Bones and walks and cold

We went back to the monthly home ed group at the nature reserve today. We missed it in December. It was lovely to go again. The group meets at an old chalk pit that has been turned into wetlands and lakes. It's a beautiful place.

There is a purpose built wooden education building. Today there were lots of bones out for us to look at and hold.

Freddie worked on making a fire with some found wood.

It was very cold. We saw frost that looked like flowers, where the sun hadn't reached.

The light was luminous this afternoon.

The plan was to walk around the lakes. Freddie and Betsy are not great walkers. They're happy to scoot long distances, but scooters aren't allowed here. So we set off with the others. Pretty soon though we were lagging behind!

We didn't do the walk, just ambled for a while.

We saw a mouse hole. The little red and black bits outside the hole are the bits and bobs left over from mini mice meals. It's a mouse rubbish heap!

Meg enjoyed the view, looking at the ducks and swans on the water.

The dipping pond was frozen over. Freddie and Betsy tried to break the ice, but it was too thick. We spotted a little creature moving about in the water under the ice.

I noticed our shadows as we walked along so we took a photo. Meg was tootling about further along the path, so it's just the big kids and me.

Sticks and sunset

Today was our home ed group that meets monthly at a local nature reserve. It's the second time we've been, and we all really like it. It's very relaxed, with a few activities and lots of time outside.

We started by looking at leaves (and plastic snakes!) under the microscope.

Then we went outside to an area they're developing into a forest school. Freddie spotted a birds nest.

There were some really tall thin branches to move around, and make houses with.

The kids found sticks to bang on trees.

Meg got a little frustrated as she kept falling over (wellies+sticks underfoot=unsteady toddler), and Betsy was getting cold, so we left Freddie playing with the the rest of the group and went back to the barn.

Meg loved running along the path (no sticks to fall over!).

And so did Betsy...

Back at the barn, I had a cuppa, Betsy drew some pictures and Meg worked hard to dump stuff on the floor and clamber up on to the tables. I'd forgotten how challenging the toddler months can be! Though I do think Meg is slightly wilder than the other two were.

It was such a warm day for November, sunny and clear. On the way out the sun was setting, and looked beautiful over the lake. This photo doesn't do it justice.

We met a lovely family there, and the kids really enjoyed playing together. We've swapped numbers, and hopefully we'll meet up at the zoo sometime soon.