Evergreen and Deciduous! First 5
After our tree yoga, we enjoyed a delicious snack. We enjoyed fresh homemade orange juice and apple slices. The selection of the snack was very intentional for this class as orange trees are evergreen and apple trees are deciduous. The children loved the apples. There was one child in particular who kept returning for apples. We are reminded that a love for nature develops through sensory exploration…and tasting and feeling gratitude for the gifts of trees is important!
We began to make artwork and split up into two teams.
One group went further into the garden and created artwork with the leaves and natural flour paint. Alrie led a group to plant avocado seeds.
Exploring evergreen trees and deciduous trees!
We began by introducing ourselves, then Allegra explained and demonstrated what the leaves of various deciduous and evergreen trees in our area look like. She went into detail about how Evergreen trees stay green all year round and Deciduous trees lose their leaves and grow them back throughout the year. Allegra brought in an array of different leaves such as Eucalyptus, Pine, Acacia, Coast Live Oak, Valley Oak, Elderberry, Buckeye, Sycamore, Willow, Alder, Cottonwood, Pepper tree, and more, for the children to look at, feel, and smell.
Alrie pointed out how the Elderberry tree growing in the garden is a deciduous tree and showed the growing flowers to the families. She explained how an Elderberry cordial can be made out of the berries.
We also shared how some of the leaves had different smells, especially the Redwood, Eucalyptus and Pepper tree leaves. Many were excited to learn that some of the leaves had a scent. One of the mothers recognized the eucalyptus scent and shared that she had used an oil made with eucalyptus before.
We gathered around in a circle to do some tree yoga. Jasmine explained the benefits of doing this pose and how it helps to strengthen the core, stretch out the arms, and helps maintain overall balance. We envisioned roots growing out of our feet, put both of our hands together to our heart and raised them up into the sky above our heads. For those who were courageous, they lifted up one leg and put their foot sideways against their opposite leg.
After our tree yoga, we enjoyed a delicious snack. We enjoyed fresh homemade orange juice and apple slices. The selection of the snack was very intentional for this class as orange trees are evergreen and apple trees are deciduous. The children loved the apples. There was one child in particular who kept returning for apples. We are reminded that a love for nature develops through sensory exploration…and tasting and feeling gratitude for the gifts of trees is important!
We began to make artwork and split up into two teams.
One group went further into the garden and created artwork with the leaves and natural flour paint. Alrie led a group to plant avocado seeds.
The flour paint was composed of flour, salt, water, and food coloring. The children got some paint brushes and printer paper and got to decorating and painting. The children had fun mixing in the food coloring into the flour paint.
The children planting avocado pits looked closely at and felt the pits that had been soaking in water. They filled planter buckets with rich, cool, dark brown soil (feeling with their hands and digging with shovels). They dug a shallow hole for the pit, planted it, and watered it. We shared that it could take years before our pits bear avocados…but patience and responsibility are part of the lesson!
The group switched out and afterwards we learned a song about coniferous trees and we all sang along together.
The children saw how big and felt how heavy a pinecone from the Evergreen Coulter Pine Tree is. These are the biggest pinecones in the world, and they grow only in California!
