April
1
March
9
St. Patrick’s Day and Nature Investigations
Enjoy this compilation of nature activities to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
Rainbows and More Rainbow Labs
February
9
Happy Hearts Day!
I look forward to sharing the hearts I have found in nature with my blog community each February. Check out some of my latest discoveries. “Nature is the art of God.” Dante Alighieri
I am going to check out this book:
Related Posts
December
10
Holiday Compilation
Through the years, I’ve created a variety of seasonal posts. I’ve gathered them in one place for your quick reference this holiday season. There are literature, social studies, engineering, math, and art activities to share with your families or students.
Deck the Halls – Holiday Plants
Scientists in the Christmas Story
Holiday Labs
Watch full screen.
Other Subjects
July
2
Fireworks
I am reposting this with some new videos and a favorite lab. Happy Fourth of July blog family! Use this information anytime there is a celebration with fireworks.
I watched fireworks at my sister’s home in Kirkwood, MO. As I watched this impressive display, I wondered about the history of fireworks and how the colors and shapes are created. Check out the links below to find out more.
Watch full screen here.
Click here to watch this informative video full screen.
Go here to watch full screen.
Go here to make some explosive rockets of your own using chemistry.
Watch an idea for firework art full screen here. Be sure the black paint is thin (a wash).
December
30
A Light in the Dark
Winter months are associated with darkness, but we illuminate our spaces with candles, fireplaces, and festive lights. Light shows are especially enchanting!
On a recent trip to Frederick Maryland, I visited Sailing Through the Winter Solstice Light Show. The canal in Carroll Creek Park was lined with individually decorated sailboats. The display runs from November through March to raise money for local non-profit organizations. A sampling of these imaginative boats follows:
Fire In Ice is held the first weekend in February. “Downtown Frederick is transformed with hundreds of ice sculptures and lots of winter-themed family fun.”
What a great time of the year to study lights and electricity. Try some of these engaging activities!
December
11
A Special Holiday Gift Guide
I am an ambassador for Run Wild My Child, an organization dedicated to getting kids outside and promoting outdoor education. A quarterly printed magazine, “the only printed magazine on the market for outdoorsy moms raising passionate, adventurous, nature-loving kids,” would make a fun family gift.
Check out their Holiday Gift Guide. I have used many of the suggested items in my classroom and at home. Gift categories include essential gear, classic and new outdoor toys, backyard fun, stocking stuffers, tech and gadgets, experience gifts, books, subscription ideas, as well as suggestions for your little chef, scientist, artist, angler, and gardener. Wow!
December
9
Seasonal Engineering
Looking for some fun engineering ideas for your young engineers? These projects can be implemented in the classroom or at home. Check out additional STEM activities from FeelGood Teaching here.
Make a zipline for Santa, a snowman, or a character of your choice.
Holiday Ziplines and here
Use catapults to throw snowballs at a castle.
Catapults
Construct a jingle bell maze with Legos.
Lego Mazes
Build ice structures.
Ice Structures
Make boats to save the Gingerbread Boy.
Boats
October
30
Pumpkins
Pumpkins can be studied through Thanksgiving, so it’s not too late to try some of these investigations.
There are many ways to integrate math standards with your study of pumpkins. Estimate the weight of your pumpkin(s), then weigh them on a scale. What is the circumference of the pumpkin? Wrap a piece of yarn around the middle and lay it beside a yard stick to find out. Of course, you can estimate and then count the seeds. Place them in groups of ten. How many ribs (lines) are on the rind? Do all pumpkins have the same number?
If you are not going to carve a small pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern, cut it in half, so you can easily observe the pulp, fibrous strands, and seeds inside.
Learn more about this fruit full screen here.
Watch full screen here.
After observing your pumpkins (carved or not), leave them outside in a natural area through the winter months to see what happens. Make predictions. Pumpkin Jack and Mousekin’s Golden House both explore this part of the life cycle.
Watch full screen here.
Watch this descriptive woodland story full screen here.
Enjoy Too Many Pumpkins, a science inspired fiction book, full screen here. This story is a great springboard for cooking with pumpkins. I like making pumpkin pancakes with children. Watch the liquid batter become a solid and observe the solid butter on your pancakes melt into a liquid. So, heat turns one into a solid and the other a liquid. Why?
Related Posts
These were two of my favorite labs-simple, fun, and filled with learning!
Sink and Float Pumpkin Lab (With additional activities)
February
5
Hearts in Nature
What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than to search for hearts in the wild! Searching for hearts will keep your family members engaged on your next walk.
Keep close to nature’s heart. (John Muir)
I will continue to add hearts I discover through the month of February. If you find any, please share them in the comments. Happy hunting!