What cool insect, arachnid (spider), or mollusk (snail) activity can you find around your yard? Has your child watched a spider spin a web? How about ants marching along on a mission? What about a snail eating a plant? Give your child the time and space to observe these small creatures in their natural environment…Continue reading “Observe: Insect Activity”
Category Archives: Homeschooling
Kid Science: Make a Seed Viewer
Seeds… how incredible that plants of all sizes can grow from such a tiny thing. If you’ve gardened with a young child, you’ve witnessed their fascination and wonder at the mystery of plants. To give your child the opportunity to actually witness the growth of a plant from the first roots shooting out of theContinue reading “Kid Science: Make a Seed Viewer”
Rainy Day Fun: Snail Watching
After a night of rain, my son usually rushes outside to see if any snails came out. He found this one yesterday morning on our front walkway. He crouched there and watched it for about fifteen minutes, then rushed inside to tell me all the cute things the snail did. Photos taken March 28th, 2013Continue reading “Rainy Day Fun: Snail Watching”
Kid Science: Owl Pellet Dissection
Owls are fascinating creatures. They have a special organ (gizzard) that stores the undigestible parts of their prey, preventing these parts (bones, teeth, fur, feathers) from proceeding through the digestive tract. The gizzard compresses these parts into a pellet which is later regurgitated. This is a pretty simplistic explanation. If you’d like to learn more,Continue reading “Kid Science: Owl Pellet Dissection”
Little House in the Big Woods…
I started reading Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder to my son before bed last night. I was afraid it would be too much of a “girl” book for him to find it interesting, but, so far, I’ve been proven wrong. The first chapters have been primarily describing what life wasContinue reading “Little House in the Big Woods…”
Great book! Friends of the Earth: A History of American Environmentalism
In preparation for Earth Day next month, I’m currently reading a wonderful book… Friends of the Earth: A History of American Environmentalism by Pat McCarthy. The book, written for children ages 9 and up, introduces the efforts, struggles, and triumphs of men and women (scientists, artists, authors, naturalists) who dedicated their lives to protecting theContinue reading “Great book! Friends of the Earth: A History of American Environmentalism”
Photography for Kids: Fun with an iPhone
I enjoyed a fun walk around our neighborhood on Monday with my son, looking for signs of spring. My son loves to take photos, but he’s become frustrated with the quality of the images he takes on the kid camera we gave him for his birthday last year. He wants to be able to takeContinue reading “Photography for Kids: Fun with an iPhone”
Looking for Signs of Spring: A Walk Around the Neighborhood
After school on Monday, we went for a walk around our neighborhood to look for signs of spring. As an extension of the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge (Phoneography Challenge: My Neighborhood), I gave my iPhone to my five-year-old son and asked him to take photos of what he could find. The signs he saw wereContinue reading “Looking for Signs of Spring: A Walk Around the Neighborhood”
Outdoor Fun: Read a Book
The pleasure of a new book from the library… Book Bench, Dublin Library Photo taken February 26th, 2013
Rainy day, muddy fun!
Originally posted on Keep'em busy:
My little one is still home with the flu, but if he were healthy, we’d be out doing this, too! Enjoy the rainy weather! Keep'em busy View original post
My Little Valentine: Home Sick
My son, home sick today, lethargically watching the bird and squirrel activity at the feeder. So sad to be missing the Valentine’s Day party at school… Photo taken February 14th, 2013
Paleontology Play: Dinosaur Skeleton Excavation Kit – Velociraptor
My son has played with a few of these kits in the past, and he absolutely LOVES them. This one, Dinosaur Skeleton Excavation Kit: Velociraptor, is made by 4M Kidz Labs, and it was exactly what my son was hoping it would be…. a plastic dinosaur skeleton hidden in a block of plaster. The kitContinue reading “Paleontology Play: Dinosaur Skeleton Excavation Kit – Velociraptor”
Citizen Science: FrogWatch 2013
As I sit here at my computer with the backdoor open to allow some fresh air into our home, I’m listening to the lovely sound of frogsong. The chorus is coming from the creek on the other side of our backyard fence. Up until today, we’ve only been hearing one frog at a time. Suddenly,Continue reading “Citizen Science: FrogWatch 2013”
Paleontology Play: The Magic School Bus Fossil Science Kit
For those of you with kids in the 5-12 age-range, I highly recommend you check out The Magic School Bus Science Club, offered through The Young Scientist Club (www.theyoungscientistclub.com). By joining the club, you’ll receive twelve Magic School Bus science kits, one mailed each month of the year. The cost is about $240/year, butContinue reading “Paleontology Play: The Magic School Bus Fossil Science Kit”
The Calming Effect of Nature on Children
One of the great things about playing in nature is that bouts of exertion and excitement are often interspersed with quiet, contemplative time. I don’t have to recommend these quiet moments… my five-year-old sits down and calms himself entirely on his own whenever he’s inspired by the beauty around him. I often wonder what he’sContinue reading “The Calming Effect of Nature on Children”
More Fun with Animal Tracks
This past weekend, we attended a fun nature class at Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont. This free class for children aged 5+ and their family, called Family Nature Hour, is held on Saturday afternoons throughout the year. Each week a different concept from the natural world is covered. The one we attended on SaturdayContinue reading “More Fun with Animal Tracks”
Outdoor Play: Lightsaber Battle
My son asked for one thing from Santa this year… a lightsaber. A blue lightsaber, to be exact, so he could be just like Luke Skywalker. Santa must’ve thought two lightsabers might be more fun, as, in addition to the blue lightsaber, he also brought a red one (like the one Darth Vader uses). Doesn’tContinue reading “Outdoor Play: Lightsaber Battle”
Nature Walk: Animal Tracks
A fun activity to do a few days after a good rain is head to a nearby creek and look for animal tracks in the mud. We went on this kind of walk yesterday in the nature area near our home. As we walked to the area, I asked my son what animal footprints heContinue reading “Nature Walk: Animal Tracks”
Weekly Photo Challenge: My 2012 in Pictures
Weekly Photo Challenge: My 2012 in Pictures
Silent Saturday: Neighborhood Walk in the Rain
Day Three of Rain Photos taken November 30th, 2012
hike.wander.wonder 