By Olivia Belk
LITTLE NIS: Today’s hike is a TREE HIKE. Take a walk through your community, and while you are exploring, try to find as many different kinds of trees as possible. Notice the shapes of the trees, notice their bark. Are there buds on the branches? Are there leaves? Did you find a favorite?
MAMA LOUMARI: There’s nothing nicer than relaxing underneath a tree. I should know, I’ve been relaxing under the redwoods for over a year! Why not take a break under a tree. Lie down with your back on the ground and look up. Can you find shapes in the branches? How about letters? Try to find the entire alphabet, or just try to spell your name using the branch letters you can see. If you don’t feel like looking for shapes or letters, try looking for other interesting things. Can you see anything living in the tree? Can you see the sky? Do you think the tree likes where it is? What would the tree tell you if it could talk?
LITTLE ELINA: I like to make art out of rocks, but nature provides all sorts of materials for creation. Today, you can try to use sticks and other natural materials to write your name on the ground. Try to pile sticks on the ground in the shape of letters rather than using a stick like a writing utensil. Can you spell anything else?