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We at The Nature Place have always believed that
there is wonder, discovery, fun and connection (with the earth and
with our children) in the outdoors, just beyond our doorstep.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer says that "the beyond is not what is
infinitely remote, but what is nearest at hand." Time and time
again I have experienced the concept that what we most need is very
close by, readily available to us. And in these stressful times we see a need for parents to: de-stress; get
away from cell phones, computers, TV; breathe; be out in nature and
reconnect with the earth and its seasons; get a little exercise; be
with our children in an organic, simple and meaningful way; to live
life 'in the now;' to revitalize our own sense of wonder and to know
again what is really important. Our children and nature can
certainly help lead us down the right path. The activities to be
found within this section can be used as a guideline. They are simple, open-ended, leave room for further
exploration, can be done in any amount of time you have
available and, generally, will not mean having to leave your
backyard.
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Season's Greetings is an
extraordinary way to bring parent and child together, in an innovative, 'organic' and simple approach, by
suggesting activities
which will say 'hello'
to winter, spring, summer and fall in your own backyard and neighborhood.
Instructions:
Dress for the
weather; go outside for 2 minutes or 2 hours; follow some of our
suggestions below; explore; laugh; don't get in the way with too
many words, let nature be the guide; don't expect action sequences a
la the Nature Channel; think small; go slow; go slow; go slow; take
your time, take your time; take your time; open your mind and say
"Ah".
Results:
Will vary, but
do expect fun, questions, discoveries, fresh air, a little exercise,
a special time together and learning some "cool" things about YOUR
world.
We're not
really going to tell you what you will discover after doing some of
these things. We can
take a guess but we really can't be sure.
And if we tell you what to expect you might not look for the
unexpected. Remember,
"Open your mind and say 'Ah' means doing and experiencing first.
Who knows, you might even discover something that nobody else
knows about or has even thought about!
Ice Art
Get a cake pan,
not too large. Round would be fine, but a heart-shaped pan near
Valentine's Day might be appropriate. Bring it outside and fill with
about one inch of water. Place in this pan some outdoor treasures -
seeds, small pieces of 'beautiful' litter, pieces of weeds, etc.
When doing future ice art you might want to think about adding
indoor treasures to the pan - small toy, colored yarn, candy, etc.
Lastly, put in a piece of strong yarn or string to serve as your ice
art hangar. Make sure that the two ends of this hangar are inside
the water, on the edge of the pan, and sticking out of the water is
the loop formed by this hangar. Let the pan sit outside overnight to
freeze. The next day pour some warm water over the bottom of the pan
and pop out your art piece. Hang it from a branch so that you may
see your creation swaying in the winter winds and shining like
stained glass when the sun hits it at just the right angle. Watch
over time as it melts and creates new forms.
My Square Foot
No, not your
real foot, but a piece of your yard! Mark off an area of snow, using
rocks or some other markers for the four corners, approximately 1
square foot. Go out every day, or as often as you can, and clean off
or scrape the very top layer of snow. Check on this area the next
day or even on the same day to observe what may have happened to
your square foot - maybe footprints, more snow, ice, litter, old
leaves, seeds from the trees above, pieces of bark, etc.
Snow Betting Allowed
After a
snowstorm and a subsequent thawing, find a remnant or two of snow
left on a lawn, next to a tree, a small pile left where it was
originally shoveled or plowed. Make a bet with your child when you
think it will melt. Check on it on a regular basis.
That Rocks
Place a large
rock in some undisturbed snow so that most of the rock is above the
snow. Wait for sunny days and go out to check on the snow
immediately around the rock. Has anything happened? Use rocks of
different sizes and place in a pattern, maybe a necklace shape.
Check on it after a few sunny days. Is anything happening?
Jack Frost
Let's see what
else he can "touch." When you are experiencing frosty
mornings, the night before place different objects made of different
materials and of different shapes outside. Look at them the
next morning. Are they covered in frost? Is the frost
all over? Are some more covered or coated than others?
Try in different places the next night.
What Was That?
Did you ever
notice how everyday things, such as a garbage can, will take on a
different look after fresh snow falls on them? When you hear the
weather prediction for snow, go outdoors just before it comes down
and place different objects in a spot or areas where they will be
snowed upon. After the storm, go out and see what sculptures the
snow has made, using your objects as a base. Did it make the shape
you expected? Put a colander outside before a storm; or a pile of
rocks; or things in a pattern; or place two things in different
locations to see if the final snow shapes come out different.
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