Nature: The Original Seek and Find

I miss our fun summer afternoons! Each day, my four-year-old pulled me out the door to go check on the frogs in the nearby pond and the run-off creek from the pond. We're lucky to have the community pond just in front of our house and the little creek on the border of our place. This has opened up so much to our outdoor time--you can basically find us at the creek most afternoons! Here are a few of the many things we found:

• Frogs! Lots and lots of frogs! We typically find green frogs and bull frogs, though we have seen a Pickerel frog and a few others. So exciting and motivating to keep working to develop skills to actually be able to catch a frog!

Raindrops Roll: A book review

I love books by April Pulley Sayre. In my experience, they are great read aloud books with carefully chosen words that pack a lot of science and wonder in just a couple of sentences a page. With the short text, it makes these perfect for preschool children; however, I have also read them to adults and older children as well.

This book, Raindrops Roll is all photographs, which makes it different than some of her other books. She took almost all of the photos herself, using her neighbors garden and getting very wet! I like her personal note of thanks specific to this book, naming our local Michiana weather people, her neighbors and husband, as well as others that reviewed the book and made it happen. The book has won several prestigious awards.

LIfeStraw Go at Bonneyville Mill

With the LifeStraw Go in hand, we decided to head out to Bonneyville Mill this last Saturday to try out the LifeStraw Go. Read more about the LifeStraw Go in the pictures below by the waterfall. There is also a giveaway for a bottle/filter at the bottom of the post. It was about 27 degrees, but felt much warmer as there was no wind and it was sunny out. On days like this, we make it a point to go out!

 

Playing in the Rain!

This summer, I've noticed my kids had an almost obsession with playing in the rain. They have gone so far as to delay going outside until it is actually raining. For example, one day, I said, "Why don't you guys go outside for 15 minutes or so because it's going to rain soon?" They responded, "Can't we just wait until it's raining?" Wet t-shirts and shorts have been the norm at least once a week this summer!  Thinking back to my childhood, I can remember a few specific times when I played in the rain and floodwaters as well. There was joy in getting drenched by the downpour!

Here are a few things they enjoy doing in the rain:

1. Popping bubbles that form in the bird bath! I spied him outside popping all the bubbles away. Still not quite sure how they are forming. :-)

2. Using a bucket to fill, dump, and pour!

3. Playing in the puddles with sticks.

 

4. Squishing toes in the mud!

5. Playing with sticks!

6. Finding the closest downspout from the gutters!

A few other ideas, I might encourage them to try in the future . . . 

7. Building dams with sticks and rocks to divert the flow of water from the pooling rain. 

8. Slip and slide in the grass and it will be especially slick.

9. Play games in the rain, like tag, soccer, kickball, etc.

10. Making mud pies.

During the summer, it's fun to go out without shoes on. In cooler weather, they may need more rain gear to go out. Obviously, we choose not to go out when there is thunder and lightening for safety reasons. I also currently banned all the new school shoes from going out in the rain. They have sandals or old tennis shoes they can wear! 

Need more inspiration and ideas on playing in the rain? Check out:

10 Ideas for Rainy Day Play

20 Ways to Play in the Rain

There is an undeniable joy in playing in the rain! Adults, you may enjoy a stroll in the rain as well! Next time you find it raining, try a little outdoor fun in the blessed rain! 

A little quote inspiration: 

"Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain."
- Author Unknown

"A rainy day is the perfect time for a walk in the woods"
- Rachel Carson

"Life's not about waiting for the storm to pass...
It's about Learning To Dance In The Rain."
- Vivian Greene

Lake Days and Indiana Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights

We live near (but not on) a small lake. I like to take the boys out swimming and on kayaks and canoes. The lake is relatively shallow, though it has a deep end where motor boats go. We've had fun so far this season, investigating leather back turtles, watching ducks, looking at pond skimmers, and paddling.

I often get questions on how I take my little ones out with me. Since they were little, I'd visit the lake and put one or two kids between my legs in their life jackets and head out. Some of them are getting older and bigger and can use the kid kayaks. But this last week, all four wanted to go out with me in the canoe. Of course, I had my fair share of comments about having my hands full. As a mom of four boys, I get that a lot. :-)

We checked out the channel, finding several turtles along the way. We watch them duck under the surface and follow them with our eyes as they resurface a few feet away. There is a natural section of a quarter of lake which is lovely! Their newest obsession is to climb out on a tree that goes over the water and jump in! They keep asking to go back and go back.

Have you heard of the Indiana Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights?

When we visit this spot, my kids get to experience several of these outdoor "rights":

1. Enjoy and explore outdoors in a safe environment. -- We take proper safety precautions, practice what to do, and have appropriate risks. In the last trip, one son fell off his kayak in deeper water. I'm glad he did. He was wearing his life jacket properly and we'd talked about what to do. I'm glad he could fall in while I was nearby to talk him through it and see how he reacted and would handle a potentially stressful situation in the water. He did okay and I was close if he needed help. I'll admit my youngest went head in, too, as he got curious about looking over the side of the boat. However, once again, he was wearing his flotation device and I easily pulled him right back in the boat. If they're never exposed to dangers they won't know what to do when the dangers really come. At this point, they know they are not to get into the water for swimming unless we're nearby. We keep an extra eye on the toddler as he is a little less predictable than his brothers.

2. Follow a trail and discover native plants, wildlife and history. -- We chose a water path and talked the animals we saw, the fish under the boat, and the plants along the shore.

6. Climb a tree. -- They had so much fun doing this! It added just the right amount of adventure they needed!

9. Splash and play in streams, lakes, and ponds. -- We went out and it was less than 80 degrees outside. It was perfect. The slower pace of a canoe or kayak allow us to splash each other and see the wildlife around us.

10. Enjoy nature using all the senses. -- What a tactile experience!

11. Ask questions, find answers and share nature with a friend. -- I often heard, "I wonder why . . . " We could speculate, observe, and share some of the best friends we have, our family!

There was a Catalpa tree nearby. It was down low by the canoe, so we were able to see the long seed pods and check out the heart shaped leaves.

There is a natural spring nearby and fresh water flows in several areas into the lake here. It's great to see those source points of water nearby and understand the water cycle better.

They climbed and jumped over and over and over again!

The older boys swam out to where it was a little deeper, working on their building skills and confidence.

We paddled back to the grandparents' house. What a beautiful day! 

The youngest was mesmerized just by watching a butterfly flutter by. We've talked about the light grass under the canoe. We found a snake right there the last time we were out and were able to observe it, tough it, and let it go on its merry way. One last shot! Someone was "fake" floating under the dock. They had me use the timer on my phone to see who could float the longest. Combining nature and technology once again! 

Just a few weeks ago, my husband's cub scout group came out. Three of the boys had never been in a boat before. I was glad we were able to share some of these same Outdoor Bill of Rights activities with them as they had a great time connecting with nature. How might you help a child (and yourself?) connect with nature through the Indiana Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights?

I took all these photos with my iPhone 5. Last year, I received a DandyCase Blue Waterproof Case for my birthday last year! It makes it easier to take pictures near the water, even if my oldest thought it looked a little dorky. It was easy to use and protected my phone. I'll have to do a review for it soon. 

Labor Day at Cobus Creek

Our family spent Labor Day afternoon out at Cobus Creek in northwest Elkhart with a picnic for our church. The church had rented the pavilion for the day. As we headed out the door, I grabbed stuff for giant bubbles and nature scavenger hunts, though there were plenty of activities to do. I will say I felt like the Pied Piper with the under 5 crowd with the bubbles. It's pretty amazing to see giant bubbles. I've made them a few times and they're always a hit! See the recipe I've used here. While the boy doesn't look too happy below, he really enjoyed walking around and making marks for all the different things he saw . . . . beetles, ants, butterflies, flowers, and more! He also found a spider on a tree eating a caterpillar. He amazes me with his focus on details. 

Nature Nuts: Water Bugs!

Elkhart County Parks had another Nature Nuts program for 3-5 year olds this week, centered on macroinvertebrates or water bugs, which is much easier for young children to say. I met my husband half way through to switch off kids, but heard there were a few books about dragonflies and other waterbugs, probably a discussion, and the children made their own nets to explore later.

I met up with the group just as they were getting close to the spillway at Ox Bow Park. My husband looked ready to be gone. Sounds like my son wasn't being very cooperative. He can be a bit shy when we go places and actually cried for a while when dad left. However, as soon as they had water to explore, he was totally engaged!

Riverfest '13

It's that time of year again for Riverfest! We went last year when the baby was just 9 days old. We enjoyed watching the fish shocking, making boats out of natural materials (even if many sank), a family nature hike, a hike out to see the Great Blue Heron rookery, children's activities, learning about area environmental resources, and more! Here is a quick recap of our experiences last year at the Riverfest in Middlebury. See the details for Riverfest 2013 below. 

Riverfest ’13

“Because we all live down river”

Outdoor fun and adventure waits for you and your family in Middlebury Saturday, August 17^th in the wet, wild and wonderful Riverbend Park!  From 8 am to 2 pm Rivefest ’13, invites you to discover the fascinating world of water and the amazing plants, animals, people and history surrounding our own local treasure, the Little Elkhart River.  Join an expert led adult bird hike, dig deep into cool facts about the water and soil under your feet, and take a voyage down the drain and back into the river as you learn water is never a “waste” product.  See the fish populating our waters and the tiny beneficial insects and animals that share their habitat.  Learn about the bigger critters of the river’s edge on the family nature hike. Enjoy a kayak ride to Krider Gardens or a guided stroll ending at Middlebury’s first building and oldest business while learning about the history of the river, region and town as well as future plans that will bring you more outdoor fun and adventure right here in beautiful Middlebury Parks.

Other than a nominal fee for kayak rides, all events are free of charge.  Games, crafts, food, environmental exhibits and activities as well as a silent rain barrel auction take place all day.  Join Middlebury Parks and Recreation for the fun!

Scheduled events:

8 am – Adult Bird Hike/River History Hike

9am – Healthy Soils & Groundwater/Waste Water Wonders

10 am – Family Nature Hike

11 am Fish Shocking Demonstration and Exhibit

12 Noon – Water Life/Ethos Science Bus

1 pm Live Animal Program/Rain Barrel Silent Auction Finale

All Day activities:

Food, games, crafts, environmental exhibits & activities, rain barrel silent auction, and kayak rides.

For more information contact:

Tom Enright, Middlebury Park and Recreation Manager

574-825-1499

parks@middleburyin.com

ETHOS Science Sneak Peek: WATER

Last week, we stopped by the ETHOS Science Center's Sneak Peak Science about Water. It is usually the third Thursday from 5:30 to 7:30 and is on a different topic each month. We went to one in April as a preview of the Summer Camps (which look great, by the way! More are starting in August). The Sneak Peek nights cost $1/person, which is VERY reasonable when I think about all the supplies and activities we did. I know how to set up and do these activities with the kids; however, it's nice to show up and it's all planned out for investigations. Also, I would probably spend more money gathering all the supplies to set this up at home. They also do the set up and clean up for us!

We started the evening in the H2O Olympics room. Supplies and directions were set out for 5 different water related activities. The children had record sheets to write down predictions, results, hypotheses, etc. as part of their explorations. They made boats with soap slivers to help "propel" them. They put drops of water on pennies--it's amazing how many will fit! When they finished all five, they received an Olympic medal!

The helpers (volunteers and leadership of the center) knew how to ask great thought provoking questions. The children also floated paperclips on top of water and looked at how water travels in varying paper towels. A few words like adhesion, surface tension, and more were tossed around in the discussions.

In another room, they looked at water displacement, sinking, floating, and more. They made clay boats and filled them with plastic teddy bears as weights. They also recorded what objects sank or floated. 

They made foil boats and used paper clips as weights. They also looked at surface tension again as they put pepper on top of the water (floats) until they put a soapy finger in the water (breaks the surface tension). I've done many of these explorations with science clubs in the past. 

They also had a pool set up in the back with underwater robots to try! The kids enjoyed trying to figure out how to make the robot move the way they wanted it to move. Inside, they liked exploring the typical displays they have out on a regular basis at the Science Center.

In another room, they had a fun video going on about the properties of water, as well as many water exploration bottles. 

The cartesian divers were a hit! They also liked the use of technology with the iPad Mini .

 

They really liked these discovery bottles. We have a few at home, but they don't spend as much dedicated time exploring them. With the directions right there, we could discuss why they worked as they did, related vocabulary, extended ideas, and probe deeper with questioning. We might have to make up a few more!

We also played the water cycle game. I like how they have it set up with beads on a string attached to the card (though the beads stay better on pipe cleaners often). I heard my kids looking at these later in the week asking, "How did you get from glacier to plant?" and tracing their way back through the complexities of the water cycle once again. We've done similar activities recently and they're understanding the varied concepts of where our water originates. 

They also liked the animals. For most children, looking at living things is fascinating! (Okay, adults, too!)

 

Dead animals are fascinating as well! When we got there, the kids found a dead bird out in the rocks--nature study! Of course, we had to look at the beak and feet, the feathers, and more and do a little up close bird study. Are my kids the only ones that do that? At soccer practice this week, they brought me a dead bird (most likely a blue jay fledgeling). I thought only cats and dogs brought back presents like this!

It was a fun evening! We're looking forward to more as the schedule permits! They have a contest right now for pictures from the Sneak Peek events. The winner gets free passes to the Science Spectacular in October! That looks like a great night! Unfortunately, I think my hubby and I already have other plans, but maybe we can get the grandparents to take the kids. You might enjoy it too!

Giant Bubbles!

Bubbles are so fascinating! We recently were early for a program at Ox Bow County park. My boys had a ball along and a group of children were playing outside with balls. Another family we met through the programs had a bucket with a homemade bubble maker! The children were enthralled! Okay, I was enthralled. I have "pinned" many ideas on making different types of bubbles, but seeing their easy homemade contraption gave me encouragement to try it on my own. I picked up supplies for the wands when I was out and about. I needed wooden dowels and screw eyes, as I already had washers and string at home. I used this basic tutorial for our wands; however, made adaptations as needed, such as the shorter dowels and strings.