The Barnacles arrived at Lake Padden on a beautiful early
spring day. This was world away from the winter wind storm that forced us to
cancel and reschedule our outing for another time. Luckily, the sun was shining
as the Barnacles showed up and prepared for our some good old fashion
exploration. First and foremost we decided to take advantage of the big field
and played a few rounds of “Fox Tails” to get our wiggles out before opening
circle. Gathering together we talked about our plan for the day, loaded up our
packs, and hit the trail.
 |
| Gathering around the map to find out where we are going |
Pausing to take a look at the map the Barnacles were given a
destination and tasked with figuring out how to navigate there. We would be
taking the dog off-leash trail to hike a mile or so to the “big fallen tree” to
set up a base camp. Along the way we paused to play a game of “HIDE” near a
bridge. Taking a moment for the whole group to catch up allowed those in the
front to indulge their curiosities and inspect a freshly fallen Western Hemlock
laying parallel to the bridge. By the time the rest of the group caught up,
everyone was lost in free exploration clambering over the log, digging in the
roots, beginning the development of a shelter, and tossing rocks in the creek.
Seeing the group immersed in free play the mentors decided to go with the flow
and see how long it would last.
 |
| Exploring the fallen Hemlock |
After nearly two hours of playful exploration the Barnacles
were still eager to continue with their free time. Watching the entire group
interacting together, collaborating on developing new games, gathering rocks
for one another to toss in the creek, and playing with an old tennis ball
watching it float under the bridge over and over was a treat for the mentors to
watch. It was hard to call it quits, but the mentors thought it would be a
great time for a “Sit Spot” where everyone gets some individual time to be by
themselves and tune into their surroundings. Using the “Five S’s” of Silent,
Solo, Still, Safe, and Senses, we had our ground rules for the sit spot and
everyone scampered off to find a cozy place to hunker down for the next fifteen
minutes. Following the joyful clamor of free play, the silence of the sit spot
was a welcome change. Listening to the birds, building mini shelters, and
soaking up the sunshine everyone enjoyed some peace and quiet before we
gathered up again to return to the field.
 |
| Soaking up some sun and transitioning to skills work |
With a bit of extra time leftover, we all gathered up in the
sunshine to warm up and work on some skills while others went off to play some
more games. With half the group off playing, the other half gathered around one
of the mentors to learn a bit about harvesting natural materials for fire
starting. Looking at a spread of a bow-drill kit, tinder fungus, cedar bark,
birch bark, and other bits and pieces of natural tinder we had the opportunity to
experiment. Practicing our bow-drill technique, using a ferrocerium rod to
throw sparks onto tinder we tested bits and pieces for flammability and proper
preparation. Although the Barnacles are years away from learning the Art of
Fire, there is always room for a little practice and foreshadowing for the
future. All in all this was an incredible outing. The Barnacles showed the
mentors they didn’t have any need for a plan and can make an amazing outing on
their own out of a simple bridge, fallen tree, and their imaginations. The
entire group played together for hours immersed in imaginative play that would
make any adult nostalgic for those precious days of childhood where success is
measured by the simple metric of fun for you and your friends. No doubt, this
was a successful day.
Make sure to check out the rest of the photos from our outing here!
No comments:
Post a Comment