An Icy Day in Albuquerque

February 5, 2018 John Baker Elementary

There haven’t been many opportunities for kids in Albuquerque to enjoy winter weather this year. Mostly, temperatures have been well above normal and there has been virtually no precipitation for months. When we did get just a little bit of snow a few weeks ago, however, the kids at John Baker Elementary took full advantage to get out and play.

 

In the morning, when the kids arrived at school, the field was completely covered with ice so the teachers decided it was unsafe to play on. By the time our program started in the afternoon, it was still very cold, but the ice that was exposed to direct sun earlier had melted. There was still a sizable patch of ice preserved due to the presence of a large shade structure but it too would melt soon.

The kids realized that the shadow created by the structure was shifting with the presence of the sun. Collectively, a group of 5-10 kids began the spontaneous project to save the ice. For about 2 hours they worked together, debating which was the best strategy. They used buckets, toy trucks, and their hands to collect the ice into a big pile. As they worked, the project changed as their imaginations interceded. In the end, though, as with all great endeavors of humankind, all traces of their work were erased by mother nature, but they sure had fun for a while.