Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Winter?!?

Well we knew it would come eventually but we weren't quite ready.  The past two weeks were spent running through the woods in spring-like weather.  This week winter came and everybody was trying to adjust.  The mentors got some great hands-on learning in the differences between a fall and a winter session.  Our biggest learning points were:
1.  It is easier to be present when you are wearing warm boots.
2.  Keep your mittens off the ground and in your pocket.
3.  Check in with kids about their temperature.
4.  Stay physically active.
5.  Butt pads have several interesting uses......




This was Ange's last day with us for awhile.  Opening circle included a special thanks for her and a song in recognition of the great gift it was to have her with us for so much of the fall session.  Owen and Sadie's mom also sent in a yummy treat for everyone to enjoy!  You can see that we are all figuring out how to stay warm and also blessed with light shining through the trees.


Well here's the butt pad story.  We ran through all kinds of ideas for butt pads (weaving them, sewing vinyl tablecloths together with newspaper in the middle, cutting up old sleeping mats).  And then....winter came and we needed something RIGHT AWAY!  So we tried out Duncan's idea of stuffing newspaper into ziploc bags.  Well they worked fine for sitting on.  Five minutes after the kids arrived we also discovered that they worked great for sliding down hills, too.  Here are Duncan and Abram using their butt pads to do some "piggy sliding" (so named by Abram) that includes oinking on the way down!  



Haley, Malaika and Jackson set up an awesome nature museum inside of our wigwam.  Thanks to Sterling College for the use of many cool hides and animal bones.  The kids did some investigating, checking out field guides, game playing and journaling.



Cameron and Malaika tended the fire and created some movements to go with one of our favorite songs, "Solid as a rock" by Heidi Wilson.  During the fall Coyote Kids session Cameron has developed a love for roasting things over the fire....acorns, granola bars, baked treats, and even cheese!




Kestrel, our special guest and local high school student, takes us on an orienteering adventure through the woods around our Coyote Kids village.




More opportunities to check out maps!



During our orienteering expedition, mentors had a great time romping through the woods with kids.  Look at Gina go!  Many groups played species name games on the trail.  Wonderful songs were sung by Haley, Malaika and Anna (including our new "skunkestra" - an ode to the many wonderful things about skunks!)





Hmmm....I wonder what Frankie's species name is?

Thanks everyone for another wonderful day at Coyote Kids!  

Special thanks to Haley and Ange for providing the pictures, Kestrel for the orienteering activity, Sterling College for the hides, Jen Skorsted for yummy treats and Duncan and Ange for being present, supportive, knowledgeable and FUN! 




Sunday, November 10, 2013

Mentoring
Coyote Kids is about sharing: skills, stories, experiences, joy...


Welcome to the circle.



 Forest Dancing? 

This is a great picture of mentoring.  People of all ages coming together to revel in nature and learn from each other.


Also a powerful mentoring moment.  

Making yucca cordage.


Gerry shares a new skill he learned at a workshop.




  Sit spot is one of the most important routines we do at Coyote Kids.  The kids have the same sit spots each day.  It's a time to be quiet in nature, use your senses to experience the world around you and to cultivate a deep inner relationship with nature.  

Abram ends his day with a really peaceful sit spot moment.



Sunday, October 27, 2013

     A Village at Work and Play
Making Connections:  That's what it's all about!


Making music.



Coal burning spoons.



Gina and Charlie make fire. 



Teamwork.



Nature journaling 



Whole village project:  A wigwam!





Peace.


A special thanks to Gina and Ange for taking great pictures and to Gerry for spearheading the wigwam project.  Also, big thanks to the Sterling crew that built the wigwam frame:  Gerry, Jackson, Gina, Max and Steve.  We are very thankful for the donation of the bark made possible by Jackson, Bill and Goodrich Lumber.  

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

       Another Wonderful Day at Coyote Kids!!



This week's nature mysteries included feathers, a bear claw, some unknown plants and a great blue heron sighting.



As we fox walk into the woods, Ava and Ila stop to feel the bark of the trees.  They are comparing the different textures that they feel.




We got into some full body singing at opening circle.  This song is about thanking the earth, wind, water and trees.



            Firekeeper:  A forest sensory game


Getting ready for the big sneak!



Here it is!!



Gotcha!




Gotcha!




 Malaika and her helpers made tree tea out of balsam.  What a great way to close our time together.


Looks like Owen had a great day.  Thanks Coyote Kids!!

And thanks to Angella Gibbons from Earthwalk for another great set of pictures celebrating our wonderful program, mentors and kids.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013


Wonderful Activities We Do!

A sweet moment by the fire.


Romping through the woods!


Sit spot

Creating our Sacred Circle




 This is opening circle.  Jackson is bringing in fire using a bow drill.  The rest of us are singing our favorite fire starting song...  "burn, fire, burn...stoke your inner fire....let that coal inside you rise....blow that flame to life".




The tinder bundle gets passed around the circle.  Everyone blows on it and adds their energy to the fire.    Then it's time to give thanks for all of the joys in the world that make life magical.



After an afternoon of romping through the woods, learning new skills, playing games and making new discoveries, we always come back to the fire.  Here Anna is closing the circle with a story.  This one is about the day Badger forgot to be thankful for his friend, the honeyguide.