Letting kids be kids
Athens Forest Kindergarten promotes a new way of learning
Jesse Wood
Athens Forest Kindergarten is a place where playing in the mud, climbing trees and most of all, having fun is on the agenda.
Planting the seed Dr. Sarah Whitaker was looking for a part-time preschool for her three-year-old son, and in the process, she found a cooperative, inquiry-based experiential learning: the forest kindergarten model.
Held almost exclusively outdoors, the forest kindergarten model encourages children between the ages of three and six to play, explore and learn in a forest environment. Whitaker said that this idea “jumped out to her” as someone with an educational background.
“This is such a neat way of teaching children, and so then I thought we would start as a cooperative, where parents were involved with the program from day one,” Whitaker said.
Whitaker used the forest kindergarten model, along with the Reggio Emilia Approach to construct Athens Forest Kindergarten in 2018. The Reggio Emilia Approach is an education philosophy based on social collaboration, encouraging children to work in groups to decipher their environment and develop social skills.
“[The Reggio Emilia Approach] gave me a really nice, academic grounding, and letting kids play and being intentional and thoughtful as the teachers or as the parents so that play becomes more meaningful and it’s not just straight on supervised time, but instead it’s a cultivation of whatever themes you’re seeing the kids play,” Whitaker said.
AFK is an early education program that enables developmentally-appropriate exploration so that children can experience risk, challenge, success, uncertainty, self-efficacy and more, according to their website.
AFK is a nonprofit. The organization raises funds through applying for grants and looking for donations, but is primarily tuition-funded, according to Whitaker. The tuition prices vary based on how much time the parent has to commit to program co-op work hours and how many days of the week their child attends.
“The program is able to pay teachers far beyond what
the average preschool teacher makes, and that’s because of having a really low overhead and targeting that goal of decreas[ing] tuition wherever possible, [and] increas[ing] teacher pay wherever possible,” Whitaker said.
Whitaker served as the director of the program as all three of her children participated in the program. When her children all aged out in July of 2023, Whitaker stepped down from her role as executive director.
Little explorers branch out
A day for AFK begins with the educators performing a site check at their intended play spot for the day at Sandy Creek Nature Center. Kylie Hamlin, the co-director of preschool and family engagement and an educator at AFK, said that since it is a public park, this step is crucial for the childrens’ safety.
The kids arrive at the site at 9 a.m., and the session begins with circle time. The kids have snack time at 10:30 a.m., followed by lunch at 12:15 p.m. and finally dismissal at 1 p.m. A wholesome, balanced vegetarian snack and lunch is served to the students, according to the AFK website. The children also incorporate lessons in composting and gardening into their provided meals.
AFK hosts a wide variety of activities as well, and many of them are dependent on the time of the year. For example, in the spring, the kids get to interact with birds and insects.
Whitaker said that AFK interacts with the forest by practicing a “less-trace” philosophy, rather than a leaveno-trace philosophy.
“We are not supposed to just be visitors to nature,” Whitaker said. “We are part of nature. If kids are interested in leaves, it’s okay to take a leaf off of the tree and fascinate over it because that’s where the magic happens. You’re a steward of the Earth.”
Throughout the day, the kids are encouraged to follow their own interests. Hamlin said that because they follow the Reggio Emilia Approach, the educators are “constantly observing and reflecting to try and meet their needs.”
For instance, Hamlin recalled that when some children in the program would push each other around, instead of scolding them, she found a way to redirect the behavior by filling a Jittery Joe’s coffee sack with leaves and suspending it from a tree for the children to push and climb.
“I saw in their play that they needed to push something, and it kind of evolved into this swing in the forest,” Hamlin said.
AFK has a one to six ratio of adults to children. Parents of the participating children can choose to volunteer with lunch or to help chaperone the classes. Hamlin said she enjoys this dynamic as it helps parents “get to know the students and the students get to know them.”
“It helps build the community,” Hamlin said. “It’s not just the kids who are friends but the the parents get to know each other [too].”
It’s very cool seeing her not only come up with one solution, but two or three, or watching her stand up for herself where she wouldn’t necessarily have before. I’m wildly proud of her.
CHRISTY STRICKLAND | MOM OF ATHENS FOREST KINDERGARTEN CHILD
Putting roots down
Christy Strickland, mother to six-year-old
AFK student Sunny Strickland, said that she happened upon the program accidentally, but after learning about playbased learning and the outdoor activities, she was sold.
Christy Strickland said she felt unsure about enrolling
her daughter in a traditional preschool when Sunny Strickland was still “so active and interested in the natural world around her.”
“We thought we should capitalize on that and let her in a place where she can explore more freely,” Christy Strickland said.
Sunny Strickland attended AFK for one year, and Christy Strickland said that she saw noticeable changes in her daughter from the program. According to Christy Strickland, her daughter had an enhanced love for nature, but she also grew more confident in her problem-solving skills.
“It’s very cool seeing her not only come up with one solution, but two or three, or watching her stand up for herself where she wouldn’t necessarily have before,” Christy Strickland said. “I’m wildly proud of her.”
Hamlin said that she believes the biggest takeaway that the students have from this program is a boost in their self-esteem. She reflected on a past student that began the program as a very shy child who did not want to climb or run.
“By the end of the first year, he was swinging from branches and balancing on downed logs,” Hamlin said. “By the end of [a kid’s] time in the program, they are so confident and so capable of moving their body… and being able to communicate with each other.”
Before Sunny Strickland enrolled at AFK, Christy Strickland was nervous about losing the sense of community that she had found at Sunny Strickland’s previous preschool, but AFK exceeded her expectations. She said that one day, she saw her daughter fall in the parking lot and multiple parents came over to tend to her.
“She was letting them hold her and she’s not really that type of a kid… [she] feels so secure with that group of people,” Christy Strickland said.
Not only do the students grow individually, but the entire program is intended to build a community among the kids, parents, educators and local businesses around Athens. Hamlin said that a tight-knit community at AFK was not something that she expected to experience when she joined, but it is a welcome addition.
Whitaker said that it has been “beautiful to watch” the community at AFK form; she said that she has seen the parents become friends and care for each other’s children, as well as welcome members to the community from outside of Athens, such as Korea, Russia and Germany.
“We’ve gotten to understand the different ways that people share food and share stories and talk to and about children, so we can hold that space of respect and intentionality with kids and then let people bring their own culture to that,” Whitaker said.
Yonah, Tilly and Sunny use open-ended materials to dress up during a school day in the forest in November of 2023 in Athens, Georgia. COURTESY/KYLIE HAMLIN
Students pause their play for a story during snack time in the forest in August of 2023 in Athens, Georgia.
COURTESY/KYLIE HAMLIN
Silvia, Tilly and Jamie use open-ended materials to create a house in the forest during a school day in April of 2023 in Athens, Georgia. COURTESY/KYLIE HAMLIN
Creative kids
Explore your artistic side
Summer is one of the best times to learn how to make new crafts. Whether you like to get your hands dirty and make some slime, or you want to make a statement by making your own jewelry, crafting is a great way to learn new skills and showcase your creativity. Here are some ideas for your next crafting day.
Slime A fan favorite, slime has become the latest craze across the world. With so many different types of slime and different ways to make it, this craft is easy to make on your own. For a simple slime recipe, grab a bottle of glue, baking soda and some contact lens solution. You can add in watercolor paint, food coloring or glitter to spice up your slime. Pour the glue into a large mixing bowl and add in a ½ tablespoon of baking soda. Stir that together and add in any of your desired colors. Add 1 ¼ tablespoons of contact lens solution and mix it together again. You’ll start to see the mixture clumping together. Once you have a mass of slime, it’s time to get your hands a little dirty. Knead and stretch it out with your hands. If the mixture is too sticky, add more contact solution, and if it’s too runny, add in more baking soda. Continue to knead it together until it’s at your desired consistency and then store it in an airtight container.
Jewelry
Making crafts is always fun, but making something that you can wear makes it even better. For those who love to show off their creativity, making bracelets, necklaces or earrings can be a great way to save money and be unique. All you have to do is buy your choice of beads, chains or pendants and arrange them in whatever pattern you like.
You can use stretchy string to bead together friendship bracelets or even create patterns by braiding together multicolored string. If you have more advanced jewelry making abilities, you can incorporate chain and metal into your designs.
Air Dry Clay
Unlike traditional clay, which has to be fired at a high temperature in a kiln or cooked in an oven, air dry clay allows you to make clay sculptures without any heat required. You
can buy packaged air dry clay or make your own. As for tools, you can use a rolling pin to roll out your clay, some sculpting and shaping tools to get your desired shape and, if you’re using non colored clay, paint to make your creation colorful.
You can create little figurines with the clay to display around your house or you can attach things to them to make them usable elsewhere. For example, if you add magnets to the back of the shapes you can stick it onto your fridge or if you add a keychain onto it you can hang it from your bookbag or on your keys.
DIY lava lamp For those interested in scientific experiments, try making a homemade lava lamp. You can learn a science lesson while also making a cool decoration for your room. This activity doesn’t require a lot of fancy ingredients or equipment so it should be easy for most. Here’s what you’ll need: vegetable oil, food coloring, a small cup, baking soda, vinegar, a 1-liter bottle or cup and a spoon. First add 3 tablespoons of baking soda to your 1-liter bottle or cup. Then fill 2/3 of the bottle or cup with vegetable oil, making sure it rests on top of the baking soda and doesn’t mix in. In another smaller container add some vinegar and a few drops of your favorite color of food coloring. You can also add in some glitter to give your lamp more of a shine. Finally, add your solution of vinegar and food coloring to the 1-liter container and see the magic happen. Place a flashlight or your phone light under your bottle to light up the bottom and get the lava lamp to glow.
Nature crafts If you want to add a natural element to your crafts, look outside for some supplies. For example, collect some pinecones and rocks to create your own animal creations. With a hot glue gun and some googly eyes you can transform a pinecone into any cool animal for you to play with. For the rocks you can grab some paint and make designs on them. Make your rocks into ice cream cones, fruit or little characters. You can also grab flowers and leaves to create your own pressed artwork. All you need to do is place the flowers or leaves you collected inside a heavy book for about 30 days. You can then add the flowers to your artwork.
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Scott
Whether it’s a bright, sunny day for reading at the park or a rainy afternoon spent with a cozy book and a blanket, the Athens-Clarke County Regional Library system provides kids with a book for every occasion. With hundreds of books in the facility to choose from, kids can enjoy an array of genres, e-books and more.
The Red & Black asked kids at the library what books they were reading at the moment.
There were many favorite books among the children at the library including Clifford the Big Red Dog, The Piggie & the Elephant, Dog Man and Wings of Fire.
Libraries are used by approximately 1 billion people today, according to data from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. They can help kids with several things, including providing improved atmospheres for learning, promoting responsibility and safety, and allowing technological access in a safe environment.
Libraries are a great place for children of all ages to spend the summer. Visit one of your local libraries today to begin your reading journey.
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Savannah Celeste
Avni Trivedi
Color me in!
Too hot? Cool off with these easy-to-make ice pops
Hunter Wright Summer is here, and a good way to beat the heat is with a homemade ice pops. Popsicles are the perfect treat to cool you down and bring a smile to your face, and making them can be just as fun as eating them. With a few simple ingredients and some creativity, you can create a variety of tasty, refreshing ice pops right at home. Whether you love fruity flavors, creamy delights or a mix of both, here are some recipes that will keep you cool all summer long.
To start, you’ll need a liquid base, which can be anything from fruit juice to yogurt or a blended fruit mixture. For molds, you have several options.
Standard ice pops molds are made out of plastic, silicone or stainless steel, but you can also use small paper cups or muffin tins as an alternative. If you don’t have popsicle sticks, plastic spoons or wooden skewers can work as well.
Pour your liquid mixture into the molds, leaving a little space at the top since the liquid will expand as it freezes. Cover the molds with foil or plastic wrap and poke the sticks through, if the molds don’t have built-in lids.
Place the molds in the freezer and let them freeze for at least 4 to 6 hours, or until completely solid.
When ready to enjoy, run the molds under warm water for a few seconds to loosen the ice pops, and they should slide right out.
Juice ice pops
For a super simple ice pop recipe that takes no time at all, you can choose your favorite juice and pour it into the ice pop molds. For a sweeter option, you can try drinks like orange juice, SunnyD, Hawaiian Punch or Coca-Cola. However, using natural juice from your favorite fruit can be just as easy to prepare if you’re looking for a healthy option. For example, you can create simple and zesty lime ice pops by combining lime juice, sugar and water. Start by heating water in a small pan and mixing sugar until it is completely
dissolved. Use an equal amount of water as sugar, or if you have a sweet tooth, you can double the sugar. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool completely. Once cooled, stir in fresh lime juice and pour into the molds. Insert popsicle sticks and freeze for 4 to 6 hours, or until solid.
Smoothie ice pop
Making fruit smoothie ice pops is a nutritious way to enjoy a refreshing treat in a new way. Start by blending together 2 cups of your favorite fresh or frozen fruits, such as berries, mango or banana, with 1 cup of yogurt and a 1/2 cup of fruit juice or milk. For a dairy-free option, you can substitute the yogurt for non-dairy alternatives or leave the yogurt out of the recipe. Add 1 tablespoon of honey, maple syrup or other sweeteners if you like a sweeter taste. Fill your ice pop molds with the smoothie mixture, adding chunks of fresh fruit if desired, and enjoy any leftover smoothie as a tasty drink.
Fudgesicles For a creamy chocolate ice pop, start by combining 2 cups of whole milk, one cup of heavy whipping cream, 1 cup of water, 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder, 3/4 of a cup of sugar and 3 tablespoons of flour in a large saucepan. With the help of an adult, whisk the ingredients together and heat over high heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Continue to heat for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow it to cool slightly. Once cooled, pour the mixture into ice pop molds, insert the popsicle sticks, and freeze until set. These rich and creamy fudgesicles will be a treat for any chocolate lover. This recipe is enough for 8 standard ice pops. If you want to have a variety of flavors, add some peanut butter or banana to the chocolate mixture and enjoy.
Olivia Sayer
At every sporting event, fans line up to take pictures with a popular person: the mascot. The University of Georgia has three mascots, with each one serving a different purpose.
The most well-known costume is that of Hairy Dawg.
The fierce-looking Bulldog made his first appearance in the 1981 Sugar Bowl, where an undefeated Georgia beat Notre Dame 17-10 to secure its second national championship in program history. It was a well-timed debut for Hairy Dawg but not the first time the Bulldogs had a costumed mascot.
Former coach Mike Castronis, who served many roles through his Georgia tenure, introduced Fluffie Dog in 1975. It was the Bulldogs’ first costumed mascot, but with uneven eyebrows and floppy ears, Fluffie Dog was anything but intimidating. The goofy-looking Bulldog’s reign as mascot ended in the early 1980s when Hairy Dawg made his first appearance.
Hairy Dawg began as an idea from local ad man Don Smith, but with a slight change. Similarly spelled “Harry Dog” appeared in newspapers from around 1960-1980 with the intention of pummeling his opponents. The illustrations would often show Harry Dog with a bat or frying pan in hand as he opposed either a Gator, Gamecock or whoever else the Bulldogs were playing.
“As a kid, that’s how I started my Saturdays,” Kirk
Smith, son of Don Smith, told Dawg Nation. “I’d run to get the paper and see Harry at top of the fold.”
Although Harry Dog became a popular attraction in Athens, the legend says it did not directly play into the creation of today’s Hairy Dawg. According to former Georgia promotions director Avery McLean, the credit should be given to Tom Sapp, who drew him in 1968 as what he later described as a “bulldog with bulging muscles” for a business fraternity.
Hairy Dawg is often joined by Uga, the live mascot that draws a roaring ovation whenever he is shown to the crowd. Uga made his inaugural appearance in 1956 when Uga I took the sideline for his first game between the hedges.
Georgia is now on its 11th Uga, as the Bulldogs introduced a spry puppy named “Boom” at the annual G-Day spring game in 2023. He replaced “Que,” whose 91-18 record made him the winningest Bulldog in Georgia history.
While Uga typically sticks to football, Hairy Dawg is at the majority of sporting events. For events in Stegeman Coliseum, he is joined by Spike, the inflatable mascot whose sole purpose is to entertain and occasionally confuse.
Throughout games, Spike can be seen bopping fans in attendance with his head, dancing on the basketball court or roaming the stands. Spike elicits the loudest cheers when he flips upside down to stand on his head while jumping.
“I really love messing with people just to see their reac
tion,” former costume wearer Austin Lashley said in a Red & Black story from 2018. “A lot of times people, for some reason, think that Spike is a robot or like a plugged-up inflatable. Sometimes I’ll just stand there and not move at all until they get near me, and then I’ll jump out at them and they’ll figure out I’m real, and it’s just the best reaction.”
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Spike was first introduced in 1998 to serve as volleyball’s mascot. However, the inflated Bulldog that wears striped shorts
Keizer Varnum, 5, and Johnny Lynch, 4, slide at the Sandy Creek Playground
event on
Wednesday, July 3, 2024 in Athens, Georgia. PHOTO/SAMANTHA HURLEY
Katelyn Bond, 4, and Jennifer Bond, 2, swing at the
Amberly, Jordan and Lance Morgan
HURLEY
Otis Pope plays in the mister at the Sandy Creek Playground ribbon-cutting event on Wednesday, July 3, 2024 in Athens, Georgia. PHOTO/SAMANTHA HURLEY
HURLEY
