Night Walks:Activities for Autumn

Despite the ninety degree temps we all know that the days are getting shorter and shorter! Pretty soon it’ll be dark before our littles’ bedtimes.

Whether or not you have the ever-present battle against screens in your household, it can be hard to decide what to do with your evenings, especially when adding in dinner, bath time, bed routines, and finding time for yourself to decompress.

An easy breezy add to your weeknight is a brief Night-Time Walk together! These do not require much prep, can involve kiddos of any age, and can span any amount of time you need.

Optional Materials: Binoculars, Paper, Coloring Implements, Compass, Flashlights

FOR CLEAR SKIES

  1. Creating your own constellations: Much like looking for shapes in clouds, you can look up at the stars on a walk and ask your kids if they see any shapes! Tell your own stories about the shapes they see.

  2. Learning the constellations: older kids may be interested in constellations and the stories they tell! You can pair this with one of these amazing constellation story books!

    1. Star Stories: Constellation Tales from Around the World

    2. Glow in the Dark Constellations: A Field Guide for Young Stargazers

    3. Constellations for Kids: The Stories of the Stars

    4. Find More Here

  3. Moon Phase Journal: We talk about this a lot, but by having your child do observational drawings of the moon as it changes, it helps your child begin processing how time passes long term. If you do the observations from the same spot, your child will also see how the moon moves around the sky based on the seasons!

  4. Bonus: Help them learn how to use a compass when finding the moon, the planets, and the stars so that they can begin to learn basic parts of navigation!

  5. Autumnal Celestial Events:

    1. Sea and Sky Events 2023 has all of the upcoming celestial events in the night sky. We will list a few of the best ones below.

    2. September 23 - September Equinox. The September equinox occurs at 06:43 UTC. The Sun will shine directly on the equator and there will be nearly equal amounts of day and night throughout the world. This is also the first day of fall (autumnal equinox) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of spring (vernal equinox) in the Southern Hemisphere.

    3. September 29 - Full Moon, Supermoon. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 09:59 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Corn Moon because the corn is harvested around this time of year. This moon is also known as the Harvest Moon. The Harvest Moon is the full moon that occurs closest to the September equinox each year. This is also the last of four supermoons for 2023. The Moon will be near its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.

    4. *EARLY EVENING* October 8, 9 - Draconids Meteor Shower. The Draconids is a minor meteor shower producing only about 10 meteors per hour. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner, which was first discovered in 1900. The Draconids is an unusual shower in that the best viewing is in the early evening instead of early morning like most other showers. The shower runs annually from October 6-10 and peaks this year on the the night of the the 8th and morning of the 9th. The second quarter moon will be visible in the early morning but shouldn't interfere too much. Best viewing will be in the early evening from a dark location far away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Draco, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

    5. October 28 - Full Moon. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 20:25 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Hunters Moon because at this time of year the leaves are falling and the game is fat and ready to hunt. This moon has also been known as the Travel Moon and the Blood Moon.

    6. October 28 - Partial Lunar Eclipse. A partial lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth's partial shadow, or penumbra, and only a portion of it passes through the darkest shadow, or umbra. During this type of eclipse a part of the Moon will darken as it moves through the Earth's shadow. The eclipse will be visible throughout all of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and western Australia. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)


For cloudy nights

  1. Weather Journal: During a lovely evening walk together you can discuss the weather! What do the clouds look like? Who thinks it’s going to rain? Is there wind? How does the outside feel at night versus during the day? What kinds of animals are we hearing and seeing? Afterwards, you could have kids do a brief journal entry. Kids can do observational drawings, write questions, and create graphs to see what kind of weather shows up the most in a week/month/year!

  2. “Night Sounds and Sights” Scavenger Hunt:

    1. Night Bird Sound

    2. Rustling of Leaves

    3. Crickets (or other night bug sounds)

    4. A Bright Star: Planet or Star?

    5. The Moon: What phase is it?

    6. Autumn Leaves in multiple colors

    7. Moth

    8. An Evergreen Tree: Bonus - can you smell it?

    9. A Flickering Streetlight

    10. A Stop Sign — Did you notice anything interesting about this sign? (point out how it’s reflective so it’s visible in the dark)

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Animals Visiting at Common Ground during "Animal Jam" Week!

Our Third Week at Camp is ANIMAL JAM!

And we have had so much fun so far! On Monday, we discussed the differences between amphibians and reptiles and created our own favorite animals out of egg cartons! On Tuesday we prepped for animal paper mache masks and played “predators vs. prey” game relays. We will be making Bird Paper Airplanes, laughing through marsupial games, and hunting spooooky cryptids in the woods!

Our local fauna must want to join us… because they have been coming to visit in droves!

We have baby birds currently nesting at the back of our center… we are being very careful not to disturb them, but it is so hard not to peek at Common Ground’s tiniest babies residing just outside the HUMAN baby room!

We also had the Common Five-Lined Blue-Tailed SKINK come RIGHT INTO THE SCHOOL!! Were they hoping to join the camp? Maybe… but we didn’t have a big enough shirt for them. Maybe next year, little skink…

All of our favorite little mammals throughout the center have been enjoying water-play in the bright sunshine!

Share your favorite animal facts here! The more we know about our friends, the more able we are to share this world with them.

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April 22nd is Earth Day - Things to do with your Kids

FRIDAY, APRIL 22ND IS EARTH DAY AND WE ARE SUPER EXCITED TO LEARN ALL WE CAN WITH YOUR KIDS!

What is Earth Day? I Earth Day Videos for Kids I Our Earth Day Post 2021

A lot of our classrooms have done Creative Curriculum Units, like Trees and Recycling, about protecting their planet. They have learned poems about The Litter Monster and read books on all the wonderful things trees do to keep our planet healthy and safe. Even in the Busy Bees’ Space Unit, they cover that Earth is our little blue dot in the vast expanse of the universe, and the only known one to hold life!

In celebration of Earth Day, rather than focusing everything on the one day, we have provided a month’s worth of activities, songs, and experiments to awaken curiosity and excitement for the subject from a bunch of different avenues!

  1. World Wildlife Fund Activities and Presentations

    1. Millions of Monarchs: A Journey Through The Monarch Butterfly’s Winter Home
      Court Whelan, Natural Habitat Adventures
      April 26, 2022
      1pm ET | 10am PT Register now and download the supplemental material pack for pre- and post- activities.
      Recommended for grade levels: 2-6

    2. 3 things you can do to help your local pollinators Article

    3. Plant a pollinator garden
      Interested in a hands-on project that supports pollinators? Use your green thumb and our Pollinator Garden Guide to create a garden of wildflowers at school, in your community, or at home. Learners can track the garden’s progress (and its visitors!) with the included wildflower science journal.
      As part of the One Square Foot campaign, Air Wick and WWF are giving out free native wildflower seeds suitable for your region. Visit the Air Wick page to get your free seeds and learn more.

    4. Discover the Northern Great Plains
      Teach about ecosystems and the impacts of human activity through the lens of one of the last remaining healthy temperate grasslands in the world using lessons from our Grasslands of the Northern Great Plains Content Pack.

    5. Just added! An activity book with fun printable puzzles and easy-to-read infographics on pollinators, wildflowers, and grasslands.

  2. Some Excellent Teachers Pay Teachers Activities: We know it seems a little counterintuitive to print a bunch of activities out on paper for your kids… but these are really fun and simple. You can do math activities, language art activities, art activities, anything that interests you!

    1. Letter Trace and Color Earth Day Page

    2. Color By Number, Color By Word, Dice and Mathtivities Earth Day Activities

    3. Headband, Writeables, and other Coloring Activities

  3. Science Experiments for Earth Day: We are so excited for these we may do some of them at school! But if you’re looking for a “non-screen” activity to do with your kids, these are excellent options.

    1. Left Brain Craft Brain: Global Warming Toast Activity

    2. Left Brain Craft Brain: Layers of the Earth Snack

    3. One Time Through: Water Pollution Experiment for Kids

  4. Fun Songs to Sing Together — Have an Earth Day Dance Party!!!

    1. Earth Day Recycling Song by the Kiboomers

    2. Recycling Song by Jack Hartmann

    3. Save the World by Jack Hartmann

    4. Water Cycle by GoNoodle

    5. Earth Day Would You Rather? by PE with Mr. G

  5. Excellent Books to Share Together

    1. The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle

    2. Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert

    3. This Class can Save the Planet by Kristen Brittain

    4. What if Everybody Did That? By Ellen Javernick

    5. Up in the Garden, Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner

What kinds of songs, books, and activities do you have? Do you all do a family clean-up day, or daily activities to help the Earth out? We would love to hear from you! If we all share and learn together, we can do incredible things.

All The Earth is a Garden! Let’s grow together.

LJ and your CG Family

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Screenless Activities - Springtime Fun

It is finally Spring! The days are (mostly) warmer, and our evenings are more filled with light!

Our busy lives can still make creative moments with our children challenging. Trust us when we say we understand the impulse to hand over the tv remote or the iPad so you can get the dishes done or one last load of laundry into the dryer (we didn’t say ANYTHING about folding it. That’s over the top).

We had a lot of fun with our Simple Recipes for Kids blog, so we wanted to give you some more screen-less activities to do with your kids. None of us are the perfect #PinterestParent, so we kept them simple and (mostly) pre-planning free! You can use stuff you have around the house and the local environment.

  1. Spring Time Origami - Spring Time can be beautiful… but it can also be rainy. Sometimes getting OUT and ABOUT just isn’t possible! Here are some fun folding crafts that can lead to imaginative play and don’t involve a big crafty mess. (Unless you want to paint them, put glitter on them, attach googly eyes, etc. Be as intensive as you like once the animals are finished)

    1. How to fold your own Frog : The timeline for Spring in Reston is defined by amphibians! In Walker Nature Center’s spring update they talk all about vernal pools and their necessity to the survival of tadpoles. They also talk about when you can hear and see certain amphibian species throughout the season. Fold your own froggies and create your own little habitat right in your living room!

    2. How to fold your own Rabbit (Whole Body) (Head): Rabbits are a spring icon! You could make whole rabbits, you could make rabbit heads and use them as book marks, you could set up a whole spring scene or do a play with the fox puppets below. While you’re at it, check out some amazing National Geographic rabbit facts here!

    3. How to fold your own Tulip: One of the quintessential spring flowers for any garden, the tulip is known for its wide variety of colors and dazzling beauty! You could create your own garden without the requirement of a green thumb. You can find tulip facts here!

    4. How to fold your own Fox (Whole Body) (Head): Reston is FILLED with foxes. Fox kits are born in the spring, usually in March or April, and you'll see them emerge from the den four or five weeks after birth. Read more about foxes HERE.

    5. How to fold your own Butterfly or Water Bomb

  2. Moon and Stars Journal: This is one of my favorite ideas for the spring. You do not need a fancy telescope or binoculars to find Spring Constellations. Look at the pictures of them and see if you can find them in the sky! Find an open field or go on a night walk. You can also track the moon phases together! Once you’re done observing, either make some drawings by flashlight outside, or do them right from the window of your house! (We do it from our back balcony.) They do not have to be perfect, this is all about enjoying the night sky together… but you would be surprised at what your children retain.

  3. Spring Scavenger Hunt: Find these things out in the wilderness! You do not have to collect them, just enjoy them.

    1. A blooming flower

    2. The sound of a frog

    3. A bird’s nest with eggs (don’t touch!!!)

    4. A honeybee

    5. Three different bird calls.

    6. A cherry blossom tree (See if you can incorporate the bridge by Lake Anne. It’s incredible)

    7. A lightning bug (late spring)

    8. Tadpoles (any vernal pool!)

    9. A Fox Den

    10. Add your own

Do you have Spring traditions? Share them with us in the comments! We love finding new and exciting things to do, especially if they can be done spur of the moment.

Love Love Love,

LJ and your CG Family

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Fall Supplies to stay Warm and Dry

It’s that time again, the leaves are changing, the days are getting shorter, and the temperature is all over the place! It’s FALL in Northern Virginia!

We would like to remind you that our kids spend a good portion of their day outdoors, so layers are a must this season! In addition to the every day things your child needs, we ask that you also send in:

  • A lightweight jacket each day: Preferably a wind breaker, given how strong the wind can be in autumn!

  • A raincoat to live here at the center: We have had several days where the weather starts out sunny, but by pick up it is POURING. Per our Covid-19 policy, we try to stay outside as much as possible. Help us keep your kiddo safe and comfortable outside!

  • A pair of rain boots and extra socks to live at the center: We have had several days where the weather starts out sunny, but by pick up it is POURING. Per our Covid-19 policy, we try to stay outside as much as possible. Help us keep your kiddo safe and comfortable outside!

You can read more about our philosophy on “no bad weather, only bad clothes” here.

You can read more about why, even without the influence of Covid-19, we stand by going outside as much as possible here.

THE PERFECT RAINCOAT: ALLOWS THE CHILD TO WORK IN TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS AND STAY REASONABLE DRY FROM THE KNEES UP.

  • WATER BARRIER - RAINCOAT MUST BE A RAINCOAT AND NOT A WINDBREAKER. WINDBREAKERS ABSORB WATER; RAINCOATS ACT AS A BARRIER.

  • ZIPPER - MUST HAVE A WORKING ZIPPER CLOSURE.

  • UNLINED - THINNER RAINCOATS CAN BE WORN IN ALL TEMPS AND OVER COATS IN COOLER TEMPERATURES.

  • OVERSIZED - OVERSIZED RAINCOATS ALLOW FOR MULTIPLE LAYERS AND COVERAGE OF LEGS WHEN RAIN PANTS ARE NOT PRESENT. (HINT: BUY AN ADULT SIZE OR LARGER CHILD’S SIZE! - SEE IMAGE FOR GOOD FIT!)

  • A GOOD FITTING HOOD COMES WELL FORWARD OF FOREHEAD.

  • SLEEVES COVER FINGERS WHEN ARMS ARE DOWN; HANDS STAY DRY. CAN BE ROLLED, HEMMED, OR CUT IF TOO LONG. IF BOTTOM OF RAINCOAT COMES TO AT LEAST THE KNEES. KNEE TO ANKLE LENGTH BEST. DOES NOT HAVE CINCHED BOTTOM.

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Paleontology and Potatoes

When it comes to Child-Led Learning, Full-Body Play, and Play-Based Curriculum, our Owls Teachers are really DINO-mite.

Today was the last day of Spring Break, and we wanted to do something extra-special for the Owls. They spent last week solving fairy riddles, sewing their own stuffed animals, and just enjoying each other’s company. Being a whole class of hybrid learners, we knew what they really needed was a technology detox. The one drawback to last week was that it was pretty cold each day! But today is pretty mild, and we wanted to get the kids outside as much as possible before school restarted…

There is no greater grand-finale to a no-tech week than a prehistoric dinosaur dig!

The idea came from last summer, where we had noticed some of the kids were digging, looking for “dino bones” in the mulch. We thought to make it an actual activity for our spring break, so it was time to get our hands dirty! The owls prepared for our dino dig outside in our garden patch with Miss Liz! After the fun dirt patch was all set up and the owls went in for snack, something strange happened… suddenly the dirt was filled with small dinosaur skeletons and a scattering of gorgeous jewels! The students were absolutely delighted. They gathered around the patch with spoons and plastic baggies, carefully sifting through the new dirt to find “long-forgotten” treasures. The children had a great time observing the various rocks and minerals they had found. What we were delighted to see was, rather than being a total free-for-all, they began helping EACH OTHER find dinosaur skeletons amongst the dirt. They all took turns scooping and combing through soil, feeling for a fossil, bones or rocks. When some students found more dinosaurs than others, they made an effort to re-hide the skeletons and guided their friends to find it for their keeping.

This activity was an absolute delight for everyone involved. Not only did they get to experience a “paleontology dig,” but they practiced working on their socializing, patience, fine motor skills and problem solving. These social-emotional tools are as essential as any reading/writing practice, and the events have spurred their imagination for future games and projects. At the end of the day, everyone went home happy and with great treasures, a truly wonderful way to end the spring break at Common Ground.

This was just the first digging project. We have a lot of planting to do in April, especially during Week of the Young Child.

The Owls class has shown their love of digging and playing in dirt, so we figured a little Spring Break Gardening would partner nicely with our Dinosaur dig. Every so often you end up with a sprouting potato or two in your kitchen. That is an excellent and easy way to start growing your own and teach about nature and sustainability. We started with 6 sprouting potatoes, provided by a family member who started scrap gardening during the pandemic, and a google search https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/potato-grow-bag-instructions/7099.html. The class got to see the sprouting potatoes whole in the classroom and learned that seeds are not the only way things can grow. We purchased soil and two potato planting bags. With good quality Dollar Store spades, the kids took turns and worked together to get the base layer of soil down. We planted our chunks and took turns again to cover them up. The bags are placed on the grassy patch by the main entrance which is perfect for us to be able to monitor when we go out for recess and then add more soil when the sprouts outgrow the top layer.

As you can see, the best memories do not have to take too much effort. This is an afternoon they won’t soon forget! We encourage you to go on outside and get your hands dirty! You won’t regret it.


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Unplugged Life: Our Favorite Backyard Games!

  1. Four Square:

    1. GAME RULES:

      1. Find the Set Up HERE

      2. Server (Royalty) must put one foot behind the service line

      3. Everyone must Hit UNDERHAND

      4. Ball must bounce ONCE and only ONCE in your square before your strike it (including on the serve)

      5. If someone makes a mistake you rotate up and that person goes to the back of the line (outside the #1 square)

      6. Server takes care of any arguments (unless it involves the server – then vote as a group, or play rock paper scissors)

      7. Inside lines are out, Outside lines are in Why? Because inside lines are shared, while outside lines are not shared so you know who’s square it bounced in.

      8. You can move anywhere outside the square or in your section of the square

      9. If it bounces in your square you MUST strike it

      10. Server Must Ask “Are you Ready” before serving

      11. No Carrying, Stalling or Holding – you must Strike or Hit the ball

      12. YOU ARE OUT IF:

        1. The ball in your square bounces 2 times or you hit it before it bounces

        2. You hit the ball out of bounds

        3. You hit the ball to an inside line

        4. You hit the ball Overhand

        5. You hit a ball that was another players ball (it bounced in their square and you hit it before it bounced a 2nd time)

        6. A ball bounces in your square an you are unable to get to it before it bounces a second time

        7. Some other game variations that we sometimes learn:

          1. VARIATIONS:

            1. Around the World: Server must call “Around the World.” You can go to the right or the left, they must go around the square in a circular rotation. Anyone can say “reverse” BEFORE you strike and go the opposite direction, if you don’t say it before the strike the server can call you out (ie. If you call it while you are hitting the ball). If Server calls “Around the World No Reverse” you can’t reverse it

            2. War or Battle: Server must call “War” or “Battle” and declare their opponent. War – Server wars with one person (2 square) until someone misses. Battle – Starts just like war, but someone can call “BREAK” before they strike the ball and then switch to battling with a different player in another square.

            3. Cherry Bomb: You are allowed to use overhand hits (except on the serve) Underhand hits are also still allowed.Manhunt

  2. Capture the Flag:

    1. Set Up: Divide the playing field OR hiking trail in half and designate two small “zones” on both sides to hold people who are tagged. There can also be a designated circle on each side where the flag is placed.

    2. Each team tries to take the other team’s flag and return across the center line without being tagged.

    3. When guarding the flag zone or the holding zone, a defender must be at least 2’ away from the zone boundaries.

    4. If a player is tagged while on their opponent’s side they are must go to the holding zone on their opponent’s side.

    5. If a player who has stolen the flag is tagged, the flag is returned to the flag zone, and the player goes to the zone.

    6. A player can be freed from the holding zone when a teammate crosses the center line and tags the player; both players then receive a free walk back to their side.

    7. A player can only free one teammate at a time.

    8. If an opposing player can get both feet into the flag zone without being tagged, they can remain there without safely (without getting tagged) before attempting to cross the center line.

    9. Variations

      1. Limit the number of players allowed in the circle at one time.

      2. Allow a player in the circle to throw the flag to a teammate.

      3. The flag must still be carried over the center line however.

      4. The players in the tagged zone can join hands and reach out of the zone to make it easier to be freed.

      5. Similarly, all players in the holding zone are freed when a player makes it across to rescue them.

      6. For extended games, allow players to hide their flags in plain sight in a designated area.

  3. Kickball

    1. Field Diagram

    2. How to Play:

      1. Play begins with the pitcher rolling the ball smoothly to home plate. The kicker must kick from behind home.

      2. If the ball is kicked and rolls out of bounds before going past first or third base, it is called a foul and the kicker must try again.

      3. Kickers must run the bases in order and may stop at any base and wait to run again at the next kick. There, however, must be only one runner on a base and they must remain in order. No runner can pass the person in front of them.

      4. A run is scored for the kicking team when a base-runner touches all 4 bases, in order, without being called out at any time.

      5. A runner advances one base on an overthrow to the base player.

      6. Teams switch sides after three outs or nine runs are scored. Outs are granted when:

      7. The pitcher controls the play of the game. Play begins with the pitcher rolling the ball to the person up to bat, the kicker. Play stops when the ball is thrown to the pitcher.

      8. The kicker kicks a fly ball and it is caught before it touches the ground. Note: When a fly ball is in the air, the base runners must remain on base until after the ball is caught (called tag-up) before they can advance to the next base.

      9. The base player has control over the ball and a foot on the base before the base-runner reaches the base.

      10. The base-runner is tagged on his/her body by a fielder with the ball before s/he arrives at the base. Note: If the base-runner must advance because of another runner or kicker behind, it is called a force-out and the fielding team only has to tag the base to call an out. If there is no runner or kicker behind, it is not a force-out and the fielder with the ball must tag the base-runner.

      11. One base-runner passes another.

      12. A base-runner intentionally interferes with a fielder who is trying to recover the ball.

      13. Three fouls by an individual kicker equal an out.

      14. If a ball is touched by a member of the fielding team before it bounces, it is a fair ball.

      15. For safety, there is no sliding or throwing of the ball at a player. (or do… depending on the age and skill level of the kiddos)

      16. At the end of the game, have each team do a cheer for the other team, and have teams form lines to high five each other!

  4. Dodgeball

    1. Playing Area: Dodge ball can be played indoors or outdoors. The ideal playing area is a rectangle identical to a volleyball court that's 60 ft long by 30 ft wide.

      The court is divided in half by a center line. An "attack line" is marked 10 ft from the center line on each side of the court. The attack lines are parallel to the center line and extend the full width of the court. There is also a 4 ft-wide "neutral zone" extending across the playing area at center court to separate both sides.

    2. How to Play: There are ENDLESS VERSIONS OF THIS GAME. The basic idea is that there is a non-zero number of balls, and if you are hit with a ball you are out. Kids can come up with as many rule variations based on theme or skill level they want. Here are some fun options:

    3. Dodgeball is played with 2 teams of 6 players if the game is played indoors and 10 players for outdoor competition.

      1. The object of the game is to knock all of your opponents "out" of the game without being eliminated yourself.

      2. Starting Play: The game begins with the "opening rush."

      3. All 6 dodgeballs are lined up along the center line; 3 on one side of the center hash mark and 3 on the other side.

      4. Players position themselves behind their respective end lines.

      5. On the official's signal, both teams run to center court to get their balls.

      6. Eliminating Players

        1. A player is "out" if:

          1. He gets hit by a ball below the shoulders – The ball may not hit the floor or wall first.

          2. She drops a ball that’s thrown to her.

          3. His ball is caught by another player.

          4. She steps out of bounds – During play, players may only leave the playing area to retrieve a ball, and they may only leave through their end line. They must also re-enter the game through their end line.

          5. He crosses over the neutral zone – Players may step safely into the neutral zone, but they may not step over the neutral zone line on the opponent’s side of the court.

          6. She slides or dives head first into the neutral zone.

          7. A ball hits him and another teammate (they are both out).

          8. She gets hit by a ball rebounding off of a ball lying on the court.

          9. He hits an opponent in the head with the ball.

          10. Blocking - Players can defend themselves by blocking a ball coming at them with another ball, but they have to maintain control of the ball they are blocking with. If they drop the ball, they are "out."

      7. There are 3 types of dodgeball games, each with slightly different objectives:

        1. Elimination Game: The game is played until all members of one team have been eliminated. The first team to knock out all of its opponents is the winner.

        2. Timed Game: The game is played for a pre-determined amount of time or until all members of one team are eliminated, whichever comes first. If there are players remaining when time expires, the team with the most players still on the court wins the game.

        3. Scored Game: A scored game can be played either as an elimination game or a timed game. Teams earn points for the number of players still "in" at the end of each game.

      8. Variations

        1. Bombardo, Dr. Dodgeball, Gaga, and many more!

  5. Hide and Seek

    1. This is another classic game with so many variations that it is hard to know what the original version is!

    2. Basic: Seeker counts while the other’s hide, the Seeker finds the hiders, the last one to be found gets to be it! (or gets to pick who is it, depending on what the winner wants)

    3. Basic with Base: Same rules, except the hiders can try to escape their hiding spot to tag a base selected before the game starts.

    4. Sardines: One person hides while everyone else counts. They split up and look. Once a seeker finds the hider, they hide WITH the hider. The last seeker to find them all loses!

    5. Fox and the Goalie: Also known as Manhunt, Fox and the Goalie involves one person hiding, everyone else seeking. Instead of the game ending when the fox is found, however, it is not over until the Fox is CAUGHT by the seekers. This can be played with a base, but is often just “go until you’re out.”

  6. TIPS

    1. All you need is a ball. Kickball is about the right size, but smaller is fine for small hands. If you are playing with smaller children, a softer ball is preferred.

    2. All the kids stand in a circle with plenty of space to swing their arms. One person has the ball.

    3. To throw the ball AND catch the ball, you have to be airborne. Therefore, the game starts with the initial ball thrower jumping in the air and throwing the ball to another person. (do not spike the ball unless it is agreed upon beforehand, it’s not fair)

    4. The person who is being thrown the ball has to jump in the air, catch the ball, and throw it to another person before they hit the ground.

    5. Once a person is “out” you do not close ranks, but continue to throw with that space empty. That way it becomes harder to throw it to another person as the game goes on

    6. A person is out if:

      1. They are the catcher and fail to catch the ball while they themselves are airborne.

      2. They are the catcher and fail to throw the ball before they hit the ground.

      3. They are the thrower and fail to throw to another person.

      4. They commit an illegal throw: The throw is too hard, too high, too wide.

    7. The winner is the last one in the circle

  7. Jumping Rope Games

    1. Double Dutch

    2. Red Hot Chili Peppers

  8. Volleyball

    1. Depending on age, this game can be quite complex! But the basic idea is this:

    2. Volleyball is a game played by two teams, usually of six players on a side, in which the players use their hands to bat a ball back and forth over a high net, trying to make the ball touch the court within the opponents’ playing area before it can be returned.

    3. To prevent this a player on the opposing team bats the ball up and toward a teammate before it touches the court surface—that teammate may then volley it back across the net or bat it to a third teammate who volleys it across the net. A team is allowed only three touches of the ball before it must be returned over the net.

    4. Here is an amazing article with graphics where they get more technical: ARTICLE

  9. Steal the Bacon

    1. How to Play:

      1. Divide everyone into two to four groups; each team sits on a boundary line.

      2. Give each player a number, each group should have a one, a two, etc.

      3. Place the “bacon” in the center of the playing area and assign each team one goal line at either end of the playing area.

      4. The adult calls out a number and all students with that number run to pick up the “bacon.” Once they get better at this, you can start saying things like “all even/odd/prime numbers!” or even “the sum of…. 3 and 1!” but make sure everyone is relatively aware of how to do simple math or what even/odd/prime numbers are.

      5. The person who gets the “bacon” first tries to run across his/her team’s goal line without being tagged. The person whose number was called who did not get the “bacon” should try to tag the other player before they get across the goal line.

      6. Once someone is tagged or gets across their goal line, the round is over. Everyone who played in the round give each other high-five’s and they go back to the boundary line with their teams.

IF YOU ADD MORE GAMES LIKE THIS IN THE COMMENTS, WE WILL ADD THEM TO OUR BIG LIST!! Please help us collect fun outdoor games for our kids to play. After all, OUTDOOR IS BEST! Whole body play is good for number sense, emotional resilience, physical health and fitness, sensory issues, and attention spans! Also they’re just super fun.

Hurray!

LJ

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Life, Teacher Tips, Who We Are, outside learning Common Ground Life, Teacher Tips, Who We Are, outside learning Common Ground

"I met a Pediatrician in the woods..."

Hello all! Ms. LJ here. We have been talking so much about kindergarten readiness here, both as discussions in our blog and in our kindergarten planning meetings. For many of us it is a passion project, a calling to find a way to reintegrate the joy of childhood with the delight of curiosity, of hunting for answers in this beautiful world of ours.

Learning IS a joy that fuels the fires of our existence. Our children are subjected to the fears of failure early, of “falling behind” or being measured against their peers with a single yard stick and being found wanting. These anxieties become inextricably linked to education as they get older, convincing them that it is something they have to endure, rather than tools given and honed to become our best selves.
Why? It is our very ambitious belief that it is because we have cut off curriculum from play. Particularly in the American education system for young children we have turned away from the most natural, efficient source of teaching.

BACK TO MY ORIGINAL POINT: I MET A PEDIATRICIAN IN THE WOODS…

On Friday morning last week I found myself home with my two children. I had just received my second covid inoculation and was feeling a bit run down myself, but I did not want to squander this rare opportunity to spend alone time with my kids! The Covid-19 pandemic as a whole has been a tragic, frightening event, but I will always cherish the summer I got to spend every day outside with my babies. I took them to the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, one of our favorite “safe space” hangouts from last year, to walk the grounds and kick the slush around under a blue sky.

It was here on one of these particularly wet paths that I ran into two women, one of which commented that it was nice I brought them out on such a nice day. I laughed and said flippantly “I figured they didn’t need to sit in a classroom today.”

In response, this woman gestured around her and said with utter sincerity, “This IS a learning space.”

I grinned, even though I knew she couldn’t see it behind my mask. “I think so too.”
The lady laughed and turned back to her friend, ”And I’m a pediatrician, so you can quote me on that if anyone asks.”

It’s not just our career teachers that are seeing this. It’s not just the parents who know their “energetic kids” focus better when in motion. Doctors who specialize in children are urging for parents and educators alike to integrate consistent, long-form play into all aspects of children’s lives. Physically, they are stronger. Mentally, they are more able to pay attention and less likely to have sensory issues.

Social competencies and emotional resilience suffer greatly without consistent peer-interaction in a playful and imaginative setting as well! Children often work out a lot of their big questions and anxieties of the day by integrating it into safe-space imaginative play reenactments. Without being able to work these issues out themselves, children are unsure of their own abilities to problem solve, and those anxieties and dependencies grow.

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Here is a fantastic article from The American Academy of Pediatrics all about The Power of Play if you would like to read more:

The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children

It’s not that wrote learning, memorization, and standardized long-form curriculums don’t work, it’s that they miss the point of education entirely. They leave behind many and narrow the focus of the rest, curbing creativity, independent thought, and resilience to the necessary process of failure.

Think about any lesson you still remember 10, 20, 30 years later. Which ones stuck with you?

For me it’s almost always the games. My sixth grade teacher had us turn our entire classroom into a bunch of cardboard houses to mimic Hoovervilles. She dunked our feet in cold water and drew cards with battlefield injuries to give us a taste of war on the front. In third grade, multiplication songs and games stuck with me way longer than any flashcard work. Watching pumpkins rot, playing with baby chicks hatching from eggs and experiencing them grow was a poignant way to learn about the life cycles of living things. One of my favorites was pretending to be sound waves bouncing around a back alley. Even “Which President was it?” trivia tag helped facts that HAD to be memorized something fun and worth doing.

To reinvigorate education as a whole we have to reunite the JOY that should come with it, the fascination, the wonder. Let the kids run off in their excitement and experience a lesson with their whole bodies. Let them learn more than you thought, more widely than you thought. You’ll be surprised what you learn when you’re muddy and out of breath too.

Go Play! Keep Learning! Most of all, Have Fun!

Miss LJ

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Common Ground: Winter Activities and Winter Attire

We are looking at A LOT OF snowy days coming up this winter!!

And we cannot wait for all of our outdoor winter adventures. There will be some days that are too wet or too cold! We will have little movie and popcorn parties and days where we do art while the weather outside is frightful.

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But more and more studies are coming out showing how essential outdoor play is to our kids, and how the loss of consistent outdoor playtime is absolutely detrimental to their holistic well being. Kids are meant to play. They are meant to get dirty and windswept. They are meant to eat snow, trip in their swishy snow-pants, to fall down and find they can get back up again.

Play to Learn, Learn to Play Examples:
1. Building an Igloo with Friends: Promotes core strength, cooperation, simple machines and tools usage, basic engineering, imaginative play, patience, sensory endurance
2. Snow Walking and Rolling down Hills: Inner Ear training, strength training, leg and inner core training, aerobic workout
3. Snow Writing: Using natural tools to promote fine-motor practice. You can also use markers to do color work.
4. Winter Walk: Aerobic Exercise, Seasonal Cycles and Lessons, basic biology flora/fauna studies

Our preschool teachers are especially focused on “Kindergarten-Readiness.” This involves working on letters and numbers and pre-writing skills, but it also involves physical health and social-emotional independence. Outdoor lessons and games help cement fine-motor and gross-motor work. Operating in varying weather helps develop their sensory resilience which is essential for increasing attention span inside and outside of the classroom.

What do we always say? NO BAD WEATHER. ONLY BAD CLOTHES!
Is you child really set up for this winter? Here are items that we have on our student supply list that we highly recommend purchasing as soon as possible:

  • Kids Snow Boots — Snow comes in all different shapes and sizes, but it is always cold and always wet. An insulated, water resistant boot that goes high up a child’s leg will keep them warm and dry while they play. PLEASE NOTE: While rainbows will keep a child’s foot dry, they are not properly insulated and do not offer any protection against the cold. Snow boots are most appropriate in cold, wintry weather.

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  • Snow Gloves — Snow gloves protect against the cold, but they are also water resistant. Cotton gloves, while warm, will become wet very quickly and will do more harm than good when trying to keep your child’s hands warm. Please make sure they have snow gloves available.

  • Snow Pants — Snow pants are key to making sure a child is warm and happy for a longer period of time. The water resistant fabric makes sure that the pants they wear to school stay as dry as possible so fewer clothing changes are required.

  • Thermal Underwear — We recommend these over sweat suits because they keep a child warm without overheating them or keeping their sweat in. These are perfect for layering winter clothes and helping a child regulate their body temperature while they play rough outside.

We will keep you all posted on our winter lessons and activities! Stay safe!!

— LJ and the Common Ground Crew

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Unplugged Life: No Bad Weather, Only Bad Clothes

Our Rising Stars this week took a nature walk and, under the cloudless blue November sky, they read “Corduroy” in an open field. Our teachers Ms. Petty and Ms. Vanessa heavily utilize the outdoors in their carefully constructed curriculum (this week’s theme is Friendship!) to ensure that the children are free to learn and play while adhering to our COVID-19 safety measures.

While we have been adhering to health code, however, we find that children who get plenty of sunshine and activity are also better listeners with longer attention-spans. We are encouraging our teachers and our parents to utilize the outdoors as much as possible in all of their activities year-round, whether or not there is a pandemic.

“But Ms. LJ, the weather has been fabulous!” you say, “How can we take our children out all the time when it gets cold and dark and wet?”

Repeat after me, because I forget too: THERE’S NO BAD WEATHER, ONLY BAD CLOTHES!

There’s no bad weather! Okay, watch out for tornadoes and hurricanes… and if there is lightning RIGHT next to you definitely find a safe space ( Go HERE For instructions on how to calculate the distance between you and a lightning strike) but barring exceptional highs and lows, most weather is perfectly fine for kids and adults of all ages!
In fact, occupational therapists encourage parents to take children outside in all seasons to help brain development and mitigate sensory issues that are on the rise in children.
For more on outside play and holistic healthy development, check out this CoordiKids Article

Need some tips for Good “Bad Weather” Gear?
Our Supply Lists include clothing pieces suitable for battling the elements.

TIPS

  • When it comes to jackets, make sure you have a LIGHT JACKET , a HEAVY JACKET, and a RAIN JACKET. We recommend with any raincoats you buy that they are knee-length! The bigger, the better, to protect them when they splash.

  • Crocs make excellent shoes, especially if you are planning to get wet or muddy. They are “feet-shaped” which provides extra comfort to growing kids. Here are some RAIN BOOTS  they make, along with their classic style.

  • Extremities get cold first! Make sure you have appropriate gloves for the weather. If they are too heavy or unwieldy, your child may not want to use them and it makes outside a frustrating experience. If it is snowing or wet outside than cloth gloves may not be enough, and the adventure will be short and painful on little fingers! Check the weather, and tuck the right pair in your kids’ coat pockets!

  • When it is really hot and bright outside, make sure your kids clothes are lightweight and UV-protected! SUNHATS are perfect for littles to protect their sensitive eyes while outside so that they stay focused and happy! SUNSHIRTS and SUNSUITS are key for needed extra (and adorable) protection.

OUR BIGGEST, MOST IMPORTANT TIP!!!
All of our teachers dress for the weather. It helps them stay comfortable and fun and safe. Kids can tell what their adults are feeling, and if you are excited and ready for adventure, no matter what the weather report says? They will be too. SO PUT ON YOUR RAINBOOTS AND GO STOMP IN SOME PUDDLES!! The mud washes away. Memories build a bright future.

— MS LJ


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Non-Screen Life: Training your Inner Ear

Hey everybody! We are here to talk to you about:

PLAYING OUTSIDE!

GETTING DIRTY!

Finding that SAFE DANGER!

We know with the pandemic, 2020 has been a year of hand sanitizer and indoor quarantine. But it has also been a year of finding your own fun! Going into the woods and rolling down hills. Climbing trees and hanging upside down. Going out in fields and spinning like tops.

According to Pediatric Occupational Therapist Angela Hanscom, not only are these things incredible for attention and sensory issues, they are a KEY ROLE in developing The Vestibular System. This is the system our bodies use to know where we are in space! It is even more important than it sounds. Without serious play, children are more frail, more clumsy, less able to pay attention, and much more likely to struggle with emotional regulation.

Our children spend a long time sitting upright with little movement. Help them train their inner ears by:
Going Upside Down
Rolling Down Hills
Spinning In Circles (10x in each direction ought to do it… with hilarious results)
Climbing Trees
Jumping off Swings
Tossing them in the air
Sliding down slides on their bellies

Teachers and Parents should be life guards in play rather than consistent active participants. We want to ensure the children are safe and healthy, but too much structure and restriction has been shown to be detrimental! Let the kids fall. The dirt can offer so many essential lessons to growing up healthy!

We will be posting more on the benefits of outdoor play here so keep your eyes out! In the meantime, go have fun and WORK THOSE EARS!

For more on Angela Hanscom’s research and Timbernook Program, click here!

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