As we continue to explore weather, the seasons, and how they affect us, Grade 2 had a chance to experience the ups and downs of the seasons…all before lunchtime!

In order to experience and better understand how the changing seasons affect us and our communities, we set up four stations in the four corners, one for each of the four seasons. Each station had a unique challenge or experience related to its season. The catch? Students only had 5 minutes to complete the task before time inevitably moved on and the “season” passed! Let’s start with the current season, summer!

Kids were tasked with the super-difficult job of…designing their own picnic, complete with their self-designed picnic towel! Let’s take a look at some of the dishes they came up with:

After five minutes, we move on to fall (or autumn, if you prefer). Where I grew up, with trees and big yards everywhere…when I think of fall, I think of leaves! And what do we have to do with those leaves? We gotta rake ’em up! And once they are all cleaned up…then comes the leaf fight!

Fall then gives way to my personal (if controversial) favorite season — winter. Why is it controversial? Well, the snow makes driving rather dangerous, doesn’t it? So the kids need to find a way to “shovel” the “snow” (tiny cotton balls) and clear the roads for the town’s hospital, supermarket, and houses. Where will they be able to move the snow to? That was what they had 5 minutes to create and figure out!

And as winter’s snows start to thaw out, we find ourselves in spring. Spring, of course, is the time of blooming flowers and planting rice here in Japan. So, the kids had five minutes to do just that — fold some “flowers,” cut out some “rice seedlings,” and create their own farm.

They say that time flies when you’re having fun…we got through a year in half an hour, so the kids must have had a blast!

Thanks again, and hope to see y’all again soon!

–Josh