A new look at Favourite Stream. About a mile further up than usual, and already much narrower.

Here’s our latest exploration of a new part of Favourite Stream, led by Antonia. Fortunately, February is one of the best times for exploring the wilderness, with hardly any prickly undergrowth under the trees.

Antonia clambering up a small tributary stream.

The improvised crossing

Last year, observation was the main theme of our nature study. Antonia learned to really, really notice all kinds of things around her, especially very small things. I didn’t really plan it like that, and it was really exciting for both of us to see her skill and curiosity growing. At the same time, she got comfortable being out of doors, which was certainly not the case when we began homeschooling.

Now, a change is taking place. For one thing, she has really come into her own, physically. Even other adults who know her have noticed it. She runs like the wind, climbs as if it was nothing, outgrew her beginner’s skipass in one day… And she’s become very exploration orientated on our nature walks. She wants to know what’s down all the other paths, or where you get to if you follow the stream. I think it’s partly because physically she can, and partly a change in the way she perceives the world. In fact, although we obviously have more than enough developmental stages to measure kids against, I think if we’re to have them at all, the desire to follow streams and rivers really should be one of them. Until recently, the idea simply didn’t occur to her. Along with this change, she’s started making her own maps and has become fascinated by compass directions. She’s been able to do the grade-level appropriate map-reading exercises for some time, but I think it was more a game to her, not a tool for understanding or communicating the world.