Mazes and Mendocino

The Red Band returned to Bernal Heights Park to explore our latest interest, mazes. It began with the provocation of magnets spurred from our first visit to the park and discovery of magnetic rocks! Could we create a magnetic maze? We are still working on this but our love for marble mazes was instantly shared throughout the band.Upon reviewing our first trip to Bernal Heights Park, we remembered seeing a rock maze below us, so back to the park we went. We explored and examined the wonders of our community and created our own addition to the space and added to the work of our community. While at the park we had the opportunity to observe and investigate the formation of Bernal hill while chipping away with tools and finding spots of natural wear.[embed]https://flic.kr/p/AaytmE[/embed]Back in the building we continue to experiment with different sizes and formations and collaborations with our rubber band mazes. We are currently working on three more boards to add to our collection and possibilities. The kids used our prefab pegboards as a guide to create their own. They measured the board size and peg distance while considering the size of ball bearings we have available. We are also hoping to devise a way to keep a clear barrier in place so we can use our magnets to guide ball bearings through the maze. The kids are beginning to document their work by drawing each iteration.[embed]https://flic.kr/p/zEiBtz[/embed]We spent one week in Mendocino, California at the Mendocino Woodlands Outdoor Science School. Most red banders had the opportunity to visit the camp last year while this was the first time for the rest of us. With our backpacks, sleeping bags, and cuddles we braved the windy drive and four nights away from home. In this short but immersive time the kids learned more about the world around them, how to be stewards for their environment, gain confidence in themselves, and discover friendship under the redwoods.