Naturally Educational » Ecology
Songs for Four Seasons
We like to sing songs while our crafts dry. For our Four Seasons of the Apple Tree Craft, we used these songs. The lyrics for the first are of my own composition. If you use it, please attribute it to me and if you post it on the Internet, please link back here. The others I found without attribution (unless otherwise noted) on various listserves. If you are the author … Read entire article »
Filed under: 1-2 (Toddlers), 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), All Ages, Ecology, Fall, Musical, Science, Songs, Sound, Spring, Summer, Weather, Winter
Four Seasons of the Apple Tree
A chill is in the night air, children are returning to school, and another season is turning. Fall is perhaps my favorite season of all. Children seem to tap into the change in the seasons. They pick up on the weather and the rhythms of nature and enjoy exploring all the new wonders. We created a “Seasons of the Apple Tree” craft. Materials: White or blue sheet of paper Glue Scissors A cotton ball Brown non-toxic paint Green paper for leaves Pink tissue paper for … Read entire article »
Filed under: 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergartners), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 6-8 (Early Elementary), Ecology, Fall, Featured, Science, Spring, Summer, Visual-Spacial, Weather, Winter
Jam, Jelly, and Preserves
We have the good fortune to live near an organic farm (Garden of Eve) owned by young parents. The mom runs a summertime “Mommy & Me” that includes a circle time and a farm “chore”. One week the children picked blackberries and turned them into jam! The process was fairly simple: Pick the berries Wash and dry the berries Meanwhile, sterilize glass jars in boiling water Crush the berries in a bowl Add mixture to a pot and pour … Read entire article »
Filed under: 0-3 (Babies and Toddlers), 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergartners), 6-8 (Early Elementary), All Ages, Ecology, Featured, Home Arts, Science, Summer, Taste
Slithering Songs
Usually I do not post the theme songs I use with my kids because I did not write them! Most of the time they are anonymous pieces I find on the Internet. Maybe I should, though. Here’s a song about snakes that I wrote, based heavily on typical preschool counting songs: Five Little Snakes by Candace Lindemann (start with five fingers up) Five snakes molt their skin to grow some more, (children can reach for the sky) One slides away … Read entire article »
Filed under: 1-2 (Toddlers), 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), Ecology, Science, Songs
Something’s Fishy
Whether teaching your kids or students in the classroom, you usually have the advantage of knowing your partners in learning. For my moms’ meet-up group, I have been organizing a weekly “Preschool Play Date”. Today our preschool play date suddenly became a Toddler Play Date and I had to adjust our plans. The result was a fun and easy fish craft that even a toddler will enjoy. Sea creatures are always a hit with little ones, … Read entire article »
Filed under: 0-3 (Babies and Toddlers), 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), Ecology, Science
Ewww…Oooo! Insects and Other Bugs
We went for a program at a local nature center and it was a great reminder that a lot of our negative reaction to insects and other bugs is a learned response. Of course, that doesn’t mean I don’t recoil when I see our friend, Rosie… The educator at the nature center urged kids to exclaim “Oooo!” instead of “Ewww!” and I think that she has the right idea to encourage the children’s sense of … Read entire article »
Filed under: 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), All Ages, Ecology, Featured, Summer
Father’s Day Gift: Mosaic Coasters
We like to make homemade, crafty gifts for the family and for this Father’s Day, the kids made mosaic coasters. Materials: metal jar lids plaster of Paris sea glass, seashells, smooth pebbles, mosaic tiles, broken pottery, letter beads or tiles or scrabble tiles to spell names or words felt scissors glue Directions: Mix plaster of Paris Pour into the metal jar lid. If your “mosaic” pieces are much thinner than the lid is shallow, you might want to allow the plaster of Paris to start … Read entire article »
Deliciously Educational – Maple Sugaring
If you live in certain regions of the United States or Canada, March is a perfect time for an outdoor activity that is as delicious as it is educational – Maple Sugaring! Find a local Maple Syrup Festival or take a road trip! If you are heading to Vermont, check out Find & Go Seek’s listings of Vermont Maple Festivals. My family headed to Benner’s Farm for their annual Maple Sugaring event. My children had an … Read entire article »
Filed under: All Ages, Ecology, Home Arts, Science, Smell, Spring
National Bird Feeding Month
As we reduce birds’ natural sources of food, they come to rely on our bird feeders, especially during the winter months. Like many children, my daughter is fascinated by birds–their spectrum of colors, array of tuneful songs, and familiar yet wild presence in our yard. We’ve read her books on birds, taken her to the bird rescue at the nature center, and fed our local feathered friends. In honor of National Bird Feeding Month, we went to a … Read entire article »
Filed under: 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergartners), 6-8 (Early Elementary), All Ages, Ecology, Science, Sight, Sound, Winter
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