Nature Encounters

 

 

Reece and Lila are searching for eggs on the swan plant.

 "Look, I found one!"  - Ryan

 

 

 

It is that time of year again when our interest in nature is alive!  So much is happening—   we have Monarch Butterfly cycles happening right here at Kindergarten,

 Molly and Olli search and search

 We found a teeny tiny spider and a lady bug as well as an egg

 also, a really big caterpillar!

 

 acorns dropping from the tree, a young very friendly ‘tui’ visiting, lots of gardening and of course, the cicada migrating above ground.

Some children have been bringing in empty cicada shells they have discovered outside of Kindergarten. 

Olli, Ellie and others listened intently as we studied an informative book on the life cycle of the Cicada.

We discovered that baby cicada live in the soil for 3 or more years!  Then at night they crawl out and up a tree to perform their final moult before emerging as an adult with wings. 

Toby was enthralled by the idea that the boy cicada was singing to tell his lady he loves her (I sang a little song and embellished it a little….).  We also, talked about the technical side—how the sound is made by ‘tymbals’ (bit like cymbals clanging together) that are on each side of their abdomen.

 

From the mat where children explored plastic insects and finger puppets along with book resources...

...we moved to the 'Wild Area', carefully, quietly creeping down the stairs to retain the peaceful atmosphere.  Here we listened to the birds and cicada's singing.

After checking out the canopy above them, hunting for the singing cicada’s we set out upon an insect hunt. 

Toby discovered an empty cicada shell on a tree trunk ...

 ...which led us into further discussion and an additional hunt for more shells.  Thankfully, we managed to find a shell for each of the little ‘explorers’. 

Baron also finds a cicada shell.
 

After examination, they were carefully placed into the magnifying jar we had brought with us.

 

With living creatures coming and going, the wonder of life and creation and there being something new every day, I suspect this interest will continue for a while especially as we have five chrysalis due to hatch in the next week or so.

 

By Karen  5th - 14th February