Outdoor education class enjoys a fire-side story and craft day

December 6, 2018

It was a cold day on December 4. Most forest animals have retreated south for the winter or begun winter their hibernation. Yet, the kids of Marlee St. Pierre’s and Ashley Harder’s Outdoor Education classroom were digging around the frosty banks of the Fraser River at Brae Island Park.

The class has been very fortunate, said Marlee; most of their outdoor days have been sunny.

For the afternoon activity, the kids, grades K-3, were to sit around a warm fire and listen to a story about what animals do during the winter. Kids warmed their fingers over the fire pit while a parent volunteer kept the fire going hot. The kids knew not to stand too close, and had a few lessons in campfire smoke. They then dove into several out-door crafts.

They made popcorn and cranberry “strings” using twigs and vines, painted rocks into snowmen, created stars by fastening twigs together, and making stick Santas. Some improvisation was needed for a few of the crafts. However, when the great out-doors is the classroom, scavenging for new materials is easy enough.