This morning, I had the pleasure of joining Ithaca Forest Preschool for one of our Free Family Play Days! During these play days, families with children aged 0-5 are invited to see what a typical day at our forest preschool looks like. Five families joined us today so we had a big group! I was excited to see both new and familiar faces. 

To start off, we all went down to our beloved Trillium Camp to do our opening circle. Opening circle is always an important time that sets the tone of our day. We did introductions, sang a song, and learned about the day. After opening circle, the families got to explore and play in our many cool spots around camp. Kids were hanging out on the climbing hill, splashing in the creek, walking on the balance logs, playing in the sandbox, and other fun activities. At snack time Lyla told a story! Lyla’s story was about the three sisters: corn, beans, and squash. Kids listened eagerly as they ate their snacks. After snack time, we took a trip up the hill to the Meadow to visit our garden where the three sisters are planted! The kids got to look for hidden treasures in the plants, which included a jar of popcorn kernels, maple syrup, oil, salt, and a pot! We then took our new goodies back down to Trillium Camp where Fionna made a fire. The kids looked enamored by the sounds of the popcorn kernels popping and the crackle of the fire. The smoke has a nice earthy scent that kept away the bugs. Lyla and Fionna then served everyone some yummy maple popcorn! After our popcorn treat, the kids had more free play time before we closed out the day with closing circle. 

Join us at our next Free Play Day on September 15! 

Gallery – Photos by Hallie Allport