Creative Family Fun

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Learning Activities for Kids

Exploring Nature: Investigating Trees

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We took a trip out to our side yard recently to take a close look at our young apple tree.

We were talking about the different parts of trees and learning about how they grew.

We were specifically taking a look at the apple tree because we wanted to know how apples grew.

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We gathered our supplies.We brought our magnifying glasses for observation.

Pencils and homemade notebooks for recording our observations.

We also brought two books, A Tree Is a Plant (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science) by Clyde Robert Bulla and How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro, for research.

 

One of my goals with our nature studies, is to teach the girls about observation and drawing their own conclusions using what they’ve observed.

We talked about the bark of the tree, then we looked at it through our magnifying glasses and felt it with our fingers.

We talked about how apples are formed and looked all over to see if we could see any baby apples.

We also talked about the roots of a tree and then discussed why we couldn’t see the roots.

Here are some great questions to ask when teaching about observation.

What do you see?

What color is it?

What size is it?

Where is it located?

How does it feel? Bumpy, smooth, rough, etc.?

Does it have a scent?

Lead your kids a bit and help them learn to make observations.

For instance, we learned that the bark of a young apple tree is mostly smooth with a few bumps.

We also discovered some spots where there was yellow underneath the brown.

It’s amazing the things we discovered when we looked closely!

While we were observing and talking about trees, Lizzie recorded some of her own observations through drawing.

She copied a drawing of a baby tree from one of the books as well as drawing a fully-grown orange tree.

Older kids can use the space to record all the characteristics of what they are observing and the conclusions they drew from it. Have them draw a tree and label the parts or just try drawing what they are observing.

Do you like to look closely at nature? Have you ever been surprised at what you saw?

Weather Wiz Kids

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I stumbled across Weather Wiz Kids when I was researching my “10 Ways to Learn About the Weather” post.

I was so happy to discover such a comprehensive weather website created for kids. You’ll find explanations of weather phenomena written for kids, fun facts, weather safety information, experiments, games, and even jokes. You’ll find information there for all ages of kids, their parents, and teachers.

If you’re looking for ways to teach about weather, Weather Wiz Kids should be your first stop!

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Weather Wiz Kids was started by Crystal Wick, a meteorologist from Indiana. I recently asked Crystal more about herself and her Website.

(Dark clouds over western Colorado)

Why did you start Weather Wiz Kids?

I started Weather Wiz Kids back in 2003 when I was working as a morning meteorologist in New Orleans, Louisiana. I visited several schools to teach kids about weather, but I couldn’t answer everyone’s questions. So, I decided to create a website to teach kids about weather and allow them to email me any of their weather questions.

What can someone expect to find on Weather Wiz Kids?

Weather Wiz Kids is an educational website for teachers, parents and kids. You will find an ample amount of kid-friendly information on all types of weather and even natural disasters like volcanoes and earthquakes.

When did you become interested in weather? Why?

Ever since I was a child, I have always been fascinated with the weather. I remember going outside with my father and watching thunderstorms pass by. During one thunderstorm in particular, a tornado ripped through my hometown of Kendallville, Indiana and just missed my grandparents’ house. It was one of the scariest moments of my life and is one of the reasons I am a meteorologist today.

What are the benefits of learning about weather?

I believe knowledge is power. Weather impacts all of us, from what we wear each day to the crops that grow to provide us food. Understanding weather is important, because it can save our lives. Knowing what to do in a severe weather situation or as a hurricane approaches can mean the difference between life and death. It’s important that all of us have a family disaster plan in place.

What is your favorite weather phenomenon?

I’m fascinated by tornadoes. It’s amazing to me the strength and power they have and the destruction they leave behind. Every state in the United States has been effected by a tornado, so I can’t express how important it is to have a family disaster plan in place.

Weather Wiz Kids has many ideas for weather experiments you can do in your home. I asked Crystal which would be best for preschool-aged children and she suggested “Make Your Hair Stand Up” and “Tornado in a Bottle.” You can check out the “Weather Experiments” page for 39 different experiments!

Thank you Crystal for answering my questions! If you want to learn more about Crystal and weather, please visit Weather Wiz Kids or follow Weather Wiz Kids on Facebook.

 

Tips for Observing Nature With Small Children

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Since we are going to be spending so much time exploring nature, I thought it was important to teach the girls how to observe nature.

We recently took a trip to a local nature center and had some incredible opportunities for observation.

We saw turtles and geese and heard frogs and many varieties of birds.

We were very lucky to have chanced upon the goose in the picture above, who let us watch him for quite awhile before swimming away. Of course, he wouldn’t have stayed around for as long if we hadn’t been following some simple rules for observing nature.

When relaying these tips to children, you need to tell them why they are following these rules. They are much more likely to be good observers of nature if they know the reasons behind the rules.

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Tips for Exploring Nature

1. Be Quiet. This one is absolutely essential. Talking in whispers and quiet voices can sometimes be okay, but other occasions need absolute quiet. Why? Animals, birds, and even insects are naturally afraid of humans. We need to respect them and show them that we won’t hurt them. Remaining quiet will help ease the fear.

2. Be Still. Any quick or sudden movements will frighten wildlife. Why? This is the same reason why we remain quiet. We don’t want to frighten the animal. Slow, quiet motions are best. Find a spot to sit; it’s much easier to stay still while sitting.

3. Stay a safe distance away. As the adult, it’s up to you to use your common sense. For the safety of your kids and the wildlife, you need to stay a safe distance away. If you want a closer look, use binoculars. We were observing geese and turtles, both animals that would not harm us if we stayed a safe distance away. Other animals are best observed at zoos or other controlled environments.

4. Use all your senses. Teach the kids to not just use their eyes. Your ears and nose are also important tools to observation. What kind of sounds does the animal make? What do you smell? Observation is more than just seeing.

Observing birds is a great way to teach young children the rules of observing nature.

Practice observing the different characteristics of the bird. What do they look like? What color is the beak? The head? What kind of noise does the bird make?

Record the characteristics and then use a bird guide to determine what kind of bird you are looking at.

Learning to observe nature is an important skill to have because the best way to learn about nature is through observation. What are your best tips for observing nature with young children?

**Many thanks to my mom for providing the two goose pictures.**

10 Ways To Use Your Public Library

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Happy National Library Week! This week, April 8-14 is National Library Week. According to AtYourLibrary.org, National Library Week is “a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians and to promote library use.”

I love our public library and we visit it at least once a week. It’s a gem in our community and I couldn’t ask for a better library.

This week I wanted to salute my public library with a list of 10 ways to use your public library. And, believe me, it was hard to stop at 10!

I’m doing something a little different this week and linking to many activities provided by AtYourLibrary.org which is the public website for the American Library Association’s public awareness campaign, the Campaign for America’s Library.

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So here are my 10 favorite ways to use your public library.

1. Story time. We hardly ever miss story time at our library. The girls get to spend time with other kids their age, they hear several books read aloud by a wonderful storyteller, and get to play games. What’s not to love? Check with your local library for story times and stop by. I guarantee your kids will love it!

2. Expand your book collection. Find that list of all the books you want to read, save yourself some money and borrow them from the library. Are your kids suddenly interested in dinosaurs? They can find all the books they want at the library. Is the book you want to read not available at your library? Most libraries are part of a local county or multi-county association and will allow you to request books from nearby libraries. It’s time to start reading!

3. Research a subject you’ve always wanted to know more about. Do you want to know more about the bird’s stopping by your bird feeder? Check with the library. You can research science, history, and more! Curious about Native Americans? Check out this fabulous list of resources!

4. Learn a new skill. Sewing, baking, crochet, photography, or even knot tying. You can find resources at your local library to teach you any of these. Learn about the art and science of cooking or learn about gardening. It’s all at your library.

5. Learn manners and respect. Your local library is the perfect place to learn about behaving in public. Learn about using a quiet voice, being polite, waiting your turn, and other manners at a welcoming and friendly space.

6. Enjoy a movie. The next time you have family movie night, go by your public library. They’ve got a huge collection of new and classic movies, tv shows, and documentaries. And the best part, they’re free to check out.

7. Experience new music. Not only does your public library have movies, they also typically have a large collection of cds. Here’s your chance to experience opera, folk music, bluegrass, or music from all corners of the world.

8. Meet an author or see an interesting speaker. My public library has had opportunities to see poets, authors (of both adult & children’s books), local art exhibits, zoo presentations, family fun nights, and many more fun opportunities. And, I don’t live in a big city! Check with your local library’s website, follow them on Facebook or Twitter, and find out all the fun opportunities in your community!

9. Find a quiet place to unwind on a rainy or snowy day. If you don’t want to be stuck in the house in bad weather, go to the library! Read a book, work a puzzle, learn some new jokes, or even play a game. Find a  fun new cookbook and take it home to experiment in the kitchen. Or, find a craft book and spend the afternoon getting crafty. A trip to the library will cure the stuck-in-the-house blues!

10. Experience a new culture. If you can’t travel someplace, do the next best thing… find books and other resources to bring that culture to your home. Find books about festivals, food, clothing, history, crafts, geography, and literature from another culture. Find music and movies from that country. Bring it all home and immerse yourself. It’s an amazing experience! Here’s a list of the top 10 Spanish books for kids and here’s a list of winter festivals around the world.

*Bonus Activity: Do you have an e-reader? Guess what? Your local library may have e-books available to borrow. Ask and find out!

More library fun

Library Books We Keep Renewing at Mama Smiles.

Weekly Visits to the Library from Rainy Day Mum.

Now it’s your turn! Tell my something cool about your local library. What do you enjoy best about it?

How Do Birds Find Their Way? Book & Activity

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The girls and I are on a quest.

We’re on a quest to learn as much about the natural world as we can. I hope you’ll come along on the journey with us.

We’ll consult many books, do science experiments, look at things up close, observe, pretend, do art project, and many, many other things while we’re learning. Let’s have fun!

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We’re still in love with birds and interested in learning as much as we can about them. We recently discovered a book that asked an interesting question:How Do Birds Find Their Way? (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2). We wanted to know.

As always, we went outside to read our book. I’ve learned that we learn a lot more if we can look and observe while we’re reading.

We learned that scientists are still learning about how birds find their way. We also talked about our own theories, and then read the book to see if we were right. We were thrilled to find that some of our theories were indeed correct!

We then decided to become birds ourselves.

We flew around the backyard… zoom, zoom, zoom. We dipped, we soared, we wore ourselves out and had to stop and rest.

After our rest, it was time to test out one of the theories in the book. Birds use the sun when flying north in the summer and south in the winter.

First, we had to learn about how the sun moved during the day; we also learned that this never changes.

A bird can indeed learn that the sun rises in the east and set in the west and use this knowledge to determine direction.

We tested out this theory. We found a round ball for a sun and then we figured out the best way to find direction.

If we were a bird and wanted to fly north in the morning, we would make sure the sun was on our right side. If we were flying north in the afternoon, the sun would be on our left. It sounds complicated, but it’s not. Once you try it out yourself, it’s easy to see how a bird can use sun in this way.

If you have a question about nature, get outside and test it out! It’s a fun way to learn.