The Owl Academy

Kicking off summer with our first of the season and released 1,000 worms into our garden, thanks to 🪱☀️

Forget graduation ceremonies—today, we celebrated a child’s last day of preschool before kindergarten by highlighting their favorite play: fort building!

All the children were invited to bring a material to contribute to the most epic classroom fort. This morning’s play invitation engaged the whole class while honoring B’s role in the classroom community over the past year. Cheers to B’s next chapter! 🥳

Adults re-learning how to play strengthens their ability to support children’s learning through play. Professional development for early childhood educators must be prioritized so these deeply caring and patient professionals can continue growing alongside the young children they nurture every day.

Planting seeds. Growing families. Strengthening communities. 🌱

Why eat inside when you can eat outside?!

Plants are in thanks to the hard work of our families and children. Now our outdoor classrooms are even more alive!

So many creatures were discovered during garden prep today!

Rain, rain, stay all day,
We’re heading outside anyway!
Splash in puddles, stomp and play,
Watch the clouds drift away.

Mud on boots and rosy cheeks,
Nature gives us what it speaks.
With coats and gear, we’re set to go—
There’s joy to find in rain below.

Body painting isn’t just messy fun—it’s sensory exploration, creativity, motor skill development, and big emotional expression all in one.

“So what are kids actually learning by playing outside all day?” 🌼

Turns out… quite a bit. 😄

⚖️ Risk assessment
💪 Resilience
🗣️ Communication
🎨 Creativity
🌎 Connection to nature

Also:
• Where to find the best sticks
• The engineering limits of how many rocks fit in one pocket
• Negotiation skills: convincing adults that mud is actually “just nature paint”

Outdoor play isn’t “just play.” It’s real learning, powered by curiosity, movement, and wonder.

Mud=Joy

But, mud also equals learning! Mud play supports children’s creativity, problem-solving, sensory exploration, confidence, social-emotional growth, and connection to nature through hands-on, open-ended outdoor learning.