Once again, a major protest at the State Capitol coincided with one of my outings. I have to say that I was happy to be heading away from town. Protesting is noble, but it distracts me from what I love. For me, the best thing to do is to continue my work with kids and […]
Cave of the Mounds: A great escape from protesting or anything else Read More »
Last week I canceled Ski club. Organizers also canceled most of Winterfest. Not for extreme cold or lack of snow, but because of the protest at the Capitol. It’s been a surreal week. On Wednesday, Superintendent Nerad closed Madison schools because so many teachers called in sick. On Thursday, many other principals closed schools due
Wisconsin Protest Meets Outdoor Adventure Read More »
Thursday was cold, very cold. Temps topped out at about 10 degrees with a nasty wind chill. As a result, kids at Lowell and Emerson Elementary schools had no recess – their second in a row. Now, it was my turn. Would I take 11 kids cross country skiing? We did the week before and
Is it ever too cold to Get Kids Outside? Read More »
Go Eagles! What are you crazy! Not those Eagles, but the REAL eagles of Wisconsin. Last Saturday, I took 40 kids and parents on a chartered bus to Eagle Days in Sauk City. It was a good day. When nature puts on a show, there is nothing better. We saw at least 30 eagles. Most
An Eagle Fan in Wisconsin: Not a joke Read More »
What is fun? Cross Country Skiing What kills fun? Driving a 15-passenger-van full of kids, three of which are fighting in the back. Last week Thursday was the first day of ski lessons and everything was going great: the trip to Blackhawk Ski Club went well; the kids loved skiing; and the weather was perfect.
Bad Van Behavior Kills Ski Fun Read More »
I hate to cancel hikes just because it’s raining. So, on Saturday, November 12, we left for our hike to Blue Mound State Park despite a wet forecast. As predicted, it poured on our way there. But by the time we got there, the rain stopped. Perfect. Temps were in the 50s and it was
Damp Day Delight: Stone tools and why I hate to cancel trips Read More »
Kids love a good scare, especially a fun scare. We all got our screams out on Saturday night when 30 kids – yes 30 kids — and lots of adults from Goodman Community Center went to the Haunted Hayride at MacKenzie Environmental Center in Poynette. The kids were very excited and the night was perfect-mild
Haunted Hayride: The Joy of Fright Read More »
With Halloween right around the corner, it’s important to remember that nature can be scary for kids. The heart of the Pheasant Branch Creek Nature Preserve in Middleton is a huge spring. Water boils up from the ground and looks like a cauldron of boiling water and sand. The spring intrigued the K-5th grade kids
Bubble bubble toil and trouble: Dealing with fear Read More »
School’s almost out for summer. That means Summer Camp is just around the corner. At Goodman Community Center, we offer a 10 week program of summer fun. Biking, field trips, insect adventures, arts and crafts, swimming, fishing and hiking are just a few of the activities available to kids. The best part of summer is
Gearing up for Summer Fun! Read More »
Q: How do you teach kids the art of listening? A: One minute at a time. While hiking today at the Arboretum with 10 kids, I tried something new. I held up my watch and said, “For one minute, let’s see how many birds we can hear.” It wasn’t perfect silence, but that’s okay. The
One minute of silence: Listening to the birds at the Arboretum Read More »
