Tender Tracks Thurs. Week 5 Day 10

Oct. 11, 2018
Lake Lagunitas
Waxing Moon

What a very full day! Holden and Eamon came FILLED with the Ninja world of warriors. Theo would drop in with them a fair amount. Therefore, it was time to bring in Nature Connection games that truly derive from the Scouts of old, Ninja’s, Warriors and the like.
I introduced a game of stealth for them that engaged their senses of listening, strength in body and agility, slowness of movement and deep concentration. The game? One person, initially me, sits with their eyes closed. The others try to stalk up and touch that person, and the stalker must return to the beginning point.
If they are the Listener they REALLY have to listen. If they are the stalker they REALLY have to focus on every move they make, being mindful of what is beneath their feet, the wind, the rocks and all in order to be so quiet in order to touch the Listener.

Eamon and Holden really focused on this whereas Theo, he was just too playful and would run up touch me and laugh all the way back to the beginning!! 🙂
These sorts of games went on throughout the day. I stalked up on them many times as well while they were playing. This is the beginning of them/children, paying more attention to their surroundings and utilizing all of their senses.

There was a lot more brought in today with regards to giving Gratitude towards all that is around us. Most children are not as familiar with giving something back when they take something. It is a very old way of interacting with life. A way that has gotten lost over the past 50 + years or so. We carry a small pouch filled with corn meal to give back when they wish to take something home. There also is a promise to give that thing from Nature back to the Earth when they are finished playing with it.
It would be grand for you to support that too! If you see that some once treasured item is stuffed away and never being utilized, remind them and together you can find great places to bring them back to the Earth with a gratitude for all the fun and such that this piece of Nature brought into their lives.

The children had a grand time climbing up on the Redwood tree that is at our Upper Meadow spot. There they played their “training games.” This is where they were hanging on the trees and going round and round and round and round hanging on the tree branches, swinging on to the other. All of them were together doing this.

We kept wanting to wash the soap root to begin making paint brushes but the day kept getting pulled into other directions so, this will need to get pushed to next week!!
The snack dishes, however, did get done. Ellie LOVES to wash the dishes and then Uma comes along. Josie is not interested and Luna, not really either.

Luna today spent the early part of the morning in her world yet for the rest of the day she played with the girls and boys. She loves her own personal games so when others would rather play their games she gets a bit sad. However, today was a different day and off she went with the others. She also was able to communicate to the boys what she liked and didn’t like. They, as usual, responded well.

Ruby had a made a request to them in the morning to keep their feet out of the mud for a bit and, they also were able to comply with that request.

There were so many games and explorations that happened on this day that my memory is in a blur, at the moment. What I do recall currently, is that we were so full of where we were that that WAS our Adventure of the day. Holden had asked at the end of the day, “When are we going on our adventure? and, I said, “Well, we DID go on an adventure, RIGHT HERE!!” And then off to the bus we went.