Outdoor Hour Challenge #2: Using Your Words

The Outdoor Challenge: Take another 10-15 minute "excursion" outdoors in your own yard again this week. Before setting out on your walk, sit with your children and explain to them that when you remain quiet during your nature time, you are more likely to hear interesting things. Brainstorm some sounds they might hear and build some excitement about remaining quiet during their nature walk this week. Take your walk and if they get rowdy, use the universal finger over your lips sign to get them to quiet down. Set a good example and be quiet yourself, modeling how to listen carefully.

Not in our back yard but near our home.


Boys not being so quiet.


My patient littles.

So strange to see a green tree and grass in the midst of all our snow.

I thought this one was especially beautiful. It's been some time since we've seen that yellow sun.

Indoor Challenge: After your walk, challenge your children to come up with words to describe the following things:

One word to describe something they heard.

• Jo Bean~ The chirping of birds in the distance.
  
• Moca~ The wind rustling the trees.
  
• Ztrain~ A dag parking far away.
  
• Sugar Plum~ Crunchy snow.

Two words for something they saw.

• Jo Bean~ Red Streak
  
• Moca~ Dancing Leaves
  
• Ztrain~ Wet Fur
• Sugar Plum~ Green Tree
  

Three words for something they felt.

• Jo Bean~ The sun warming my fingers.
  
• Moca~ The cold wind blowing on my face.
  
• Ztrain~ A big cold hard rock.
  
• Sugar Plum~ Cold wet snow.
  

Optional nature journal entry:
Use their words as the basis for a simple nature journal entry. If the child is too young to write in the journal himself, you can write for them.

*If you'd like to learn more about Outdoor Hour Winter Series just click the icon at the top of this post.

Outdoor Hour Challenge #4: It Is Coming Into Focus

The Outdoor Challenge: We took a 15 minute walk outdoors today. I encouraged the children to observe quietly for some of that time.

The Indoor Challenge: We've decided to focus on the tree in our backyard. We looked in the snow to see if any animals had visited our tree recently. We checked to see if there were any spring buds and we checked for fresh nests in the branches.

We didn't add anything to our nature journal this week.

Outdoor Hour Challenge #3: Now is the Time to Draw

The Outdoor Challenge: We took a 15 minute nature walk. We venture down our street, around our block, and to a vacant lot down the street.

The Indoor Challenge: We discussed a nature journal entry. We made a few leaf rubbings and tapped flower petals into our nature journals.

Outdoor Hour Challenge #1: Let's Get Started

The Outdoor Challenge: Spend 10-15 minutes outdoors with your children, even if it is really cold and yucky. Bundle up if you need to. Take a walk around your yard or down your own street. Enjoy being outdoors.

My little nature detectives.

Moca climbing under some bramble.

Jo Bean trying to walk in snow and ice (slush).

The Indoor Challenge: After you come inside, sit the children down and ask them one at a time to tell you something that they saw on their walk. Ask them what was interesting to them. Maybe they picked up a leaf or a stick and brought it back indoors and now they can really take a look at it. Make a big deal about whatever it is that they talk about.

We found this bit of bark from a tree.

First we saw some little bits of wood on the snow.


And realized that these shavings are from a woodpecker.

After your discussion, come up with two things to investigate further.

Tree Bark

We read about bark here and found and found this tree video here.

Woodpeckers

We read about woodpeckers here and found this woodpecker video here.
We've seen this little feathered creature around now and again.