Over the past couple of years, quite a few people have asked me for book suggestions on the subject of what to do with their children in nature. My standard response has generally been that you don't need a book--just go outside, explore, and follow your child's lead. I have come to realize that, though this strategy generally works well for us, it just hasn't been very helpful advice for many of the people who have asked. A lot of people really seem to need a bit more guidance--at least to get started. I am happy to announce that I have found what you seek! Clare Walker Leslie's new book, The Nature Connection, is an interactive workbook with over 300 pages packed full of year-round nature activities. These are generally geared towards ages 8-13, but with adult assistance, could easily be adapted to younger ages.
Check out the table of contents:
And a few sample pages (you can double click on the images to see them larger):
Storey Publishing will be giving away a copy of this book to one lucky participant in the February 2011 Nature Connections here on Living and Learing. This edition of the link-up will be posted on Monday, 2/28, and I will randomly draw one winner from those who link by 7pm CST on Tuesday 3/1.
Be sure to come back and link a post that shows your child(ren) enjoying nature for a chance to win!
(Disclosure: In exchange for my honest review, Storey Publishing gave me a copy of this book and agreed to send a copy to a winner randomly drawn from participants in the February Nature Connections.)
(another game from V.Rosenblum that I put together during college)
Materials
72 cards with the numerals 0 through 6 in the following quantities:
0--8 cards
1--10 cards
2--12 cards
3--14 cards
4--12 cards
5--8 cards
6--8 cards
game board
Play
The object of the game is to make a total of 12 with four cards.
Cards are scattered face down in a box.
Each player takes 3 cards. Each player in turn places one card in one of the four sections of the gameboard. He then draws 1 from the box so he will have three cards in his hand again.
Empty sections must be filled before a player can place a card on top of another card.
The person who can make a total of 12 with four cards can take these four cards.
As he began shooting nerf darts at the glass door later in the day,
I asked if he'd like me to draw a target with a window marker.
He thought it was a great idea, and he mentally calculated the points as he scored.
He really enjoyed this! Unfortunately, he lost his gun for a week for shooting
his dad in the head, but I think we'll be seeing more of this in the future.
(30 minutes in replay mode)
Measurement
Rapid Recall: Subtraction
Shape & Space (x 2)
(Children's Theater and park with friends; no other workboxes)
Thursday & Friday
We decided we needed a couple of totally structure-free days.
I had a lingering headache.
Gerrick spent many, many hours happily playing with his Star Wars toys.
Math-Whizz, through its progress emails, has been recommending that Gerrick spend more time in replay mode to reinforce learned concepts. I think this is exactly what he needs to do for a while. So often when it comes to math he'll seem to totally have a concept mastered and then a week later, he'll act like he's never seen it before. So over the next few weeks I'm planning for him to spend a good deal of his math time in the Math-Whizz replay mode.
Gerrick is always making things. I don't capture these items with the camera often enough. Saturday's Artist at Ordinary Life Magic has encouraged me to focus on something creative he's done each week. Since attending the convention yesterday, he has been shooting every invisible animal he spots in the house. (I'm just glad he didn't buy one of those annoying turkey calls!) Eventually this morning he decided he needed a model deer for some target practice. He asked me to come in his room and help. He had gathered masking tape and five hooks from hanging plant baskets. (This is why he hoards everything; he really will probably use it at some point.) I asked what he wanted me to do and he showed me how he wanted the pieces all to fit together. He just needed me to help with the tape. After we got the legs taped to the body, he made the head from paper and attached it with tape as well.
A hanger served as bow.
While looking at this photo, I just remembered two other things he made this week:
1. He pulled the fabric shower curtain that usually hangs down to form a "clubhouse wall" up and tucked it under the upper bunk slats. This formed a hammock for his doll Alice. For the first time in about five years, she didn't sleep with him, but rather in her own special hammock.
2. He tied a long ribbon to the handle of a basket. He put the ribbon through a hole for the bunk rails.
Now he can put things in the basket and pull them up to the bunk. This was actually a modification.
He had previously used another basket with side handles that just didn't work as well.
The National Wild Turkey Federation Convention isn't somewhere I ever really imagined I'd be before today. I'll spare you images of mounted deer heads and turkey taxidermy; I tried not to think too much about it myself as I was walking through aisles and aisles of them. Shooting animals for sport isn't really my cup of tea, but I do like to try to be open to a wide variety of experiences for Gerrick, who did have a lot of fun. We got to hang out with some new friends, and Gerrick shot a bb gun for the first time and snagged an unbelievable amount of Smokey Bear swag.
Rick (bedtimes): - NIV Bible - The Jungle Book(audio)
Sherry (weekend family storytimes): - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Gerrick's Bucket List
- See bald eagles in the wild - Go to a Lego store - Go to Legoland - Visit the Statue of Liberty - See the Leaning Tower of Pisa - See a gargoyle on a building - Hear a pipe organ played live - Visit the Grand Canyon - Take a tour of the Everglades - Visit a maple syrup farm & make maple candy on snow - Go on a whale watch
