Hudson Hike!

The Hudson Hike was a fun filled day for the Kindergarten. The students thoroughly embraced the adventure and throughly enjoyed this new experience. Throughout the day we hiked, collected, climbed, played and much more! 

The Kindergarten Water class was very excited for the bus ride. We learned how to sit safely on the bus and use our eyes to observe different things along the way. It was hard to contain the excitement and when we arrived at our destination the class began to cheer and clap! We were ready to start hiking!

 

During our hike we stopped along the way to observe beautiful flowers, interesting looking trees, and much more. Students were prompted to answer questions such as "Why do you suppose this tree is lifted out of the ground?" or "Does anyone know why some tree trunks are covered by leaves?" Some students shared prior knowledge of familiar plants such as , maple and oak. We learned some new names like "Sassafrass" which have leaves that look like our winter mittens.

We even stopped by the beach on our hike! We collected beautiful sea glass, shells and drift wood. Students searched for rare blue sea glass and dug in the sand. We observed different trees that were submerged in the water and wondered how they got there.

 

Wow! We even spotted a deer skull that was marked. We questioned how long it was there and observed where the eyes, teeth and nose had once been on the deer. This was a good time to stop and draw in our observation books. 

Finally it was time to climb! The Kindergarten classes explored new heights during the scramble. They "Bear crawled" to the top of the hill and "Crab walked" down. Every student was brave and tried this challenge. 

We played on a new park with new equipment to challenge us. 

After park, we enjoyed lunch together. We filled our bellies and quenched our thirst as we shared stories and experiences from  the day.

After lunch, we read "The Little Red Lighthouse" and learned about the "Great Gray Bridge."We took some time to enjoy the scenery and appreciate the view. It was a beautiful day and a wonderful time to reflect on our trip together. 

On the walk back, the Kindergarten classes tried to push Big Booty together. This giant bolder is hanging off the edge of the path and very close to the river. We pushed with all our might and the parents told us it moved a little! 

The Hudson Hike is a memorable trip and the students will be reflecting about it for the next few weeks. We will remember our experience by acting out the hike in the drama space, painting our favorite scene in the studio and observing our collection in our classroom gallery. Stop by the blocks area to see some of the memories from the day coming to life!