What Does A Session Look Like?
Session Fast Facts
Duration: 2 hours
Participants: 4 yr old, 7 yr old and 8 yr old siblings
Activities:
Building Connection/body movement- What is in the sky right?
Bibliotherapy- It Looks Like Spilled Milk
Mindfulness- Mind Body GO! Game
Breathing Awareness- Hoberman Ball Activity
Language/Science enrichment- Moon Pie Adventure
Are you wondering how a WanderPonder session goes? I hope so! The short answer is that it goes a little bit different each time. And the longer answer is that a whole lot goes into a typical WanderPonder session, because I approach a session with an open-minded curiosity for what the day and the child offer. However, even with the lens of spontaneity and presence to the moment, I have a flexible plan for the day that always includes a consistent combination of engaging with our senses, music movement, nature, the weather, seasons, inner and outer self-connections, mindfulness games, bibliotherapy (heart/mind connections through literature) and general education enrichment.
Building Connection / How’s The Weather? I had the privilege of learning with 3 siblings ranging from 4 to 8 yrs of age. This was our first time to WanderPonder together. Because true learning doesn’t happen without mutual trust and respect, I am sensitive to a child’s readiness to offer their trust and endeavor to discern their readiness to engage in learning with me. We all know the timeless strategy of talking about the weather as a way to start off a conversation. For me, there is a mindfulness motivation for the ol' weather icebreaker strategy. I looked up and asked, “What is in the sky right now?” Sounds like a basic, straightforward question, right? With Ms. Christina guiding this simple question, it becomes so much more! Noticing the weather/the sky not only brings us into the present moment, it also lays the groundwork for a shared experience thus beginning to build connection between the students and me. Also, it will eventually lead us to a connection between the literal question, “What is in the sky right now?” and the non-literal, self-connection question, “What is in MY sky, right now?” Giving a child an opportunity to understand an aspect of their literal world helps them connect to their non-literal world. Bridging what is in their “outer space” helps them understand and give meaning to their “inner space”. This principle of connecting Nature to their own nature is a consistent goal for each session.
“I’m noticing the clouds. Wow! They are gray and covering the whole sky. Did you know that there are different types of clouds and they have some fancy names?”
“No. I didn’t know there were different types of clouds,” the 7 year old.
“I didn’t know clouds had specific names,” the 8 year old.
“Well, let’s learn about them! I love learning about clouds!”
This led us into an amazing lesson about Cumulus, Nimbus, Cirrus and Stratus cloud types and the different shapes they create in the sky above us. I taught body movements, facial expression, and voice tone in a fun cloud dance that also involved, spelling the cloud-types, as well! This lesson is the foundational nature activity that will lead into making inner/feeling connections for the next session. Next time we might have a beautiful conversation of how the clouds can teach us more about our own nature. The cloud lesson is so much fun and a crowd favorite!
Reading Activity / ‘It Looked Like Spilt Milk’ Next, we read the fabulous little book, “It Looked like Spilt Milk” which builds on the concept that we can have a different perspective of the same thing, like when we looked up at the clouds together, we were looking at the same sky, but we saw different things. As I read, the 4 year old connected to the repetition of the lines and loved calling out the repeated line, “It looked like spilt milk.” He was so proud when I pointed out that he was doing a very big thing called “making a prediction”. He beamed with joy! The older ones enjoyed the story by making predictions of what the illustrated cloud shapes were. This lead into a conversation about active reading/story listening through making predictions.
A consistent WanderPonder theme is to encourage a child to connect to the story from their own life experiences. So I asked if they had ever spilled milk before. Gunner, the oldest, shared that he had just spilled milk that morning! So often these timely serendipities happen in a WanderPonder. I had no idea that he had just spilled milk, and it opened up a meaningful conversation about when accidents happen and different ways we might respond. I often find that children get to share stories and feelings in a way that is natural and easy. I love it when this happens! I then shared a story of when my daughter, who is now 16 years old, and her friend were little girls and trying so hard to be independent by pouring milk into their cereal bowls. They missed the cereal bowl and poured milk all over the kitchen counter which also soaked my laptop.
Mind.Body.Go! This is another great game for inviting connection not only to self but to each other. I modeled the activity and the kids were ready & willing! Taking turns, we each say one thing we’re thinking and one thing we’re feeling. I started off by suggesting literally feeling the ground, the grass, the breeze, or the warm sun. Beginning with our actual sense of touch/feeling tends to be less intimidating or vulnerable. Sometimes a child shifts into feeling/emotion words and that’s great if that’s what they want to share. It made me giggle inside as the little 4 year old mimicked what his older brother and sister shared- it was perfect. He was engaged in the game and learning how to express thoughts and feelings.
Hoberman Sphere/mindful breathing This activity uses a Hoberman Sphere, a fun articulated spherical toy that can expand and contract. I let each child take turns leading us after I modeled how to breathe in deeply as the sphere expands and breathe out slowly as it contracts. The sphere gives a child a practical, tangible connection to what slow, full-body breathing looks like and feels. A fun side note- as I was putting my things in the back of my van and reflecting on the day’s learning with the children’s mom, I noticed the littlest one, had sat down next to my “bag of tricks” and, on his own, picked up the Hoberman and began doing his own deep breathing as he expanded and contracted the sphere. Both Mom and I just about burst into happy, proud tears.
Language/Science enrichment I LOVE reading children’s books to myself and to kids of all ages, even adults! It models for kids that we can learn something from anything. Jimmy Zangwow’s Out Of This World Moonpie Adventure is a great example as it opens up incredible learning opportunities in math, science, theatrical reading and listener interaction as well as emotional and problem solving skill development!
I am always amazed but never surprised by how much learning and connection happens as a result of presence to the moment mixed with fun energetic conversation and curiosity.
I hope this sheds a little light on how does a WanderPonder go?