Merry Midwinter (First day of Winter activities)

The first day of winter has been celebrated for centuries. Many different religions and beliefs have their own festivals and traditions. 

How do you celebrate the first day of winter?

We like to acknowledge winter, the coming of spring and also tie it in to Christmas which is only a few days from the Winter Solstice. 

Here are some activities you may wish to incorporate.

Nature Story:

Midwinter in the Forest by Meaghan Jackson

Christopher is a little brown squirrel who lives high in an oak tree. Below him, at the base of the tree, is his good friend Gareth a kind and gentle toad. Gareth hibernates for the winter along with many other forest creatures. Many birds have also migrated south to warmer locations. 

The air was chilly when Christopher woke up. He snuggled deeper into his warm nest and pulled a soft piece of moss around him. Finally, he got out of bed and had a good breakfast of warm acorn coffee and walnut bread. He was very excited because today was the first day of winter. Many of his forest friends would be celebrating that afternoon. They did not have to wait until evening as today would be the shortest day of the year and the sunset in the later afternoon. Christopher had noticed the moon was out even in the middle of the day.

After checking on his nut stores, the little squirrel went into his living room and pulled a glass jar from the cabinet. Carefully covering the jar in glue and tissue had crafted a beautiful lantern and left it to dry. He would need it later that afternoon. Then he spent some time in the kitchen baking cookies for the celebration. Spiral cookies took a lot of work, but it was a job he happily took on whilst singing Christmas carols. 

When he arrived at the clearing, Christopher noticed that the deer had already cleared away the leaves. Henry, the badger, had begun laying pine bows in a spiral shape. Christopher hadn't seen as much of Henry lately and was happy to help him complete the solstice spiral. Some birds brought in berries and bits of holly to add to the spiral. As the sun began to sink lower in the sky, Christopher could see lights twinkling among the trees like little stars, only they were moving towards the clearing. In little groups, more forest animals came to join them holding lanterns. Mrs. Fox had a basket of muffins and Abigail the grey rabbit looked as though she was carrying a large thermos and cups.  All the food was carefully placed on some flat rocks nearby.

A large barn owl called for attention. He welcomed the forest animals to the Midwinter celebration and said a prayer of thanksgiving. One by one they walked reverently towards the centre of the circle, placed their lantern in the spiral, and walked back out. Christopher thought about all his blessings on the way in, and how thankful he was for Jesus on the way out. The spiral was beautiful and lit up the whole clearing.

Afterward, everyone ate and wished each other well. Some animals would see each other in a few days for Christmas celebrations. Others they would see again at NewYears.  A few sleepy critters had woken only to greet their friends and would go back to hibernate until the spring.

The forest animals would continue to check in on each other over the winter to make sure that everyone had what they needed by way of warmth and food. That evening, Christopher walked home with a happy heart, grateful for all his friends.

Poems: 

The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper 

And so the Shortest Day came and the year died 

And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world 

Came people singing, dancing, 

To drive the dark away. 

They lighted candles in the winter trees; 

They hung their homes with evergreen; 

They burned beseeching fires all night long 

To keep the year alive. 

And when the new year’s sunshine blazed awake 

They shouted, reveling. 

Through all the frosty ages you can hear them 

Echoing behind us — listen! 

All the long echoes, sing the same delight, 

This Shortest Day,

 As promise wakens in the sleeping land: 

They carol, feast, give thanks, 

And dearly love their friends, 

And hope for peace. 

And now so do we, here, now, 

This year and every year. 

Merry Midwinter From the The Secret Staircase, 1983 Brambly Hedge

‘When the days are the shortest, the nights are the coldest,
The frost is the sharpest, the year is the oldest,
The sun is the weakest, the wind is the hardest,
The snow is the deepest, the skies are the darkest,
Then polish your whiskers and tidy your nest,
And dress in your richest and finest and best…’
For Winter has brought you the worst it can bring,
And now it will give you
The promise of Spring!

Art appreciation: 

The Shortest Day by Carson Ellis 

Mid Winter Sunset by Joseph Farquharson

Picture books: 

Winter Solstice picture books

Brambly Hedge – The Secret Staircase by Jill Barklem 

First day of Winter by Denise Fleming

The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper

The Shortest Day by Wendy Pfeffer

Baking:

Bake bread in the shape of a sun

Spiral cookies

Yule log cake

Eat dinner by candle light

Nature:

Track the sun rise and sun set times this week then compare them to the summer solstice. 

Look for signs of winter

Notice shadows

Make an advent spiral

Have a bonfire 

Craft: 

Lanterns

Make candles

Advent spiral 

Creative: 

Paint with yellow 

Explore spiral shapes

Trace shadows

Game: 

Shadow tag

Tag in the dark with flashlights

Shadow puppets

Science:

Shadows

Winter solstice explanation 

Song: 

In the bleak midwinter by H Darke

Bible:

For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. Song of Solomon 2:11-12 ESV 

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  John 8:12 ESV

I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. John 12:46 ESV

Parenting:

This may be a good opportunity to teach or be aware of reverence. 

Explain that some events are times of thoughtfulness and respect. You may wish to practice going on a reverent walk. If your child isn't sure what to think about, perhaps suggest they think of things they are thankful for.

In the months ahead your family may find you are spending more time inside. Be prepared, don't let cabin fever set in. 

• Think of fun ways to keep active both inside and out. 
• Make a list of activities you can easily prep for those longer evenings and bored days. 
• Connect with others
• Eat well
• Get outside if possible
• Keep a strong rhythm and routine
• Possible add in some fun days
• Plan special time or monthly dates with your children

More activities:

https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/winter-solstice-activities-kids/ 

 

https://www.backwoodsmama.com/2017/12/7-wonderful-ways-to-celebrate-winter-solstice-with-kids.html

7 common plants to forage in the spring

The weather has been improving and we are getting outside a lot more. One thing my boys and I love to do is forage for wild plants we can use. Some we eat/drink and others we use for healing. This year we are trying to start a healing garden at the house.

I once made a list of all the plants we could forage from our property and within walking distance. Did you know we had over 35 useful plants nearby?! I bet you hadn't even considered some of these plants. Let's look at at some late spring foraging for Southern Ontario.

Dandelion - Botanists consider dandelions to be herbs. People use the leaves, stem, flower, and root of the dandelion for medicinal purposes. 

Plantain- The young, tender leaves can be eaten raw, and the older, stringier leaves can be boiled in stews and eaten. We use is for stings, scrapes, creams and coughs.

Blackberry, raspberry, strawberry leaves - These are amazing for teas and have many healing properties.

Burdock - Burdock leaves are great for stings and rashes, while the roots have other helpful properties.

Wild violet - Known to strengthen the immune system and reduce inflammation. Spring is a typical time for sore throats, colds, sinus infections, and other respiratory conditions. Violets, eaten or taken as a tea can help soothe these issues

Chives - We have these growing wild in our back yard. They taste great in salads and other dishes. My boys like to snack on them.

Garlic mustard - Garlic mustard is edible and should be harvested when young. The roots taste much like horseradish and the leaves are bitter when mature. The first-year plant is a rosette, and its leaves can be harvested year around.

What else would you add to the list?

If you love nature you'll love this series about exploring nature through the 5 senses.  Learn more about sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch.

Exploring Nature with your 5 Senses (Part 5 Touch)

We are at the end of your series on exploring nature with our five senses. I hope you'll use the links at the bottom to check out the other four posts. The sense of touch is probably a favourite with my boys, who move through life with their whole bodies. So let's jump right in to see what else we can do to feel our way around outside.

1. I've mentioned this before, but each time you head outside there is something new to discover. I highly recommend you look for a scavenger hunt that include some textures. Go on a five senses scavenger hunt. There are any options for printable versions or you could make your own.  Perhaps you could make a separate poster for each of the senses you are exploring. Below are the links to a few scavenger hunts I found online.

Nature Scavenger Hunt Printable by Childhood 101 
Five Senses Nature Walk Scavenger Hunt on Teachers Pay Teachers
Nature Walk Worksheet on Teachers Pay Teachers
Winter Nature Scavenger Hunt by Backyard Brilliant
Nature Hunt Showdown by Earth Rangers

2. Go with a partner and use a blindfold to feel your way around your yard, or an obstacle course. see if you can guess where you are as you go along.

3. Gather a variety of natural objects, place them in a box or bag, or use a blindfold. Now have a partner guess at what they are feeling.

4. Get messy (or not) with sensory experiences. You could do this inside with a sensory bin, or better yet head to the source outside. Try adding some toys or small world animals and objects to extend the play. Some options that are good for any age include

• mud 
• dirt
• sand
• gravel
• grass
• leaves
• snow
• ice
• water
• corn or beans
• playdough
• foods with texture

5. Create a mud kitchen. This could be as elaborate or simple as you'd like. Children can make all sorts of concoctions, imagine a house or restaurant too. A few items to include are

• bowls
• tongs
• baster
• spoons
• pots
• pans
• whisk
• shelves
• buckets

6.  What animals have a good sense of touch? How do they use touch to help them? Learn all about animals and the sense of touch in a fun and engaging way. You could visit a zoo or shelter, watch videos or documentaries, research on the internet. 

Animals with good sense of touch
Cat fish
Mole
Aligator or crocodile
Manatee
Seals
Cicket
Spider

Did you know some animals have senses that people do not?


I've gathered a some more links with ideas to get you exploring outside with the five senses. I also hope you'll share your experiences, stories and photos with me on Facebook

• My Pinterest Board related to nature and senses
• There are some interesting articles at Earth Rangers you could search
• National Geographic Kids articles on touch
• Animals with best sense of touch
• Weirdest Senses Animals Have That People Don't

Be sure to check out the rest of the series as they are posted

Sight

Hearing

Taste

Smell

Exploring Nature with your 5 Senses (Part 4 Smell)

Here we are in part 4 of our series on Exploring Nature with your 5 senses.Be sure to go back and take a look at the rest of the blog posts. There is a list below with the links.

Today we are focusing on our sense of smell. It is spring here and the perfect time to get outside and rediscover all the smells that have been buried under the snow all winter.

1. Go on a five senses scavenger hunt. There are any options for printable versions or you could make your own.  Perhaps you could make a separate poster for each of the senses you are exploring. Below are the links to a few scavenger hunts I found online.

Nature Scavenger Hunt Printable by Childhood 101 
Five Senses Nature Walk Scavenger Hunt on Teachers Pay Teachers
Nature Walk Worksheet on Teachers Pay Teachers
Winter Nature Scavenger Hunt by Backyard Brilliant

2. Pick one item in nature and try to compare it with other samples of the same thing. For example you could compare the smell needles on a variety of pine trees. Do the same for flowers and see if they have a different sent.

3. For flowers there is a lof you can do there. You could compare the strength of the fragrance and also learn about what types of insects are attracted to the various sents.

4. Make up a variety of teas either from your pantry or items in nature. Do they taste the way they smell? Which ones do you like the smell of?

5. Talk about how different smells make you feel. Often there is a memory associated with that sent and feeling.

6. Gather up some different scents from nature, check your fridge and cupboards too. Then have fun trying to guess what they are while blindfolded! If you want to take this further and relate it to taste you could see experiment with plugging your nose while tasting to see if it makes a difference.

7. Make some scented play dough. There are many simple homemade play dough recipes out there. Add to the sensory experience by adding in things like pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, mint, lavender, lemon, vanilla.

8. Learn all about which animals have a great sense of smell. Have fun with this by watching videos and documentaries, visit a zoo or animal shelter, talk to experts and read books together. Children are far more engaged when the can experience things first hand, when they can ask questions and have fun.

Animals with great smell
Bears 
Dogs
Elephants
Rats
Cow

Did you know...
Whales have no olfactory nerves and can not smell at all
Snakes can smell with their tongue

9. Ask some other interesting smell related questions and find the answers. 
What is the worst smelling plant?
Why do some animals stink?
Why do animals need good sense of smell?
Why do they mark their territory and how is that related to smell?


I've gathered a some more links with ideas to get you exploring outside with the five senses. I also hope you'll share your experiences, stories and photos with me on Facebook

• My Pinterest Board related to nature and senses
• Animals with the best sniffers
• Wow in the World 
• National Geographic Kids Smell related articles

Be sure to check out the rest of the series as they are posted

Sight
Hearing

Taste

Touch

Exploring Nature with your 5 Senses (Part 3 Taste)

Here we are again in nature. We have explored using our eyes (parts 1) and ears (part 2). Today we will focus on out sense of taste. Fully experiencing nature with our bodies helps us to become more in tune, more away, more engaged. What we read about and watch on screens suddenly becomes so much more real. Children will remember these experiences far more than memorizing facts. It also helps them to become good stewards of our earth, because they now have that personal connection. They want to care for the earth that they have come to love.

Note of Caution: Be careful when foraging or tasting items you have picked from nature. Be totally sure you know what it is. If you are the slightest bit unsure then don't eat it!

1. Eat a rainbow! Have fun exploring the produce section of the grocery store or farmers market. Try to pick a variety of colours. Turn all those fruits and veggies into a salad, or arrange as a rainbow on your plate.

2. Grow your own food or join a community garden. Choose vegetables or fruit to grow. Starting from either from seed or seedlings, kids will become far more interested in tasting food that they had a hand in preparing and growing. Let them have a say in what you grow. A simple container in the yard (we actually use a recycling bin) can work well. You could also get into more elaborate projects. My older son built a mini green house for a science project in the fall. He grow plants throughout our cold Canadian winter. We have also been part of a community garden for many years. We have been blessed by all the relationships we have formed. My boys have also learned to try new foods. They are becoming far more aware of the work that goes into growing. They are also becoming more in tune with how the weather, and seasons affect our plants.

My son calls these 'finger berries'

3. Cut the tops off veggies like onion, celery, and carrots. Try to regrow them at home. You could also try growing seeds in clear jars so they can watch the growing process. My boys have started apple trees and dragon fruit from seeds they collected while eating their snack. Our best celery we grew can from replanting store bought celery. They also love sprouted chick peas. My suggestion is to have fun experimenting and growing the actual food they are eating. Or try something new and learn about how it grows. (Wow so much science and learning happening).

4. Forage during different seasons. We discovered over 30 edible plants within our yard or walking distance to us. My family knows that the wild raspberries will be ready in late July. They can tell which blackberries will be sweet or sour by their colour. So many plants are great for healing and nourishing. We regularly make teas, tinctures, and creams with them. Now that is for another post.

5. Make smoothies and have a taste test party. Let your children experiment with different flavour combinations. I did not expect my boys to enjoy adding pineapple to their favourite smoothie. But it was a big hit! Along with smoothies you can pour the extras into popsicle moulds to save for later. I also highly recommend 'nice cream'. Basically you use frozen bananas (peel and slice them first before freezing) and any add in flavour combinations you choose to blend into a soft serve ice cream type treat. You won't feel guilty about offering your children nice cream for breakfast!

6. Taste individual ingredients and spices in you panty. Of course you will need to be very careful about how much, or if an item is safe for your child. But allowing your kids to taste one distinct flavour at a time can help them to make that connection with it. Better yet grow your own herb garden and start experimenting with tastes. My middle son discovered a love of strong flavours. This year he has chosen to grow chives, dill and mint. I regularly see him snacking on his plants while he is playing in the yard.

7. Make different teas using edible flowers and pine needles. Or go through your pantry and taste what you have on hand. Many children have never tried tea before. Herbal teas do not generally have caffeine. You could compare the smells and tastes. Try different combinations of flavours. Learn about the properties of those plants to see how they affect the body. For example chamomile and lavender are relaxing, while mint and catnip are good for headaches and fevers. 

8. Be brave and try something new.  Let your children pick out something they have never tried before. You may need to research what to do with it and that is part of the fun. I encourage you to prepared several ways and try it several times. Our bodies need to get used to new foods and maybe the texture or way it was prepared one time might not be our preference. We went from thinking dragon fruit was a wild looking weird fruit to my son learning how to grow the plats from seed. He will be selling some of his tiny plant in the spring.

9. Play with your food. Make creatures with tooth picks, paint with purees, guess what different purees or baby-food is, then taste it. With really little ones you can make safe sensory painting experiences with rice cereal and a drop of food colour.

10. Visit a farm, farmer's market, or pick your own location. Show your children where their food comes from. Really help them get into the experience. Some farms offer educational programs and demonstrations. Getting to know your growers creates a special bond to the food as they remember who it came from. At the end of the growing season I went to the last farmer's market to thank those who we frequented often. They all felt so blessed by our kind words and one even offered us a gift of honey comb (another new experience for my boys). If you have special dietary needs you maybe able to source hard to come by items by talking directly to farmers and growers.

11. Invite your children to be in charge of one meal each week. Mondays is for MJ, Tuesday is for TJ and our youngest will soon be getting his own day of the week too. They know that they get to pick dinner that week (they look forward to their favourite foods) and as they grow I am teaching them how to cook for us. You could start simple by having them get involved in preparing snacks, bread and baking.

12. Learn how animals eat and what they eat. What is your child's favourite animals and how/what does it eat? Are there any animals that eat the same foods you like? Are there any animals with interesting eating habits? How do animals' eating habits change with the seasons?

13. Find out which animals and their sense of taste. Read some books together, watch a documentary or shorter video, visit a zoo or animal sanctuary. Make learning fun, engaging and about family relationships. Bring out your nature journal to record what you are learning. Paint a picture or write about it.

Animals that have a great sense of taste could include:

Catfish have the most tastebuds about 27,000

Cows

Rabbits

Pigs

Octopus

Snakes

How about animals with poor taste:

The cat family can not taste sweets

Dolphins

Sea Lions

Chickens only have 24 tastebuds

14. Go on a five senses scavenger hunt. There are any options for printable versions or you could make your own.  Perhaps you could make a separate poster for each of the senses you are exploring. Below are the links to a few scavenger hunts I found online.

Nature Scavenger Hunt Printable by Childhood 101 
Five Senses Nature Walk Scavenger Hunt on Teachers Pay Teachers
Nature Walk Worksheet on Teachers Pay Teachers
Winter Nature Scavenger Hunt by Backyard Brilliant

Trying a salad made from items we grew

Here are some links with regards to nature, animals and taste:

• My Pinterest Board related to nature and senses
• What Animal has the best sense of taste
• Do foods taste the same to animals as to us
• Wow in the World podcast episodes
• About taste from the Science of cooking

Be sure to check out the rest of the series as the are posted

Sight

Hearing

Smell

Touch

Exploring Nature with your 5 Senses (Part 2 Hearing)

Welcome back to the series on exploring nature with your 5 senses.  If you missed the first part on sight you can find that blog post here. Today we will use our sense of hearing to explore nature and the great outdoors! 

Getting out into nature has so many benefits. This is true not only for our children but adults as well. Lots of exercise, fresh air and it is calming too. Today we will explore the sense of hearing with a variety of activities you can do. I encourage you to adapt these according to the ages and development of your children. Most of these can be done as a whole family which then builds connection and fantastic memories.

1. Go on a listening scavenger hunt. Be sure to grab one of the scavenger hunts from the previous blog post and recording worksheets. You can also bring along the nature journal you made last time (check it out here) and keep track of all the interesting sounds you hear.

2. Try to listen in the same spot at different times. Compare how things change throughout the day, different weather, different seasons.

Feeding the birds

3. Listen for bird calls and try to identify which bird they belong to. Maybe one was a squirrel. 

4. What animals frequent your yard, or local park? Look up what sounds they make. Can you hear them now when you are out? It can be much more meaningful for children to learn about animals and things they can observe, touch, get to know personally. Maybe you have a pet that your kids can listen for.

5. What does each season sound like? How can you tell just by listening? Listen to the sound of leaves, footsteps in the snow, rain and thunder.

Everyone can get into nature

 

6. Listen for the wind. How does it change on different surfaces? Can you hear the wind through the cracks in the door at home? 

7. Make a wind chime. Here is your chance to get creative and test out different objects. What do they sound like hitting each other? Are they too light or heavy to move? How long should we make the string? Where is the windiest place in the yard?(Wow look at all the math and science going on along with music).

8. Can use make an instrument using natural objects? Try using rocks, seed pods, sticks, water, stumps. Maybe you could create a whole music wall or corner of the yard.

9. What do stones and sticks sound like when they are hit? Try to vary the size and length of the sticks. Experiment with tapping tricks against different objects, trees, leaves, the path.

10. Can you imitate the sounds you hear? Can you sound like rain, or wind, a bird? Maybe make this into a game of charades.

11. Play games! Try sound hide and seek. Hide well but make a sound to see if your friends can find you. Or pretend you are a tracker looking for animals, listen closely to their animal sounds.

12. Make a sound map of your yard. Draw a picture of yourself in the middle of the page and estimate the direction of the different sounds you can hear around you.

13. Learn all about animals with excellent hearing. You could watch videos, read books, visit zoos and wildlife centres, look for these animals outside and more.
Some animals may include:

Moth - have the best hearing in the world
Bats
Elephants
Dogs
Cats
Horse
Dolphin
Rats and Pigeons

What about animals with terrible hearing
Octopi, squid and cuttlefish have no auditory receptors at all.
Turtles also don't have good hearing.

Here are some extra links to help you explore. I would love to connect with you on Facebook. Let me know what activities you did, share your pictures too!

My Pinterest board 
Another family exploring hearing 
Top 10 Animals with the Best Hearing 

Be sure to check out the rest of the series as they are posted

Sight

Taste

Smell

Touch

Exploring Nature with your 5 Senses (Part 1 Sight)

Welcome to a special series on exploring nature with your five sense. I am so excited you are here. Getting outside in nature is so beneficial for all of us, not just our children. Exploring through play and wonder brings more meaning to what they are absorbing. My boys have always been hands on, full body curious leaners.

Today I look forward to sharing some fun ways you can explore the sense of sight with nature. You can do these activities several times with many different ages, just change your location or season and a whole new world of possibilities opens up!

1. Create some home made binoculars or viewing frames. These could be made of toilet rolls, or cutting the middle out of a paper plate. While outside there is so much to see and take in. If you provide something to view through, you can then focus your attention on the details.

This is a great family activity to do with multiple ages because the final product can be as simple or as complicated as you like.

Now take your awesome viewers outside and take a look around!  Can't get outside? Then what can you spy inside or from the window?

Painting nature

2. Create a nature journal. This is a wonderful opportunity to create (or purchase) a notebook to record all your observations. A simple nature journal would be to take some previously created art work and use it as the cover with a few pieces of paper in between. Beautiful and re-used!

Again this is another fantastic family activity. Lots of discussion and creativity can happen during the making process.  Next it is time to observe and record.  You could sketch, draw, paint, write, doodle all about your time with nature. 

My oldest with his magnifying glass

3. Bring some tools along to explore. A magnifying glass is a fun and simple way to look at objects up close. Be sure to draw what you see in your new journal!  

Another fantastic tool is a microscope that attaches to your camera. We found ours from a local book store and love to take it with us on walks.

Look at the beautiful colours

4. Choose a theme for your nature time. Wether it is a walk, your back yard, some objects you've brought indoors; there are so many different aspects you could focus on. Here are a few ideas

Look for patterns in nature
Look for different letters of the alphabet
Search for all the colours of the rainbow
Focus on all the shades and variations of a single colour 
Seek out new growth
Look for animal homes
Search for animal tracks 
Observe tiny bugs and crawlies (on the path or under rocks)
Sort nature by size, shape, texture, colour (look you are doing math)
Look for numbers in nature (more math)
Use nature objects to create some art
Observe changes in the same spot for different seasons
Look for shapes in the clouds
Watch shadows change throughout the day
Observe a rainbow (or learn more about them)
See what is moving in the sky, on land,  and/or in the water

5. Learn about animals with amazing sight. You could watch videos, read books, visit zoos and wildlife centres, look for these animals outside and more.
Some animals may include:
Eagles and Falcons (bird of prey)
Owls
Cats
Dragonlies
Goat
Mantis shrimp - have the most advanced eye sight and see the most colours

What about animals with the worst sight? What adaptations do they have? How do they get around? Animals to look into include rhinos, bats, bulls, deep sea fish, moles.

On a scavenger hunt

6. Can we see the wind? How about a wind sock, or feathers, a kite? try testing different objects to see how they move in the wind/

7. Go on a five senses scavenger hunt. There are any options for printable versions or you could make your own.  Perhaps you could make a separate poster for each of the senses you are exploring. Below are the links to a few scavenger hunts I found online.

Nature Scavenger Hunt Printable by Childhood 101 
Five Senses Nature Walk Scavenger Hunt on Teachers Pay Teachers
Nature Walk Worksheet on Teachers Pay Teachers
Winter Nature Scavenger Hunt by Backyard Brilliant

In our family we have found that the more a child is engaged with their particular learning style they retain and learn more. My tip is to avoid busy work, worksheets that you feel you have to use, and reports or projects or test unless you truly feel it will really benefit the learner. I get that some record of learning may be necessary. But there are some awesome ways to present or keep memories alive. Juicy conversations, stop motion videos, comic books and art are just a few alternatives that my boys enjoy. Don't forget to enjoy nature for what it is without always having to attach academics to it.

Photos from a scavenger hunt

I've gathered a some more links with ideas to get you exploring outside with the five senses. I also hope you'll share your experiences, stories and photos with me on Facebook

• My Pinterest Board related to nature and senses
• Wow in the World podcasts related to sight 
• There are some interesting articles at Earth Rangers you could search
• National Geographic Kids articles on sight

Be sure to check out the rest of the series as they are posted

Hearing

Taste

Smell

Touch

Mom leads the way

Today my heart is full and my smile is big.  I love my boys and my husband (it is his birthday today too!!).  My family is so wonderful!

HAPPY MOTHER's DAY!!!

This week I have reflected a bit about my role.  I'm not going to get too deep and thoughtful here, but one thing I wanted to write about today was how much I lead the way.  For example I know that my young boys always want to be around me (always, even in the bathroom).  So I can't expect them to want to spend hours outside if I'm not out there too. They aren't going to do a lot of art if I am not right in there with them or starting the activity first.

Of course they do on occasion, and for short times initiate their own activities.  But if there is something I'd like to introduce, or feel is lacking, then I need to take that initiative.

This week I noticed that we haven't been in the forest very much.  I used to love playing and building first with the kids.  So I took my notebook and headed across the laneway into the forest.  Of course they all followed! I didn't say much or tell them what to do.  I just sat on a log and observed, wrote and smiled.  This is what I wrote:

Into the Forest by Meaghan Jackson

Come into the forest, come and play.
Connecting with nature in a natural way.
Nothing is forced, there are no expectations.
Just come as you are and see where it leads.

Climbing up trees, looking at flowers,
enjoying the silence, for hours and hours.

We don't need gadgets or gizmos of toys;
Just go outside and let nature lead the way.

Share your thoughts with me... How are you leading the way?

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