Dear Playful Acorns Friends,

How are you? There are no words to describe the pain and anxiety our Madison area community has felt this week. I hope you are taking care of yourselves.

Although I do not know anyone directly impacted by the tragedy at Abundant Life Christian School, my heart goes out to everyone involved. Here are a few resources you may find helpful during this time:

• How to help ALCS families (WPR article)
• Guides to understanding children’s responses to trauma and helping children cope after gun violence (Anesis Therapy posts)
• Email template and fact sheet to send your child’s school or daycare to advocate for safe firearm storage (U.S. Department of Education and SchoolSafety.gov)

My immediate reaction was to message a few friends in neighboring school districts to check in and then hunker down at home with family, not wanting to leave the house for anything. The next day, my friend invited me and Z for a walk in our neighborhood. Having a chance to get fresh air and talk, move our bodies, and watch our toddlers play (thankfully unaware of what’s going on in the world) was helpful for me. Later that night, I was able to connect with other outdoor learning advocates on a Zoom call and begin to process the events, too. We noted how important nature can be in our collective healing journeys.

By Wednesday, I found myself mustering all of my energy to share my children’s book “Waverly Braves the Breeze” in front of dozens of local first- and second-graders. Instead of focusing our activity on sharing times we are worried like the main character, we shifted to times that we are being brave or a good friend. On Thursday, I joined Angie with The Wonder Studio for a Sprinkle of Hope musical playdate, ending with readings of these two stories: “Something, Someday” by Presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman and illustrated by Christian Robinson and “Hope is the Thing with Feathers” by American poet Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) and illustrated by Tim Hopgood. As always when it comes to picture books, I think the messages were just as much for the adults as they were for the kids.

As winter break and the holidays are upon many of us, I hope you find ways to slow down and reconnect with the people and values you hold most dear. And, perhaps enjoy the snow and solstice celebrations mentioned below!

Take care,

- Sam

Are you new to Playful Acorns? Welcome! You can read our story here and most recent posts here.

Winter Solstice Celebrations

Today, December 21st, marks the longest night and shortest day of the year. Here are some FREE family-friendly opportunities to gather, welcome winter and the sun, and celebrate the cycles of the earth in community!

• Saturday, Dec. 21st from 3-5 p.m.: Welcoming Winter Fire, Solstice Spiral and StoryWalk with Naturing in Madison and friends, Hoyt Park, 3902 Regent St, Madison (come and go as you please, dress in layers, bring a mug for tea and cocoa and any gently used winter gear to donate)
• Saturday, Dec. 21st at 3 p.m.: Winter Solstice Sacred Circle with Flicker Wild Church at The Farley Center, 2299 Spring Rose Rd, Verona (bring your own chair or blanket to sit on around the fire, sacred circle starts at 3:30 p.m.)
• Saturday, Dec. 28th from 1:30-3 p.m.: Friends of Urban Nature Winter Solstice Walk, Pheasant Branch Conservancy, 4864 Pheasant Branch Rd parking lot, Middleton

Winter Nature Play Groups

Registration is now open for the following winter nature series for kids and their caregivers in the Madison area starting up in January 2025. Older kids might enjoy offerings through OASIS, Outdoors We Learn, Sprouts Nature School, and Wild Harvest Nature Connection.

• Aldo Leopold Nature Center, Monona

  • Baby Bugs (ages 1-2) for 1 hour on Wednesday afternoons from 3-4 p.m. $110 for all 11 classes or $12 drop-in per class if space is available.

  • Wonder Bugs (ages 2-4) for 75 minutes on some weekday or weekend mornings (days and times vary). $198 for all 11 classes.

• Lussier Family Heritage Center, Madison

  • Lil’ Explorer Adventure (ages 3-4 preferred) for 1.5 hours on Mondays or Saturdays from 9:30-11 a.m. $55 for all 5 classes.

• Naturing in Madison, meet at Westmorland Park, Madison

  • Wintering in the Park (ages 2-8) for 1.5 hours on Saturdays from 10-11:30 a.m. $88 for all 4 classes.

Upcoming Community Events

Playful Acorns programs/those that Sam are involved in are bolded. There are several other local organizations holding awesome family-friendly events that might be of interest to you, too! Many of these events focus on nature exploration, true play, and process art. Remember to check out more events listed at Macaroni KID, NatureNet, Dane County Forest Friends, Hike It Baby Madison WI, Madison Area Nature Playgroup, Friends of Urban Nature, Henry Vilas Zoo, Madison Parks, MMSD Play & Learn, Monroe Street Arts Center, Madison School & Community Recreation, local libraries, gyms, and more. Here are a few recurring events to check out! Get updates here for the Gather + Connect upcoming calendar of connection.

• Monona Public Library (Nature Playgroup: select Tuesdays)
• Olbrich Gardens (Story and Stroll: select Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays)
• Neighborhood House (Busy Town: Tuesdays and True Play: Thursdays)
• Aldo Leopold Nature Center (Baby Bugs: Wednesdays)
• Schumacher Farm Park (Kids on the Farm: Wednesdays)
• Madison School & Community Recreation (Indoor Playground at MSCR East: Thursdays 1/9-3/20 and at MSCR West: Fridays 1/10-3/21)
• Our Backyard Playgroup (6705 Wesner Ln, Verona: 9-11 a.m. select Fridays)
• Cottage Grove Library (Lake Ridge Bank, Cottage Grove: StoryTime 1st Friday and Zumbini 3rd Friday from January-April 2025)

Please confirm registration details, costs, and age ranges at the links below. Stay tuned for more events in the next email!

* Events with one asterisk are evening events
** Events with two asterisks are for adults only

• Dec. 20 - Jan. 3: Parent Child Happy Hour Winter Break Event Series, Garver Events, Madison
• Saturday, Dec. 21: Welcoming Winter (3-5 p.m.), Hoyt Park, Madison
• Saturday, Dec. 21: Flicker Winter Solstice Sacred Circle, Farley Center, Verona
• Friday, Dec. 27: Winter Crafternoon, Verona Public Library, Verona
• Saturday, Dec. 28: Mindful Movement Storytime, Monona Public Library, Monona
• Saturday, Dec. 28: Bird & Nature Adventures, Aldo Leopold Nature Center, Monona
• Saturday, Dec. 28: Friends of Urban Nature Winter Solstice Walk, Pheasant Branch Conservancy, Middleton
• Jan. 9 - Feb. 6: Parent Baby Groups with Root to Raise (register by 1/6), Verona
• Wednesday, Jan. 29: It’s Cold Outside Musical Playdate, Seven Acre Dairy, Paoli