Blog – Page 8 – Kids Discover Nature

Spring Flower Power!

by Jodi Valenta

Spending a lot of time exploring outdoors is a top priority in our family. There is most definitely a correlation between how much time we spend outdoors and the behavior of my kids: more = better! Since spring has arrived, we have been outside every day smelling (and picking) dandelions, violets, daffodils, and all the wonderful flowers that are blooming. It has been so great to run around and stretch our legs. We have also spent loads of time just observing all that is sprouting and blooming going on around us.

Here’s a great activity for your little sprouts (as excerpted from the “First Nature Activity Book):
Pressing flowers is a simple and magical way of preserving beautiful flowers and leaves so they last forever. Flowers with flat faces are best such as pansies, primroses, and daisies. Pick flowers that are dry and press them right away so they maintain their color.

Equipment:
Scissors
Heavy books
White paper for blotting

1. Open the book. Cut out a piece of blotting paper about the same size as the open book you will use. Fold the paper in half then open it out.
2. Lay the blotting paper across the book. Arrange the flowers flat on the right half of the paper, leaving space between them.
3. Carefully fold the left side of the blotting paper over the flowers. Then close the book over the blotting paper.
4. Put some heavy books on top of the book to weigh it down. Leave the plants to dry for at least four weeks.

After four weeks, they can be glued into a nature diary, onto a card for Mom (an especially nice idea!), or a picture to hang in your child’s room. The nice thing is that you will have the flowers to enjoy long after they have finished blooming outside.

Critter Corner

Best Webcams for Spring Wildlife Viewing

by Editorial Staff

Webcams open up the amazing world of animals right before your eyes and provide a fantastic opportunity for observation and study. It’s especially cool in the spring when eggs are hatching and families are being raised. You and your children can enjoy watching Webcams positioned all around the country. They provide a great source of entertainment.

Here are the best webcam sites from around the United States and elsewhere. You can check out and bookmark the ones you like.

*Note: depending on the season and activity of the animal, many of the webcams are seasonal and the feed may not be live. Also, because animals are unpredictable, you may not see the wildlife you hope to see. Check back. You may also need special plugins to view the feeds.

Wildlife Forever’s Web site – links to some of the best of the Web
Your state fish and wildlife agency often has webcams set up. Check the agency website. Alaska Department of Fish and Game is a great example.
National Audubon Society has, you guessed, bird cams and gray seal cam.
National Park Service offers live webcams at many parks. This one of Bald Eagles is at the Channel Islands.
The National Wildlife Refuge System offers feeds, but many are offline.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offers many feeds. Use “cam” in the search box and the Web site will display and a long list of what is available.
Explore.org offers an enormous collection of webcams. You can watch Giant Panda’s in China, Polar Bears in Canada, Hippos in Africa, Honey Bees in Germany, and Sharks in the United kingdom. It’s really awesome.

I hope you enjoy watching the wonder and awe of nature with your kids!

Nature Activities for Kids

Top 10 Earth Day Activities for Children

by Jodi Valenta

Happy Earth Day!
In our house, Earth Day is big! I was a child of the ’70s when the first one started, and my parents always made a point of teaching me that I needed to help care for the earth. As a result, I am environmentally conscious and I strive to teach my family how to be earth-friendly. Each Earth Day, we pay special homage to our Mother Earth by doing an earth-friendly activity. We have done many over the years, so I thought it would be helpful if I passed them on to you.

Top 10 Earth Day activities for children:

1) Plant a tree.
2) Go far a walk. Take a reusable bag with you and pick up garbage you see along the way.
3) Take your bottles, cans cardboard, etc. to the recycling center. Allow your children to keep the money you receive from returning any deposits.
4) Spend some time at your local nature center learning about native critters, plants, and trees. Better yet, volunteer to help plant a flower bed, clean up trash, or fill bird feeders.
5) Plant a vegetable garden. There are few things more earth-friendly than growing your own food, especially if you go organic!
6) Organize a play date in the outdoors. Work together to clean up an area of a local park.
7) Go to a natural food store and buy items to make an organic lunch, then go on a picnic.
8) Ask your kids to help you start composting. They can help dig up worms to add and add kitchen scraps each day.
9) Go for a bike ride instead of a drive in the car.
10) Pledge to spend more time outdoors with your kids!

Have a great day! And read The Lorax by Dr. Seuss to your kids tonight. 🙂

Nature Activities for Kids

Spring Fever? Plan Your Veggie Garden Now!

by Editorial Staff

We’ve all had Spring fever for awhile now — ever since Punxsutawney Phil looked for his shadow earlier this month. We normally love winter! We take advantage of all the fun outdoor activities it brings and don’t mind the constant view of a heavy white blanket of snow outside the window. However, this winter is a different story. After more snow days than I care to remember, water leaks in the house due to the ice dams on the roof, an insurance claim, a snowplow bill that will break the bank, weeks of bone-chilling cold, the utter inability to play outside due to the now thick sheet of ice that has formed on top of the snow, and the excitement of seeing Snow Drops bulbs peeking out of the frozen ground, we are ready for the colors of Spring! I’m willing to bet many of you are too!
My idea for this post was to help you and your children combat Spring Fever by providing instruction on planning a garden. In doing research on how to plan a garden, I came across the following excellent resource that provides hand-on planning ideas. Check out the following link that provides everything you need to help your children grow a garden.

Planning A Vegetable Garden For Kids: Make It Fun And Easy

Do you have any helpful tips on planning a garden? What are your favorite flowers and plants to plant and why?

Critter Corner

Critter Corner: Deer

by Editorial Staff

Fascinating Deer
What animal arouses more emotion, controversy, interest, anger, compassion and awe than deer? They live throughout the United States, in the cities, the country and the suburbs. Deer are magnificent and fascinating to watch if you are lucky enough spy one, can provide a delicious and healthy food source and can wreak havoc in gardens, woodlands and on roadways. Grown ups know them for all of these qualities and, love ’em or hate ’em, they provide an awesome opportunity to promote nature appreciation in children.

Many species of deer make this country their home, but the one most often seen and known by people is the White-tailed deer. They are the the most abundant big game animal in North America. Their habitat is mainly woodlands and they live in families made up of females and fawns or several males (except during mating season). They are herbivores, meaning they only eat plants. Deer make are an interesting topic because they are so familiar and at the same time so aloof.

If you would like to teach your child(ren) about deer, here are some great links to pages that provide more information for you to use to teach your children:

Nature Activities for Kids Involving Deer

Go outside or to the nearest park or nature center and look for deer tracks in the snow. They are easy to spot and look like the image posted to the right. Even if you do not see deer tracks, you will most likely see tracks of other animals like squirrels or birds.
While you are there, look around and look for and discuss what deer might eat.
If you find tracks, follow them and see where they lead. Discuss where the deer might have been heading.
Go to the library and search for books about deer.

It is interesting for children to watch families of deer if they live in your area. They are most often seen at dusk and at dawn.

<script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-8687750861178484"
     crossorigin="anonymous"></script>
<!-- KDN Sidebar Top -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
     style="display:block"
     data-ad-client="ca-pub-8687750861178484"
     data-ad-slot="8429592158"
     data-ad-format="auto"
     data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>
<script>
     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>

<script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-8687750861178484"
     crossorigin="anonymous"></script>
<!-- KDN side bar 3 -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
     style="display:inline-block;width:300px;height:250px"
     data-ad-client="ca-pub-8687750861178484"
     data-ad-slot="4244681056"></ins>
<script>
     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>

<script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-8687750861178484"
     crossorigin="anonymous"></script>
<!-- KDN sidebar -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
     style="display:inline-block;width:160px;height:600px"
     data-ad-client="ca-pub-8687750861178484"
     data-ad-slot="6157033457"></ins>
<script>
     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>

<script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-8687750861178484"
     crossorigin="anonymous"></script>
<!-- KDN Side bar 1 -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
     style="display:block"
     data-ad-client="ca-pub-8687750861178484"
     data-ad-slot="1291214650"
     data-ad-format="auto"
     data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>
<script>
     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>

Spring Flower Power!

Best Webcams for Spring Wildlife Viewing

Top 10 Earth Day Activities for Children

Spring Fever? Plan Your Veggie Garden Now!

Critter Corner: Deer

Take the 30-Day Outdoor Challenge