Nature’s Celebration

 

Found on: http://www.lushome.com/green-christmas-strategies-holiday-decorating/81

 

This week is all about Christmas as the culmination of the season hones in. We are all busy with holiday parties and shopping for gifts, but have you stopped to notice that we embrace nature more deeply during this festive season? Real Christmas trees can be found in almost every house, and wooden decorations topped with pine cones, red berries and coniferous leaves too. Mistletoe is a common greenery seen hanging in the doorway along with green pine wreaths. The candles smell of nutmeg and spices. These are the little reminders of the beauty we can find in nature. Wildlife was the first form of beauty positioned here on earth. It is timeless and wholesome. The colors we find are in the most pure form and the textures are mesmerizing. Appreciation for the beauty found in the outdoors has been celebrated for centuries and continues to blossom. Paintings, sketches, clay figurines, and photography are only a few of the different tools people use to celebrate the splendor of nature.

Gaining the appreciation for nature at a younger age is highly dependent on external influences. It’s no secret that children of the 2000s are experiencing less and less of the outdoors. They are bombarded with the latest gadgets and technology that keeps them perpetually huddled up inside. As the days are getting colder, now is the time to bundle up and explore the splendor of the changing season! Find your own unique way to celebrate nature’s beauty and encourage your little ones by example. Children will fill their parent’s shoes. Making it a priority to show them that nature needs to be celebrated, creates a life lasting connection for a more empathetic citizen.  

To get you started, try this engaging paint chip activity.  All you need are paint chip cards and a hunger for investigation! You could use earth colored cards or any color you like. Mother Nature may surprise you with her vast variety of hues! Match as many cards as you can to the things you find outside! Don’t forget to stop and soak in the brilliance that surrounds you.

                                                    Found on:  http://www.cometogetherkids.com/2011/08/paint-swatch-scavenger-hunt.html

 

 

 

Playing with Nature

Playing in nature is one of my favorite memories to look back on. The time spent creating worlds in the backyard woods are a particular highlight. While my sister and I were growing up we had a neighbor down the street with an extra lot by her house. These woods were where magical towns were built and the common exchange was precious stones and healing herbs. We “ate” sun flower stew and stick kabobs. We were in the safety and freedom of our imaginations. These formative years, developed a yearning to work with animals and to make a career out of exploring the outdoors.  Growing up with a love for nature has also made me keenly aware of the human impact on the environment. This appreciation for nature was key in my early progression towards becoming an empathetic citizen. Playing in nature is an important part of anyone’s childhood that should not be forgotten. As adults we are here to help guide our children to get curious and find the “magic”.

I recently made several sensory fall sensory jars to help spearhead kids’ curiosity.

 

 

 

 

These sensory jars are super easy to create at home!

 

 

 

 

All you need is several jars, water and anything you find interesting from outside. However, remember that we do not want to disturb nature and add to the environmental impact that humans often unknowingly cause. So if you are searching in your backyard look for things that have fallen from the trees. If you are in a park make sure you ask a ranger if it is ok to take your treasures home.  

I created mine with themes. One jar has acorn, the other has berries and then I created some with different sized leaves. Adding glitter or food coloring makes the jars even more magical. While having fun you could even give your kids a quick lesson about how the water and glass works together as a magnifier!

 

 

 

 

Fall For Fall

This season is the perfect time to see gravity in action. The gravity created by Earth pulls everything down. Look around and encourage your little one to explore the evidence of gravity. What objects have fallen from a higher place? Make a list of everything you find. Can you guess where it came from and how high? You may come across some acorns, which are very common to find laying on the ground this time of year. These nuts are an important part of the food chain for foraging animals. Animals forage and gather food in preparation for the colder weather ahead. As you forage for gravity’s evidence, compare your treasures. How many different shapes or colors did you find? Ask your child what might happen if gravity didn’t exist on Earth. How would it affect animals that rely on this food source?

Found on http://idahoptv.org/sciencetrek/topics/gravity/facts.cfm

 

 

 

 

Here are some good gravity points to think about:

·         The gravity from Earth keeps the moon from flying off into space.

·         The reason objects stay on the Earth’s surface is because of the gravitational pull towards Earth’s center. If there was no gravity anything not secured to earth would float away!

·         Gravity affects how much you weigh. Mars has a lower gravitational pull than Earth, a person weighing 200 pounds on Earth would only weigh 76 pounds on Mars.

·         The more mass that an object has, the more gravitational pull it will have, and the smaller the object’s mass the less gravitational pull it will have.

·         Gravity guides the growth of plants; stems grow away from the Earth’s center, toward the sun and roots grow towards the Earth’s center, away from the light.

Click here to learn about the affects of gravity on growing plants!

Found on http://leavingbio.net/plant%20responses.htm

 

 

 

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving last week! Gathering with family and pouring over recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation made me think of the ways food was prepared in holidays past. Our great grandparents used to plant, care for, and harvest the food before they even began to cook those delicious dishes. The size and type of harvest would depend greatly on seasons and weather. Now, times have drastically changed! Fully cooked dinners are ready for pick up at your local markets for convenience. Our younger generations cannot fathom that food wasn’t as easily accessible. However, nutrition is lost in today’s easy prep foods. High processed meat and weeks old vegetables do not contain the same vitamins and minerals as they once did. As we have begun to realize this deficiency, people are making efforts to grow more nutritious food. Growing your own vegetables can be less expensive and way more enjoyable! Have you ever thought about growing your own vegetables or herbs? It can have a great impact in your children’s lives. They learn patient, hard work and the care of a living organism. They learn the value of nature and can make a meaningful connection from the food they eat to the delicate environment outside.

There are many ways to grow food at home indoors and outdoors, all you need is an open mind and the will to do it. Starting indoors this time of the year is a good way to ease into sustainable growing. Here is a great article to get you started indoors: http://www.ebay.com/gds/How-To-Grow-Veggies-Herbs-Indoors-/10000000196832302/g.html?roken2=tf.pR3VpZGVz.bQ3JlYXRpdmUgR2FyZGVuaW5n.g.cpin.ap4c&pp=0   

Check out these inspiring indoor gardens found on Urban Way of Life: http://urbanwayoflife.com/10-stunning-indoor-gardens/