Forest Room: The Missing Gates

One day last month we went out to the Garden and discovered, to our great surprise, that the gates were gone. We teachers could see Pippin trudging down to his workshop with a tattered gate in his arms but the children missed this. We stood back, waiting to see what they would notice and what they would surmise about where the gates went. They were quite intrigued by this mysterious disappearance, so much so that they decided to hunt for the missing gates.

Together we ventured outside the garden walls, often holding hands, and with excitement noted such finds as the cottages, the faraway mall, the parking lot.

We never did find the gates, but our wanderings led us to a doorway leading back into the other side of the garden, a place we had not visited as a group before.  The children swarmed around each new delight:

                                                       letters in the pathway,

                                    small mounds of dirt just perfect for climbing on,

old logs conveniently available for standing on and jumping off. With joy they race down the hill, create "Falling off the Log" games as well as Hide and Seek and running games. The Garden looks completely different from this new angle.

The children now play in almost every area of the Garden, and are more aware of what lies beyond the doorways of the garden. We wonder what they will think when the new gates are installed later in the year. For now, new places, new challenges and new sights provide daily charm for the children in our classroom.