Painting with the Chickens

Today we started a new Nature for Tots program centered on having children ages 1 to 3 years of age interact with nature and experience some of its wonderful rewards. I have a feeling these children will learn so much in this one hour class through our hands-on nature experiences...while having a blast at the same time.

Here a little girl that has just finished painting with her chicken feather and "Betsy" the chicken is helping to give a finishing touch to her painting by using her feet! We also read a story about chickens, labeled parts on the chicken, and dug out seeds from an acorn squash to feed the chickens a snack. Next week we will be doing forest exploration and visiting our new classroom in the woods.

First Fall Nature Class

In-Depth Native American Series is underway! We enjoyed our first classroom in the forest, making Native American tools and reading Legends around the fire!

Homeschoolers Take Note!

New In-Depth Nature Series is being offered to homeschoolers at a discounted price. See www.naturessteppingstones.com for details!

Now open for fall registrations

Nature's Stepping Stones is now open for fall registration for Nature Classes, Food Appreciation Classes, and Nature Camps. Please see website for details www.naturessteppingstones.com

Grooming Basics

The campers were very eager to learn how to properly take care of and groom a horse. They also learned all of the major body parts on the horse and colored their pages after the instructor pointed to the corresponding parts on the live horse.

Riding in the Garden

The kids got to ride a pony today around the house and up in the garden.

Learning about herbs

Learning about herbs can be a lot of fun for children and helps them to appreciate and understand the importance of plant life. We learned how to make salad dressing and sun tea using Chamomile, Mint, and Lemon Balm. We learned that Wooly Lamb's Ear was used in the past as a band-aide (some played doctor and had "band-aides" all over :) ). We learned that Peppermint is great worn as a bracelet to keep bugs away. We also smelled a bunch of herbs and tried to identify what they were.

Recycling jelly and pickle jars

Old jelly, pickle, and other food jars make great planters. In fact, you can make a planter out of just about anything. A few weeks ago, the campers made planters out of hiking and baby shoes. This week they used scraps of fabric and recycled jars to make planters for their mint plants to bring home. The mint can be transplanted if the parents would like down the road and it will spread. You just want to make sure you contain it somehow :) We use old tires to keep the mints from spreading too much. But just about anything will work.

Relaxing during free time

Just enjoying being outside during break time. Some kids washed and played catch with the dogs while others played make-believe and relaxed.

Wild Bird Treats

Making pine cone treats for the wild birds. They got really into it! :)

Laying out yogurt treats for the chickens

Setting out the "yogurt soup" the kids made for the chickens...complete with yogurt, oatmeal, peas, and seeds. They also put out a few corn of the cobs to see if the chickens would eat these.

Wild Dens...equipped with moss-thatched roofs!

Testing out the Camouflage

The children came up with a bunch of animals that camouflage themselves...frogs, lizards, fish....I think someone even said an octopus :) ha ha

Getting Camouflaged

Getting ready to go in the woods and build some wild dens.

Pond Studies

Another day in the mud! After our frog hunt, we collected pond water and took it back to camp to take a closer look at it. We used old brushes and spoons and put some of the pond water into clean water to make observations. We also talked about frogs a lot today and the difference between toads and frogs. How they lay their eggs differently, why toads have bumps, how they each hibernate differently in the winter. And some other cool facts about frogs, like the fact that frogs shed their skin and eat the old skin! They seemed to really enjoy their studies today :)

The Hunt Begins...

We hunted for man-made objects along the trail.

Hide n' Seek in the Woods

Can you find this little guy hiding? He is camouflaged pretty well!

Joining the Fun

A few of the kids today were a little apprehensive in touching and catching frogs. They were so intrigued by the whole thing, that by the end they were in the puddle along with the rest of the kids catching their own frogs! Way to go kids! Everyone needed to change clothes by the end, but it was worth it :)

Frog Hunts

The kids had a blast frog hunting this morning. It was serious business :)

Using Our Senses in Nature

Nature
Laying in the shade, seeing what life has made. The gentle wind blows the green leaves, watching them flutter and shudder. A lonely robin perched on a limb, waiting for his mate. The loud, broaching bull frogs calling; summer awaits. White puffy clouds skidding across the sky, racing to nowhere, eventually disappearing. The aroma of wildflowers flow through the air, bring different fragrances to my nose. Nature is wonderful, bringing magnificent things to life, the trees, animals, sky, and so on so forth; which I wouldn't miss it for the world!
By Amanda Jewell

Tea Party in the Garden

We had a tea party in the garden today. The kids made tea from fresh mint leaves and harvested some crops to place on fancy plates for their feast.

Baby birds hatching during camp!

How cool is it that birds hatched last week during camp and the kids got to journal about the mother, what the eggs looked like before hatching, and then observe the babies shortly after opening their mouths for worms? They are still on our walking trail and we stop to see them almost every day! They are starting to get some fuzz now :)

Fairie Houses in the Woods

We made fairie houses today after reading the story about them in the back woods. The children each made their own house and proudly showed their house off to their peers. They made everything from swings to fluffy beds made from dog fur. They were very proud of their little creations!

Yesterday, at camp the kids helped to design and create a bunny yard equipped with a mint plant to munch on, a home-made trough for hay, recycled toys, and a shelter. We have some very creative young minds on hand!

Welcome

Summer camp has just begun this week and we have done everything from dissecting eggs to planting herbs in old hiking boots and baby shoes to cuddling up to small farm animals. The kids are having a blast and children are getting over fears of animals, the woods, and insects. I see the confidence growing on these children and huge smiles and looks of wonder as they explore nature's many creatures and plant life.