A Forest School Halloween…

March 6, 2016

I realize we are nowhere near Halloween on the calendar. But in going through all the Fastelavn pictures that we posted earlier, I also realized that I never shared these few from our Halloween forest school bash here at the house. We’ve been getting a bit braver about inviting others over from the school to show off a bit about our daughter’s American side. The first big foray into that was of course the American Embassy visit last summer, but then again this fall, we took it one step closer to our own home, literally, and had 30 little revelers over to celebrate Halloween. Halloween is, of course, primarily an American holiday, even though the date itself has various kinds of significance in multiple countries. However, it’s definitely becoming more and more of a deal here in Denmark. Our first year here, I think we barely saw a trick or treater, and by this year, downtown was full of them. I’ve heard quite a few people lament here (even at the school) that American holidays are becoming more and more prevalent. And while part of me understands that not everyone wants that, we were still determined to show the kids a good time and share a little bit about a tradition that really is a big deal where we’re from. Decorating was a big deal, especially since our little one picked out a lot of them. She’s also old enough now to help put them up and I have to say, that was one of the best parts of the party, was simply her and I getting ready for it. Trying to get all those insects up on the glass and the piles of pumpkins to stick, we managed to have a few laughs that I will most certainly remember as part of our time in this house.We tried really hard not to make it about just the candy or the trick or treating (although there was a little candy-less goody bag for everyone to take home at the end), but more about a fall festival type atmosphere. I don’t want to share the photos of all the kiddies here but there were sack races, and carnival games, and face painting, and just plain old running around. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about having these forest schools parties (now that we’ve thrown a few), it’s that we don’t have to over plan. Sometimes, the kids are content enough just to have a change of space and get a little glimpse into how their friends live.

Menu: Lots and lots of “crudite” sticks (those kids shovel those down, seriously), peanut butter and fruit roll ups, grilled sausages in rolls, mac’n’cheese bites, fresh berries, and frozen bananas covered in yogurt (thank pinterest for that one). And just because it was halloween, itty bitty brownies with candy corn. Still, it wouldn’t be Halloween if there wasn’t just a little bit of candy right? We got special permission to sneak in a few pieces which we did with the piñata. And although these kids are pro-fastelavn barrel beaters, for some reason, the piñata was a completely new thing and one that was very welcome. All in all a success, and the party will probably go down as one of our favorite halloween’s to date. After all, it’s nice to share something with people who share with you, right?

The Harper Valley PTA…

March 4, 2016

I can’t even think the phrase PTA, let alone say it, without thinking “Harper Valley”. I’m not even sure that most people would know that song any more, given that the few times I’ve mentioned it here, I’m met only with a polite nod. But I end up thinking of it often, because well, I somehow ended up on the PTA this year.

Not exactly “somehow”. I volunteered for it earlier at the start of the school year when they asked for parents to step up. Our PTA (or more correctly, “lokalrad“) is a group of three parents that work with the school on a number of little events (like the Christmas Party) and also serve as a sounding board for various ideas and happenings around the school. It hasn’t been overly taxing for participation and frankly, it’s been a great way to learn about the school. Plus, as this our third year, believe it or not, that makes us one of the most tenured families in the school, and it’s been wonderful to see those that came in with my daughter now take on the “big kid” roles while we try to figure out how to make things easier for those coming in that are youngest or newest. As it turns out, much of the stuff that we were confused about, isn’t just confusing to us. I always assumed it was because we weren’t from Denmark, but coming into forest school is quite a bit life change for anyone, Danish or not. So part of what we focus on here is how to make information more readily available, how do we make it so that we’re not reinventing the wheel every time someone new comes in?

I have to give the PTA a ton of credit for letting me be part of it. As you can guess, the meetings and communications are in Danish but when we have meetings (which, by the way, gives me plenty of time to sing Harper Valley PTA in my head over and over again), the parents patiently translate for me so that I can participate. I google translate a lot of the communications but I know I can always ask the school or the other parents when I need help. And every once in a while when I’m in charge of flyers about an afternoon coffee, they let me make them in English with no hard feelings. That kind of thing is probably the polar opposite of the PTA in Harper Valley in the famed song, but it’s also what’s made being part of this group a very special experience.

Image by Radek Grzybowski via Unsplash.

The two kinds of dirty…

March 2, 2016

If you had asked me two years ago, before I had actually put in a child in forest kindergarten, what I was looking for in a school, cleanliness would have ranked pretty high on the list. First and foremost would have been education, and teachers and community, but the truth is, cleanliness was a pretty close proxy in my eyes for how much a school cares for its students…for how much teachers look out for an individual…for how much they teach children to be mindful of their person and their environment around them.In a forest school, of course, I had to shift my perspective entirely. Because well, if you have a child in forest school you know that there is nothing “clean” about it. My car is regularly caked with dirt and sand, with the odd twig or rock or crumpled leaf falling in between the cracks of the leather seats. The entry to our house where she takes off all her gear is no better. And our washing machine…well, let’s just say, I don’t think the manufacturers had quite this volume in mind when they specified that this model was for “home use”. The notion of keeping their clothes clean is an ongoing battle. We will probably run that washing machine into the ground. Most days, I want to teach that taking care of your person and your things is important. It signals to people that you care, and it instills personal responsibility for your appearance, the things you own, and accountability you have to take care of them. But some days, we give the washing machine a break. Some days we just can’t keep up.

But I learned that the kind of dirty that you get in forest school, isn’t the kind of dirty that really bothers me. This is the kind of dirty that you earn…that you garner because you’re out exploring and learning and challenging yourself and doing and….living. That is different from the kind of dirty caused by neglect or apathy or lack of pride or lack of knowing better. And it’s a kind of dirty I’m willing to encourage because it made think about what dirty means in a children’s environment. One takes aways from a child’s experience, one adds to it. As an adult, you must have the judgment to know which one of the two kinds of dirty you’re seeing on your child, and ultimately, the children will learn to tell the difference too.

I might still insist on fighting the good fight when it comes to the dirt – on the shoes, on the snow pants, on anything. In fact, we’ve subdivided her closet into two spaces: the first for things worn to forest school, knowing that those clothes will take a hit from the experience of adventure. And the second, to be worn outside of it when maintaining appearance matters more. They are both small wardrobes, but having that division helps me teach both lessons as a parent. I don’t always win the battle against the dirt, and that’s okay. If my child is learning and living and having fun, then that dirt isn’t the mark of my failure as a parent; it is a mark of successful childhood.

Leaps for the Leap Year…

February 29, 2016

How often do you get the benefit of an extra day in the year? Well, once every four years, to be precise, but for some reason, it feels a bit more special this year somehow. Kind of like a bonus day…I’m liking these leap days more and more.

So in honor of the leap day, we’re showing off a few leaps here on the blog. A few from the forest, a few from travels, a few from around town, all from this past year. If there’s one thing our tot likes, it’s showing off her leaps – a perfect time to wish everyone a happy leap day! Take a jump and make the most of it!