Today's Weather: Chilly 40 degrees, sun changing to clouds
Today's Activity: Carefully, poke a hole on the top of an egg with a nail. Move the nail slowly around to create a finger size hole and let the egg insides drip out of the shell. Wash. Place the shell on a small piece of clay to help it stand. Allow your child to decorate the shell with markers. Add some soil to the inside of your "planter." Place a seed inside. Water and watch it grow!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Butterfly Place
Today's Weather: Snow ending early, sun peeking through, high of 40 degreesToday's Activity: Field Trip! What better way to get excited about the garden than by thinking about butterflies. In NH we are lucky enough to be close to The Butterfly Place in Westford Massachusetts. The indoor greenhouse space is sanctuary for butterflies and their beloved flowers. It is a place for kids to learn about our flying friends and the plants that sustain them. It will also help you prepare your child for making their own butterfly garden in the spring.
For more on butterfly centers see "Butterflies, Oh My"
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Garden Decoration
Today's Weather: Sunny and slightly warmer 40 degreesToday's activity: Head to the store and pick up a little garden statue to keep your child company in the garden. You can get some statues for as little as $5 at places like Home Goods and TJ Maxx. Little bunnies and duckies are great for early spring. Having a "friend" in the garden, a character with which the child can identify, makes the space more special for a child.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Seeds
Today's Weather: Sunny and Cold
Today's activity: Remember planting a seed in a cup as a kid? Remember how exciting it was to watch the seed crack open and the little green shoot sprout out? Buy your seeds today. There are many online catalogs to review with your kids or order catalogs online. Burpee and Park Seeds are great for vegetables. Vegetables are a good way to start. Kids can start thinking about growing their own food. Let kids look through the shiny pictures. Let them see the many varieties of foods. Let THEM choose what to buy. When the order comes, we'll be ready to plant.
Today's activity: Remember planting a seed in a cup as a kid? Remember how exciting it was to watch the seed crack open and the little green shoot sprout out? Buy your seeds today. There are many online catalogs to review with your kids or order catalogs online. Burpee and Park Seeds are great for vegetables. Vegetables are a good way to start. Kids can start thinking about growing their own food. Let kids look through the shiny pictures. Let them see the many varieties of foods. Let THEM choose what to buy. When the order comes, we'll be ready to plant.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Nature viusalization
Today's Weather: Sunny, cold and very windy. All of yesterday's heavy rain has turned to ice.
Today's activity: Create a nature visualization for children. Have your child close his eyes and create a nature story. Have the child imagine that he is a living thing in your yard. You may want to try the following words. "Imagine that you are a tiny bulb who hibernated beneath the ground all winter. Imagine your first days pushing out of the soil in spring. As the earth warms while we look toward summer, it warms you. You tingle and stretch yourself awakening to the warmer weather. You feel the strength of your stem, through which you will suck up water and nutrients to make you grow. Imagine that you have grown into a tiny new flower swaying in the spring breeze. The wind gathering beneath your petals and making you flutter like a butterfly." Create your own imagination stories about kids being birds, bugs, and trees. Also have the child imagine that he is himself playing out in nature, lying in the grass, running his toes in fresh dew, etc. This exercise can also be done with movement. I find that the quiet, eyes closed (meditation) version is great to use after a nightmare. It helps calm the child.
Today's activity: Create a nature visualization for children. Have your child close his eyes and create a nature story. Have the child imagine that he is a living thing in your yard. You may want to try the following words. "Imagine that you are a tiny bulb who hibernated beneath the ground all winter. Imagine your first days pushing out of the soil in spring. As the earth warms while we look toward summer, it warms you. You tingle and stretch yourself awakening to the warmer weather. You feel the strength of your stem, through which you will suck up water and nutrients to make you grow. Imagine that you have grown into a tiny new flower swaying in the spring breeze. The wind gathering beneath your petals and making you flutter like a butterfly." Create your own imagination stories about kids being birds, bugs, and trees. Also have the child imagine that he is himself playing out in nature, lying in the grass, running his toes in fresh dew, etc. This exercise can also be done with movement. I find that the quiet, eyes closed (meditation) version is great to use after a nightmare. It helps calm the child.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
The Secret Garden
Today's Weather: Heavy rains, melting snow. Tonight we turn the clocks ahead.
Today's activity: As a librarian, I tend to turn to books to help teach me about any subject. And while the best way to learn about nature is by experiencing it, there is a lot a child can learn about the subject through the world of books. One can be drawn into a character's world and become excited about a topic by experiencing it through another's stories. I highly recommend The Secret Garden. It's poetic language and charming story about the adventures of three children interacting with nature is magical. On a cold rainy day, a nature book is the perfect prescription for a little sunshine. For more nature books see Suggested Readings on Children and Nature.
Today's activity: As a librarian, I tend to turn to books to help teach me about any subject. And while the best way to learn about nature is by experiencing it, there is a lot a child can learn about the subject through the world of books. One can be drawn into a character's world and become excited about a topic by experiencing it through another's stories. I highly recommend The Secret Garden. It's poetic language and charming story about the adventures of three children interacting with nature is magical. On a cold rainy day, a nature book is the perfect prescription for a little sunshine. For more nature books see Suggested Readings on Children and Nature.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Painting with Natural Material
Today's Weather: Chilly and gray. Heavy rains expected
Today's activity: The old dried plants from last year are starting to peek out from the snow. Gather some dried leaves and branches. Take some everygreen and grass cutting. Bring them inside to use as paintbrushes for great textured natural pictures.
Today's activity: The old dried plants from last year are starting to peek out from the snow. Gather some dried leaves and branches. Take some everygreen and grass cutting. Bring them inside to use as paintbrushes for great textured natural pictures.
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