In early January we were scheduled to spend a half day in a local forest preserve with the kindergartners & first graders of The Children’s School. However, the weather forecast predicted high temperatures of only 15-17 degrees, a bit nippy for 5-7 year-olds to be out for hours without shelter.

So we modified our program, went to the school, and mixed some indoor fun with outdoor exercises.

For the first hour we looked at animal skulls–elk, cougar, wolf, black bear, and beaver. But the names were unimportant. We wanted the children to learn from the skulls. How big is this animal? Is this animal a predator or prey? What does it eat? How would its diet compare to yours? Is it a sight-hunter or a scent-hunter? Can you tell where it lives? The enthusiasm was high and the answers were remarkably accurate.

We then went outside and learned to walk quietly like deer and wolves; they walk like a baby crawls. Bears have few natural enemies other than man, so they lumber with little need to be quiet. Rabbits and squirrels are prey to everything from hawks to coyotes to the neighbor’s cat, so they are built for instantaneous speed and their gait reflects that characteristic.

The day was as much fun for us instructors as it was for the children. One young lad told his teacher, “That was awesome and I learned a lot.”