When we all arrived in the morning, we didn't feel quite ready to write, so we learned two new games, "stop-and-go" and "emotion walk." Stop-and-go is a tricky game! One person leads and calls out "stop!" "go!" "sit!" and "jump!" as they see fit. The trick is, everyone playing has to do the opposite action! It took us a while to get the hang of it, and we got a lot of energy out in the process. Then we did a quick "emotion walk." In this game, the leader calls out various emotions as the group walks in a circle and acts the emotions out as exaggeratedly as possible. "Excited" and "angry" were the most fun!
Then we wrote and illustrated Prospect Park postcards to let our loved ones know about how we're feeling. We asked our poets to make observations about the scenery around them and also think about how they're feeling physically and emotionally. Check them out!
Lyla's Postcard
Miriam's Postcard
Esmee's Postcard
Hector's Postcard
Ubalo's Postcard
After writing our postcards, we headed to the Natural Playground to run around before the zoo. Most of the kids headed straight for the big logs to partake in dramatic play. We're not exactly sure of the specifics of their game, but it sure looks fun!
Then we were off to the zoo! The walk felt a little longer than we're used to, but we made sure to drink a lot of water and stay out of the sun as much as possible (thank goodness for the clouds!). Singing also helps the walks pass faster!
At the zoo we saw lots of different animals! We began and ended our visit with the sea lions, who are fed at 11:30. That's around when we started to feel hungry to, so we left right after the show. Check out out some pictures of our visit, followed by a poem we wrote while walking around!
All The Animals
by Elm Tree 2016
The sea lions are like squirming seaweed
Their whiskers look like tattered little rags of grass
They look like birds when they swim under water
They look like waving cloths in the wind
If they could talk the sea lion would say hello
If I could ask them something I would ask if they really like to eat fish
One time they said, “I don't care.”
The peacock looks like a giant piece of colored paper
The peacock’s neck is as blue as the night sky
It looks like it's wearing a beautiful dress
It looks like the queen with a colorful cloth
The forest gardeners look like two giant pigeons
I am scared of the sting ray
It felt slimy like a shark
Marmosets look like a cat, monkey, and a rat
They look like old bald men
They look like my dad
They look like earthquakes when they shake
The orange monkeys act like they're dead
The squirrel is looking like it's made of wood
The baboon’s long hair looks like a lion
They are always sitting on rocks and have diaper rash
The toucan is a person jumping like a bunny
When it jumps it is an airplane
We ate lunch right outside the zoo entrance under a shady group of trees. Then we read a book called Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie. The book is about a young boy who has the same name as his dad. He wants to change his name so he it's special and just for him. After reading, we asked the kids what they would change their names to if they could. Most of the Elm Tree Crew do not want to change their names, but Hector suggested, "Cheetah Lightening." Miriam thought "Lightening Cheetah" would be a better name for her. After Thunder Boy Jr., Molly read us another chapter of My Father's Dragon before we got started on our writing prompt for the afternoon. 
Today we asked our poets to put themselves in an animal's shoes and write from their perspective for a change. The kids took this challenge up, and we were happy to see them show so much empathy for the creatures they encounter. Cheetahs are a popular animal this year! When kids finished, they wanted to look at the books in our wagon, which made us happy! Check out some pics plus their poems below!
Lyla's Poem
Esmee's Poem
Ubalo's Poem
Miriam's Poem
Hector's Poem
Before walking back to the Natural Playground for a few more minutes of play, we learned some more new games. Molly taught us "fishy fishy, come to me," and Miriam taught us "captain midnight."
Back at the Natural Playground, the kids continued their imaginative play. Then we finished our day playing hide-and-seek! As usual, all of the kids wanted to be "it," and many hid together. Phew! We were beat by the end of the day, and we bet your kids were too!
Thank your kiddos for another wonderful day! Tomorrow's going to be hot and muggy, so we plan on visiting the Brooklyn Museum in the afternoon. If it rains in the morning, we have waterproof ponchos and will visit the library. See you at 9:00!
<3,
Sally & Molly
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