don’t see what you are looking for, remember Grey Squirrel can get books for you from other libraries in Oxford County and have them waiting for you when you arrive on Tuesday! As a group, the Turtles were thinking hard about “Who Stole the Hazelnuts?” in our storytime with Grey Squirrel today. Do you remember who stole the hazelnuts?

Over The River and Through the Woods…More New Discoveries

Some of the Turtles found not one but two Woolly Bear Caterpillars on our way to Cedar Hideaway. Do you think Woolly Bear Caterpillars will predict our winter weather? Will it be a mild winter or a very cold winter? That mystery will have to wait to be solved.

After putting the Woolly Bears in a sunny and dry place there was more to discover in the stream! Our sock rock (a place where we put our dry socks) definitely showed our enthusiasm for getting wet! What was your favourite discovery there? The crayfish, the water bugs? So many creatures to choose from!  Thanks for respecting the find and putting every creature back before heading back to the Hall.

Learning About Our Nature Names

After a busy day on the trails, it was time to reflect in our journals.  Where did you glue your nature name animal?  Did you add details around it?  What was your favourite thing about your day?

Talk to your family about everything you discovered at Mystery Forest, Butterfly Hill and Cedar Hideaway!  What mysteries do you hope to uncover next week?  Keep practicing your nature name and those of your friends.  Hopefully those won’t be a mystery for too long! Happy Trails!