Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Wax Leaves

The kids helped us preserve some of the fall beauty (and share it with out friends who live far away) by waxing leaves they found on their way to school.

We ironed the leaves first, to help them to be crisp and beautiful. Spritz them with water while ironing, but make sure you let them dry fully before waxing them.

Before and after 

We melted some paraffin in a little crock pot. Just give each leaf a quick, even dip, then let it drip for a second or two, and you're done.


 Dip

After the dip we let them dry on parchment paper, it only takes a few seconds. The little lady remarked how "They feel smooth as candles now!"

 Finished products

 Love that red!

This was really quick and easy. When I did this project in the past we ironed leaves between sheets of waxed paper. I like the dip method so much more; it is easier, more fun, and yields better results. It also allows the children to be more hands-on in the process. All around win!

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Summer Camp Tricks 2

Continued from Summer Camp Tricks 1


Diversion!

As we went along our nature walks, we devised a 'telephone'-esque system for passing back safety information on the trail. I made sure each child pointed to the hazard as they told the message to the person directly behind them. This way they not only kept each other safe on the trail, they also learned what hazards look like. By the end of each hike, most of the kids could identify poison oak on their own. But they didn't really notice this exercise in respect, team building, and plant identification. They were busy having fun with it. It is so cute to listen to a whole line of 7-year-olds walking behind you chirping "poison oak, poison oak", and "look, it's right there!". Even better when within a few yards of each other we saw both the poisonous vine and some presents left behind by the horses in the camp stable. Then you could really see how akin to the game our system was. By the end of the line, my children were warning each other against the "poisonous horse scat"!

Poison what?!?!

Some of the kids were not super excited to have to exercise and deal with insects as we do on a hike, but this gave them a little something extra to put their minds to, they had less chance to get bogged down in complaints. And it made my job easier, rather than having to work to get attention to warn an entire group about every hazard along the way, I just had to point and listen to the ripples.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Leaves!

Today I went to the young gentleman's kindergarten class to do a lesson on leaves. It was a pre-designed lesson from the Four Winds Nature Institute, being taught this month in participating schools all across the Northeast. My fellow volunteer for this classroom, who I met one hour prior to the lesson, is a very lovely mother of one of the young gentleman's classmates, and a doctor! It was a little odd teaching someone else's lesson plan, I'm getting used to making my own at this point. Still, we had a lot of fun with it. Adding our own spice, we put fake leaves in our hair, having the children guess what we'd come to talk to them about today.

Investigating leaves

The kids had a great time. During the introduction, when asked what leaves do, one child answered that "They make oxygen, which goes into your mouth, to your chest, then to your heart!". I love it when children surprise you with a tidbit they picked up and kept.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Summer Camp Tricks 1


In posts I have discussed how I attempt to incorporate a little information into everyday outdoor play without making it seem like a lesson. However, being a nature professional with the teaching bug, I find myself IN lessons, the likes of which children don't always wish to attend. At camp I would get feedback such as "the nature program is like school" because of the lessons tacked onto my hikes and games. So how do I disguise a lesson from the children?

Animation is one of the best tools of course, but one you have to find for yourself, on your third nature hike of the day, in 95 degree weather, with enough leftover energy to convince the kids who don't want to go, and the counselors who don't want to go...wait, where was I? Oh yes...

Tools in my knapsack include:
1) Exaggeration
2) Diversion
3) Discovery

Exaggeration

On our nature hikes at camp, it was important to me that the kids understood why what we did was for safety. I had the children tell me why such things as "stay on the trail" and "use your walking feet" were important, I described how we would act on the hiking trail, and warned them about potential trail hazards. The kids would come to Nature all pumped to go on a hike (or perhaps not, in which case I would pump them up for it) and have to sit and listen to safety instructions?!?! I had some glazed eyes. In this instance I pulled out exaggeration.

"On the trail, I will stay in the front because I know where we are going and I'll be on the lookout for hazards such as poison oak and rattlesnakes (not an exaggeration, we were in southern California after all.) Your counselor will take up the caboose, in case any mountain lions sneak up on us. They'll distract it so the rest of us have time to get away." Jaw-open stares, the kids who had stopped paying attention snapped to. Is she being for real? But when all the counselors and myself burst out laughing the kids joined in. Yes I guess it was POSSIBLE to see a mountain lion, but not probable (and we would work hard to keep the kids safe of course).

This established with the children that we were going to have fun. It's ok to joke around: we could play while we walk and talk. Yes I'd be telling them things they need to know, but it wouldn't be all shop talk.

One does need to be careful here though. For example, occasionally a kid would express worry that we were going to get lost. When I reassured them that I knew the trails, sometimes I tagged on a "have I ever steered you wrong before?" I realized at that moment how important it is that they never have a reason to doubt this, and even a joke could have an impact on an impressionable child. Thankfully they always answered no. The children need to be aware of a difference between a joke and a deficit in credibility.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Arboretum

I was off for a week to Washington DC with a very dear friend of mine, the author of For Love or Science. I spent most of my time in museums, especially the Museum of Natural History, and I also got to experience the National Arboretum. I was giddy: it's a cross-breed between a museum and hiking! I would highly recommend going, as well as I would recommend bringing a picnic. Maybe even a bike, it's a long walk! But, in my opinion, well worth it.

Bonsai tree with friend for scale.

I was floored by the bonsai exhibit. I expected to favor the more natural exhibits over this, which has much more evidence of human involvement. Don't get me wrong, I loved the other exhibits too, but it was wonderful to see the beauty and care in these little trees...one was over 300 years old!

Wowza!

It was especially interesting how some of the bonsai trees displayed were less tree-sculpting like I imagined and more like miniaturized scenes. Tiny forests on a table-top.

I could sit in that grove and read or draw all day...if I were an inch tall!

The herb exhibit was also excellent, with herbs arranged by medicinal, culinary, industrial, and even fragrant properties.

"Pineapple Sage" - rub a leaf and it really does smell of pineapple!

Now if we move up to full-sized trees, I also really enjoyed walking through "Fern Valley". As you walk along the path you are presented with examples of different forest types from different areas of the country. My friend and I got a special treat when we saw a five-lined skink scurry out of sight. This represents the only type of lizard found in Vermont, where it is rare and, despite looking, I have never seen one. So I was very excited even though we were out-of-state.

Skink!