Week 2 began with our usual games, group contract and getting to know each other at the SFCM.  We also talked about what to take on a hike, and how to stay safe and healthy outdoors. After circle and snack we headed off on our adventure for the day.  Each group started at Aspen Vista and went in different directions. The Bigs hiked up to Carl’s Meadow where they played games –  camouflage, blind old owl and park ranger, among others.

The Littles hiked up to the Aspen Vista trail to the Big T while playing Red Light-Green Light (as well as silver light, blue light, yellow light, and brown light)!  We sang, played, drank water, snacked, and hiked until we found the trail down to the Big Tesuque – we were excited to see water! We talked about how to stay hydrated and feeling good on a hike and drank a lot of water!  We ate lunch and then headed to a beautiful “new to us” river location.  Some kids built a very unique shelter with a river running through it, while others engaged in imaginative play  – fishing and being animal families.  All enjoyed getting wet in the river!  It was an accomplished hike for both Big and Small today!

On Tuesday the Littles played games to learn the cardinal directions and had lots of time to play at the Big T in the river. They read folk tales and hiked to a tiny waterfall. The kids did activities with their buddies such as making up secret code names to call to each other in the woods.

The Bigs went to base camp on Tuesday for the first ever: archery, slackline, art, and mountain biking day! Small groups rotated through the activities, which kept it interesting and fun for everyone.   By early afternoon we were ready to cool off so we headed to Shidoni, hoping to get wet in the river.  We found the river bed dry, but made the best of it with water games under a big shady tree on the grass. Blind Old Owl and Drip Drop Splash cooled us off, were a lot of fun, and a great way to finish the day!

On Wednesday, we all went on an amazing trip into the Santa Fe Watershed with Eileen Everett and Erin from the Santa Fe Watershed Association!  Before we left, we learned what a watershed is and used a tarp and water to illustrate how water always flows down to the lowest point. We talked about how to find and purify water in a survival situation and made a group “waterfall” to encourage drinking plenty of water throughout the (hot!) day.

On the field trip we learned about good fires and bad fires and how fires have historically helped the forests. We saw where they have done a lot of cutting in the watershed, so it was helpful to learn why.  We walked by the Nichols reservoir and learned about the capacity of our reservoirs and how low they are this year.  We also used nets to search for aquatic macro invertebrates (our new term for the day!) and found many.  This tells us that we have good water quality – yay, some good news about water!  We also got wet and played in the Santa Fe River.  We were grateful to get to see this bit of the Santa Fe watershed and mountains that has been closed to the public since 1932.  Thank you, Eileen and the Watershed Association for inviting us to go for the day.

At the end of the week we went to the Ski Basin and talked about how to avoid lighting, how to stay safe when lost (stop and stay put), and what to pack in an equipment kit. We hiked, ate and played games in Adventure Land.  It was a good way to cool off and take it easy after a very hot week!

If you liked this post, leave a comment! 🙂  Thanks!

Monday:

Today we went to Galisteo River. We played name games and went over the Mountain Kids rules before heading off. Once we got there we hiked to our special spot with a tee pee.  We did some tee pee building and enjoyed playing in the water. We decided on our group names for the week: the Ant-Lions (Bigs) and the Earthworms (Littles). It was great to play and talk about the rocks and clay all around us. After lunch we hiked through the river and had ‘superman’ races running around and getting very muddy. We made a rock maze, played maze of life, camouflage, and caught a small frog and other insects. We collected dirt and made clay to build pots and make clay sculptures. We also had some quiet time, doing sit spots and a closing circle. The day flew by and we had an amazing time together using the earth as our playground!

Tuesday:

This morning we played some ice breaker games as a group and then learned about all types of rocks. Heather brought rock samples from her time spent all over the country working in parks. After snack and circle we headed to the Ski Basin for the day. We brought jars for collecting bugs and all the kids searched for grasshoppers. We made Andy Goldsworthy statues with branches and rocks and made up a funny story about meeting Andy and catching flying sandwiches. We played camouflage, flash flood, dead bugs, built a dam in the river and painted rocks. We collected rocks, finding the most beautiful rocks we could. We hiked a lot and played a lot! At the end of the day we had story time and then each of the kids decided on one thing they were thankful for. Many said the mountains and the bugs and the rocks – what a great day!

Wednesday:

In the morning we had a presentation on compost and how to make a compost pile. After our snack we headed to Aspen Vista and hiked. The Bigs hiked up and Littles hiked down to Big T.

The Bigs painted their rock boxes, threw some seed balls (we discussed seeds) and Mahko made up a game based on the maze of life which we all played. The boys caught bugs for some time – twelve in all – mostly grasshoppers. We played lots of games: Bob the Weasel, Dead Bugs, Robots and Blob Tag. We made mud huts and played “Meet a Rock” (the kids sat on a log blindfolded, felt a rock then they were handed several different rocks and they had to figure out which was their original rock).

The Littles collected precious rocks and read books about rocks. We found shady spots and wonderful shelters made from fallen branches. We counted butterflies and beautiful moths. We played in the river and played games as a group. The hike was long, but the weather was perfect. It was a wonderful day!

Thursday:

Today we went to Nambe Falls. After playing games, reading about soil, and having a snack we headed out. The Bigs hiked to the viewpoint first and then the waterfall. We took out the rock box and examined the different rocks, and then we used the magnifying glass to check out other rocks in the area. We played a game of camouflage, told another funny story during lunch about flying turtle. We headed down and hiked to the waterfall. The Littles hiked to the waterfall right away. The water has changed from clean and clear snowfall run off to silt infused rainwater that is much more like the Rio Grande. It was exciting to have so much water and hike through a river rushing and splashing by. At the waterfall all the kids jumped right in to play in the water. We were sure to have adults in the water at all times given that there was so much water. After playing we got out to get dry and eat lunch. We hiked back and had time for more games and songs about rocks. We changed into dry and clean clothes and headed back. It was a perfect way to end a great week. I am sure there are a lot of happy and tired campers!

We saw a lot of wildlife this week, as seen in the photos above – many of which were taken by the kids themselves!  Great stuff!  Thanks to Alexandra for the commentary below about the week!

Monday:

We decided to leave early in order to get to the mountains before the rain came. We drove to Big Tesuque and had time to play in the river and climb up the side of the mountain before the rain started to fall. We got back to the van to escape the early storm. In the van we learned the “Tree Song.” We drove down the mountain to a shelter to have lunch and went to another spot in the woods to play games. We played camera tag, meet a tree, collected materials to make picture frames, played statue and sculpture, two truths and a lie, and a water drinking game. Then we headed back to the children’s museum to make our picture frames. We reflected on what we loved and what we learned in our closing circle. It was wonderful how much the group learned about one another in one day- new friends and old friends!

Tuesday:

We went to Pecos National Monument. It is a great place to practice ‘take only pictures, leave only footprints’. We learned about Kivas and the history of the pueblo before and after the Spanish came.  It was very interesting. We worked on our journals and spoke about documentation, what that means, and how it can be done. We are using pictures and drawing to document our time together. We went into the Kiva and learned about how they are built and what they were used for. We hiked around the ruins and played games during water breaks. After lunch we made sun prints, learning about light and exposure. Then we played a big game of tag. At the end of the day we learned a new song, reflected, and read The Giving Tree. A wonderful day out!

Wednesday:

Today we learned about tree anatomy: the tap roots, surface roots, heartwood, cambium, and bark. We acted out the various parts of the tree. We reviewed how to use our cameras. Then, after reading some tree stories, we headed to Leonora Curtain (a wetland preserve that is part of the Santa Fe botanical gardens). We were given a tour where we learned about the history of the wetlands and how ecologically special they are. The kids were so excited to take pictures and it was great to sit under the big cottonwood trees for stories and games. We played games using blindfolds and tried to remember the details of landscapes we were taken to. We also hugged a huge cottonwood –  it took everybody in the group! Seeing all the frogs in the pond was another highlight. We played more games to review the tree anatomy and looked at everyone’s favorite picture of the day. The day was great fun and we were lucky to have such nice weather!

Thursday:

Today we began the day with pinhole cameras. These cameras take a lot of patience!  It is interesting to contrast them with digital cameras where we get unlimited chances to take pictures already in focus. It was exciting for the kids to use our little viewfinders and find the shot they wanted to take with the idea that they only have one shot. Then we exposed the film and closed it up again! Picture taken! We read a story and had snack and headed to the Beaver Ponds. After taking a good hike and playing some games we put on face paint and it began to rain. We decided to head back and get out of the drizzle. We headed back early to the museum where we played freeze tag, made birds nests, and read stories about trees and reviewed our learning from the week. It was another great day!

BIGS (7-9 year olds)

We had lots of fun this week with our Big “super hikers”.  We hiked the Black Canyon trail, the Rio en Medio trail to the waterfall, the trail to Carl’s Meadow at Aspen Vista, and the Ski Basin.

We went over maps, directions, compass, orienteering, poison ivy identification, equipment, safety, lightning position, and knots. The kids drew maps in their journals, played the game fascinating facts where each kid had one fact to tell all the others on the trail and then there was a trivia game at the end. A lot of water drinking games, wilderness facts, wilderness trivia in the car “Worst Case Scenario Game”. We went over stream crossing, lots of riddles, camouflage, flash flood, dead bugs, white out, compass course, and more. Tomorrow we are going to be signaling, shelter building, making a travois, and playing more games. Today we didn’t even make it to the meadow before we had some serious thunder and lighting so we retreated and went to Fort Marcy. Mark set up a compass course while Heather taught how to tie a figure 8, clove hitch, and then the knot of their choice from the knot book. It was lots of fun. Tomorrow we will finish with our super hiker ceremony.

We ended super hiker week with a bang and no rain. We went over topographic maps, built lean-to shelters, stopped and made many shelters for Smoky the Bear; both tee pee and desert-style. We practiced signaling with mirrors and creating SOS signs. We built a Travois, and saw five grouse – very exciting!  We super hiked part of the trail and Mark and Heather handed out bracelets for their great hiking skills and knowledge. They all left knowing how to read a compass. Overall, it was a great week!

LITTLES:  (5-6 year olds)

Monday:

Today we went to Black Canyon. It was so beautiful. We choose our animal for the week. Mountain Goats seemed to fit us since we are super hikers (or really, wee wanderers). We learned about North, East, South, West (Never Eat Soggy Waffles) and how to find our way with compasses and maps. We made a group flag and played camouflage games. It was great to play in the woods. We looked at pictures of poison ivy so that we can be ready if we see any on the trails. We also gathered ‘instruments’ (rocks and sticks) and made a symphony! Then we heard the thunder. We headed back to the vans as the rain began to fall. By the time we got to the van and escaped the rain we decided to head back to the Children’s Museum and play. We reflected on our day and played in the sandbox. A great day!

Tuesday:

This morning we had some pretty tired campers, so we decided to call off our hike and play some games by the Tesuque Creek at Shidoni. It was FUN! When we got there we had a little tour of the place where they make the sculptures and then went to play in the river. It was wonderful and much needed play time. We then played tons of tag style and hide and seek games. We practiced being still and stealthy hiding in the sculptures. Then we worked on observation skills and played ‘Museum’. We were preparing to see the small movements of animals in the forest. We took on the movements of deer, alligators, butterflies, and other animals that may be still in order to protect themselves. After some more river play and lunch, we went to the glass blowers studio and they let us watch while they made a shellfish. It was super cool! Then we headed to the museum to play and reflect before heading home! It was a really rejuvenating and delightful day.

Wednesday:

With our energy stored up we were ready for a super hike. We went to Big Tesuque where we hiked up the river to play and collect bugs. We played camouflage games and then began to feel the drops of rain. There was no thunder, so we continued to play. Then, as the kids started to get cold, we headed down to stick close to the vans. The thunder began, so we loaded up. As the doors shut, the rain got heavier. We headed to town to have a treat of hot chocolate and story time. At the museum, we made fairy houses and rock collection bags. We had snacks of white cheddar popcorn and strawberries. Yum! Even though we got rained out, it was a great day.

Thursday:

Today was a blast! We went to the Ski Basin, identifying landmarks along the way. Once there, the kids collected grasshoppers to carefully look at in glass jars. They released them and then began their search again! We played tree tag, museum, and blob. All the kids used their rock collection bags and some carefully selected a few rocks to take home. We hiked to the top of the double chairlift and some opted to go further with Jennie. We wandered into the woods and made a lean-to and tee pees out of fallen wood. Then we hiked down to play in the river. At the end of the day, we reviewed safety tips and backpack essentials as well as the cardinal directions.

Monday: Today the Littles went to Little Tesuque Creek.  In the morning they introduced themselves, thinking of their favorite mammals. We mostly had furry friends, but one camper did come up with a Dolphin. They practiced animal gaits and on a big piece of cardboard decided on rules for the week, such as respect, leave no trace, and wear your hat! In the car ride the Littles sang camp songs about bears and bees. Once on the trail we spotted butterflies and worked on using our reference pictures to identify them. We came up with our group animal, coyotes, and practiced howling. We also practiced finding our buddies hide and seek style. Today we focused on tracks and scat, which we will be referencing all week. We played What Time is It Mr. Fox and a few other jumping and clapping games. After lunch we continued on our hike and found a nice coyote den to make the cover page of our nature journals and the decorations for our safari hats. Then it began to rain. We put on rain jackets and headed to the warm van. After reading a book we decided to call it a day for the mountains and have some city fun. We went to the Railyard Park and looked at the progress of the Mountain Kids plot in the community garden. We played on the playground and had a nice closing circle learning about coyotes and thanking the earth for rain. It was a wonderful day.

Tuesday: Today was a beaver day! We headed to beaver ponds bright and early. Mark did a presentation dressing up like a beaver and Jenny passed around pictures for everyone to see how many cool traits beavers possess. Afterward, we hiked off pretty far, passing the ponds and heading into the woods and bushes. We found sit spots by the river and made sound maps of the water and birds. After playing in the water, the hike continued up to find a view and a nice little den to have lunch. After lunch we headed back down to the ponds to make beaver dams. It was raining and there were some cold campers so we hiked back the van.  We warmed up in the van and went to Fort Marcy Park to play a huge game of freeze tag. We read the beaver book and reflected in circle before heading back to the Children’s Museum. It was a wonderful day!

Wednesday: The trip to Las Golondrinas was wonderful. We began the day at the museum learning about all the all the insects inside the museum. The kids each did a sketch of their favorite insect. Then Jenny led them in learning some Spanish songs and words to prepare for the trip. We all had a snack and then headed out. Once there the Littles went to learn about yarn and weaving with looms. We visited the animals and had a chance to pet the goat. Then we visited the blacksmith – that was exciting! We had lunch under the big beautiful trees and then read a story. The coyotes played together in the tree (known to them as the coyote den). We took a trip to the pond where we saw frogs, water snakes, tadpoles, dragonflies, and butterflies. We sang songs about frogs and pretended we were like our big green floating friends. At the end of the day we reflected on all the animals we had seen.

Thursday: The morning began with a visit from Ranger Rowdy (Heather in costume). We learned about mammals and looked at real animal pelts! Then we headed for the Big Tesuque Campground. It was cool and beautiful. The coyotes hiked to a clearing to play lots of games! Then we hiked back down for lunch and had time to paint and play in the river. We read ‘We’re Going On a Bear Hunt’. The clouds began to get dark so we got jackets on a prepared for the storm. We played until the rain began to fall. Since we were ready for the rain and so close to the van we stayed as long as we could.  We dried off on the ride back and most of the Littles took a quiet rest. Back at the museum we played in the sandbox and had a circle to remember what we had learned during the week: beavers, tracks and scat, insects, frogs! Then the rain caught up with us and we stayed dry in the greenhouse until pick up time. It was a treat to have so much rain![slideshow]

We stopped for a water game, then stopped and sat looking out over the mountains and made landscapes using the chalk pastels. We sang the song “Aru cha cha aru cha cha” which is a rain song and then had lunch.   Heather told a story using their ideas which was really neat.   We played the “Salmon Game” where we used blind folds and guided our salmon up and down stream. The kids really enjoyed the blindfolds. We stopped again for  “Bob The Weasel” game and then again under the Douglas Firs for more art using oil pastels.  We told the kids they could challenge themselves if they wanted to draw with a blind fold on. When they were done they had free time to build shelters, stack rocks or whatever they could dream of. It was a hot one but overall a very fun day!

On Monday, the Littles explored Aspen Vista. We found a tee pee and cleared space under it to eat our lunch. We found charcoal and drew on paper and our bodies, then we made our nature journals and painted the cover page. We continued on our hike and hiked up to where the trail heads down to Big Tesuque. It was hot, so we stopped to play in river; we splashed and cooled off and had a snack. It was a challenging hike for the little ones and they all did incredibly well!

On Tuesday, we started the day by playing games and then in our circle we talked about water conservation.  We practiced by water conscious with a water passing game.  After snack, the Bigs headed to the Rio en Medio trail for a hike to the waterfall, while the Littles headed to the Big T.

The Bigs were strong hikers today – everyone wanted to get to the waterfall.  We discovered a lot of plant and animal life along the way (including poison ivy!).  We discovered insects, lizards, butterflies, squirrels, and birds on our hike.  Once at the waterfall it was great to cool off under the falls, or in it’s spray.  Some kids chose to build a small pond, while others enjoyed trying to catch minnows.  We all had a chance to do some watercolors after we had had plenty of time to play, and some chose to hike to the top of the falls for a big view down to the bottom!  I was proud of all of the Bigs for their strong hiking.  Despite the hot temperatures out in the “real world”, it was plenty cool all along the trail.

Tuesday was an easy and fun day at Big T for the Littles. We played in the river, we did pastels and water colors, and we painted on a big drop cloth that the Bigs had drawn on. We used charcoal and painted cat whiskers and ears and ran around pretending to be cats. We went on a mini hike up to a meadow where we read a story. On the way we counted how many butterflies we saw, then we found sit spots and listened to the wind and the water. We played a few games and did an imagination exercise remembering our day. We had a little time to play in the water and have a snack before heading back.  A great way to spend a hot, hot day!

On Wednesday we had the opportunity to go to the Day family ranch up on Rowe Mesa.  We were excited to check out a new location, with the promise of water!  it was beautiful up on the mesa, and after a bumpy drive down the dirt road, passing several cows (playing sardines?) along the way, a plenty of moo0ing from the vans, we arrived at our destination.  It was a short hike to a watering hole that had water in it.  Just enough for the kids to get wet, and REALLY muddy!  We did manage to do some watercolors and pastels before heading back.  The Littles went back a different way and saw a dead cow – a first for many!

It was a three-part bath that night in our house. For most Mountain Kid parents, this is the sign of a good day!  The kids will not soon forget our day trip to the Day Ranch.  Thanks for Jennifer and Carson for making it happen!

Thursday was a very different story – clean, cool water at Nambe Falls.  We had a wonderful time.  The Bigs found a nest of baby birds as they hiked up the river canyon.  Many discovered the fun of whirlpools and spent a lot of time watching sticks being sucked down and to another location.  Others just enjoyed splashing a playing in the water.  At last, the Bigs had a chance to paint their glass jars here after doing some watercolors by the river.

The Littles hiked up a ways before eating lunch in a shady spot.  We returned for sit spots and watercolors and pastels in our journals.  Everyone filled all of their pages with beautiful, colorful art work!  We played monster tag, and some built rock cairns/dams in the river, while others pretended to be animals –  like frogs and loons, running from Katie and Alexandra and chanting to have them chase them. Afterward, we headed up the river to get closer to the falls.  It was a challenging walk through the river, but everyone did it.  Once there, some settled in to hear a story, while others enjoyed finding the wood pieces worn smooth by the water.   All in all it was a wonderful way to spend the day – staying cool and having fun![slideshow]