Learning Story – Saying Thanks
The Week of October 10th, 2025
What Happened?
With Thanksgiving around the corner, we wanted to spend some time focusing on gratitude. That morning a picture of a tree was tacked to the wall, and the Bushkids were invited to cut out a leaf and write down what they were thankful for. We heard: “I’m thankful I’m enough.” “I’m thankful for my big family.” “I’m thankful for the trees.” “I’m thankful for Auntie Edna’s cooking.” As the Bushkids shared their thoughts, we recognized how the Bushkids are in the process of building relationships with themselves, each other and the Land.
To close the day, we hiked down to Fairy Fortress, and then we gathered together in the tent as the rain splattered down. Before heading out on the hike the Bushkids had been asked to think about what they were grateful for about themselves, each other and the Land while we were hiking. Once we were back, they had time to turn to the person sitting next to them and share what they had thought about while they were exploring the Land.
Why is it Important?
The Land- Appreciate and respect the land.
The People- Enjoy others:- By accepting others for what and who they are.
The Self- Know and respect themselves. (Dene Kede)
For communities to thrive, we need every individual to thrive. Supporting the Bushkids to thrive includes giving them a lot of space to learn how to communicate with each other, whether that be through play, working together around the camp, group discussions or talking with another Bushkid. All of these are opportunities for growth and to build community.
What Does This Mean For Next Time?
We were surprised by how different the Land looked down at Fairy Fortress. We briefly discussed why it was a different habitat compared to where the Bushkids site is. We will continue to explore different habitats on the Land around the site.
Several Bushkids wanted to walk to the museum in town. We are in the process of seeing
if this a possibility.
We will continue to encourage the Bushkids to participate in Think Pair Share activities (i.e. think about the question being asked on your own, discuuss this with a partner, share about your discussion with the group) because this gives everyone the space to speak, especially those who may struggle to speak in larger groups.
“Have a happy life snails!”(when returning the snails to their habitat)
“Last year when I started Bushkids I was nervous.” Educator: Are you
now? Bushkid: “No!” As a group we took some time to discuss why
this is important to remember when we meet new people, start new
activities or go to new places.
Bushkids