Capilano Suspension Bridge and the Treetop Adventures

What a fabulous day we had at a very old, but redone adventure...

The bridge - originally built in 1888, was great fun. But the Treetop Adventures was wonderful.
Samuel counting the rings to find out how old this tree was when they cut it down.
Teigan enjoying one of the 15 bridges that run through the Coastal Rain Forest canopy from one "fort" to another.
The crew on another of the 15 bridges, far above the forest floor.
It's good to have a big brother.
Figuring out the circumference of one of the big trees. We estimated, based on our height (and therefore arm span) that this tree was about 14 ft. around.
Samuel was the official board reader, and took his job very seriously. Here he is reading about a healthy pond.
We of course found math everywhere! This spot we had to stop and talk about the cool spiderweb pattern that the builders would have had to figure out with angles. Perfect example of 45, 90, 180, and 360. (And everything else in between, but those were the ones we focused on.)
Smelling the needles from the giant hemlock tree, which we learned got its name because it smells like the poisonous weed that killed Socrates!
Exploring (but not eating!) the rain forest floor...
and the rain forest canopy!
A really wonderful time. We ended up with a season pass!

Pumpkin Math

This was a great morning of fun with math - and about 30 other home learners. (+Moms!)

Liam and his group weighing their pumpkin, after guessing the weight, and then estimating (after picking up some items of 5 lbs and 10 lbs).

A table of friends using non standard measurements (unifix cubes) to measure the height of their pumpkin.
Another table measuring the height with standard measurements.
Counting seeds into groups of 10 and then 100s.
Getting that top off!
Liam and Teigan getting deep down, goopy and dirty!
We had booklets where we recorded all of our estimates, measurements, graphs and everything else.
Of course one of the amazing moms made pumpkin muffins which everyone enjoyed while we talked about the graphs.
Who had a fun with math today?!
The top of the tarp showing the groups and their pumpkin seeds by 100, 10, and 1s.
A few of the graphs...

Math games and pancakes!

Liam and Teigan having fun with math. Here they are building the numbers with tens and ones. When there are ten popcorn kernals those go into the "tens" container and into the tens column. (Making sure to write one more group of ten.

They would build a number with the 1000, 100, 10 and 1 chips and the other would write down the number.
She actually has it right, you just can't see the piled chips!
Our "Fraction Action" game that we play with the geometric blocks. You have to use the real shape names and the fraction, (hexagon, rhombus, trapezoid and triangle), the hexagon = 1, the rhombus = 1/3, the trapezoid = 1/2, and the triangle = 1/6. When you roll the dice you put on what ever fraction piece you roll. You can make "trades", and you have to say what the trade is. Example: "1/3 + 1/6 = 1/2". Or "1/2 + 1/6 = 2/3". When you fill up your hexagon - one whole - you get a point.

Other fun things the kids like to do with those blocks. Building symmetrical rocket ships...
And symmetrical, three dimensional bugs - (that get bumped!)
Banned from my own kitchen again. This morning I was not allowed in at all, so went to practice piano with Teigan. Completely on their own, the boys made pancakes from scratch, with a little extra vanilla and a hint of brown sugar. Delicious! I was only allowed in at the end to take a few pictures!
I've got some great little chefs happening around here!