NurtureStore » Outdoor

Earth day activities: grow a meadow indoors!

Cathy @ NurtureStore — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 07:24:31 +0000

Are you planning any Earth Day activities on April 22nd? Celebrated around the world, Earth Day is a great time to pause and reflect the impact you, your kids and your family have on the earth.

Last year we carried out an eco-audit of our play, looking at simple but effective ways we could align our activities with the ideas of reducing, re-using and recycling.

This year, we’re joining in with the Earth Day Celebrations hosted by Mommy Labs and Greening Sam and Avery to bring you a blog hop bursting with ideas you can use to celebrate Earth Day with your kids. Have a browse around the blog hop at the end of this post to find ideas for art, crafts, games, activities and positive action your family can take to go a little greener this month. First though, here’s what the NurtureStore girls came up with as an Earth Day play idea: we grew an indoor meadow!

Earth Day activities: grow a meadow indoors!

I still haven’t decided if this was a crazy or genius idea but it has been a huge hit with the children. We live on the edge of a city and have a small urban garden. We grow lots of flowers, fruit and vegetables in the garden – as well as running a School Gardening Club – but the one thing our house is missing is a lawn. We had a lawn in a previous home (and I have to say I don’t miss all the mowing) and we’re blessed with having excellent local parks on our doorstep, but, to celebrate Earth Day, we came up with the idea of grown our own small world meadow – to play with indoors and out.

We started by filling a seed tray with compost and watering it. We wanted a meadow that was big enough for the girls to use as a small world play area but something which was small enough so it was very easy to bring inside.

We measured out our grass seeds (according to the seed packet instructions) and sprinkled it over the compost – in horizontal and vertical lines to ensure good coverage.

As we knew our seed bed would be too tempting for our pesky cat, we placed the seed tray in our mini greenhouse and waited for the grass seeds to sprout. The girls checked the seeds everyday and in just over a week they had begun to grow. And they grew and grew and grew until….

we had a beautiful, verdant meadow, which the girls have played and played with. It’s such a sensory little world for them to use – so green and wonderful to touch. It’s been next to our fairy garden for a while…

until the dinosaurs moved in and the fairies fled to safety.

(This photo makes me laugh.I don’t know why the goat is so cross, but my husband says is looks like an episode of Lost.)

And of course the miniature meadow has been inside too. L especially loves to lie on her tummy and play here with her little creatures. She has the animals chat away to each other and sends them off for adventures in the tall grass. The meadow’s in need of a haircut now – time to bring out the scissors!

More Earth Day activities

How are you going to celebrate Earth Day with your children? Will you grown some seeds with your children, make a junk model toy, turn rubbish into plant pots? For inspiration take a browse through the ideas in this Earth Day blog hop. And please join us. If you are a blogger and you have a great Earth Day idea, please link up with the blog hop and share with us.

This Earth Day celebration is brought to you by:

How to make a weather station

Cathy @ NurtureStore — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 09:52:58 +0000

When she wakes up in the morning L likes to check the weather app on my phone to see what’s forecast for the day. I think she likes the animated visual of the rain or the shining sun but she’s also interested in the temperature. We haven’t had such a cold winter this year but there have been a few days when the temperature has dipped below zero and L is fascinated that something can be less than nothing.

We decided we’d investigate further and try to make our own weather station to check if the weather forecasters on the phone get it right. There are few different ways the children can be involved in setting this up and you can decide whether you want to looking at the sky, the wind, the temperature or the rain. A weather station project also gives you lots of scope to include many different aspects of learning: observation, recording data, graphing, guessing and estimating, taking notes and translating results in to real-life consequences.

Our project is part of the Weather Blog Hop which is linking many kid blogs around the world to bring you all sorts of weather ideas you can use with your children – science, art, games, activities, you name it, we’ve got it! Have a browse through the links at the end of this post for lots of ideas. If you have a weather idea you would like to share please feel free to add it to the linky too.

How to make a weather station

The purpose of our rain gauge was to set up an experiment to compare results and to be able to graph them – and the results were a big surprise for the children. When we set the rain gauge up I let the children lead and find a bottle they thought would be a good size. They were sure that on a very rainy day the bottle would be filled to overflowing! It was surprising to them to discover that a day that soaks the garden (and all the washing on the line!) actually only gave them half a centimetre of rain in their bottle.

How to make a rain gauge

1. Find a bottle with straight sides and cut off the top

2. Use a ruler and a permanent marker to mark off a scale

3. Superglue the cut-off top of the bottle upside down on the base of the bottle. This allows you to push the rain gauge down into some soil in your garden so the bottle doesn’t topple over or blow away

4. Check your rain gauge every morning and see how much rain has filled your bottle. Record your results on a bar chart. Empty all the rain out of the bottle and replace it so you can measure how much falls the next day

What children can learn: how to set up a simple experiment, how to measure data, how to record data, that things don’t always turn out as expected

Weather station observation chart

1. We printed off a What colour is the sky?‘ chart

2. Each morning we looked at the sky to see what the weather was like that day. We tried to find exactly the right pen, pencil or crayon to colour in that day’s box on the chart so it looked just like the sky outside. (Sadly,we needed lots of grey.) We added in cotton wool clouds if there were any and looked up the names of different cloud formations. This made a patchwork picture of the weather for us.

What children can learn: observation skills, that the weather changes day by day, how ‘blue’ can be all sorts of shades, that clouds can be all different shapes and sizes and have special scientific names, that observing nature can translate into art.

What Should I Wear? chart

What do changes in the weather actually mean to young children? To translate our observations into something relevant to their experiences we set up a ‘What should I wear?’ chart.

1. Create a tall chart showing different types of clothing your child might wear – you can draw them or take photos of your children’s actual clothes.

2. Sequence your clothing pictures from hot to cold. It could look something like this: sunhat, t-shirt, long sleeved top, extra vest, rain coat, winter coat, woolly hat, scarf and gloves, snow boots.

3. Cut out a big arrow and stick it to a clothes peg. Once you have completed your Weather Station Observation Chart for the day ask you child to think about what the weather means for what they need to wear that day. Peg your arrow marker to the right stage of your ‘What Should I wear’ chart, then go and get dressed and head out to play in the fresh air!

Have you ever tried to make a weather station with your children? What else would you add to our ideas?

Join the Weather Blog Hop

The Weather Blog Hop is co-hosted by all these blogs: sharing your great ideas far and wide! Please add you own link and join the fun.

NurtureStore :: The Golden Gleam :: Rainy Day Mum :: Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas

Putti Prapancha :: Sun Hats & Wellie Boots :: Montessori Tidbits :: Kitchen Counter Chronicles

Reading Confetti :: Dilly-Dali Art :: Growing A Jeweled Rose :: The Iowa Farmer’s Wife

AngeliqueFelix.com :: Kindergarten Basics :: Mommy With A Selective Memory

Glittering Muffins :: Creative Family Fun :: Living Montessori Now :: Toddler Approved

Living at the Whitehead’s Zoo :: Sense of Wonder :: Make, Do & Friend :: Creative Connections for Kids

The Educators’ Spin On It :: RainbowsWithinReach :: A Mom With A Lesson Plan :: Creativity my Passion

Mama Smiles :: Teach Preschool :: JDaniel4′s Mom :: The Outlaw Mom Blog :: Mama Mia’s Heart2Heart :: :: Mindful Meanderings

Creative Christmas Countdown: Christmas tree bird feeder

Cathy @ NurtureStore — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 10:00:59 +0000

Today it’s NurtureStore’s turn to share an idea in the Creative Christmas Countdown hosted by Creative with Kids. A big festive hello to those of you visiting from the interactive Advent calendar and welcome to NurtureStore. While you’re here you might like to take at look at some of our other creative, crafty Christmas activities or sign up for our weekly Play Planner.

For today’s Creative Chistmas activity I’m sharing an idea to make a Christmas Tree for the feathered friends in your garden. Christmas is a time of year when we can really encourage children to think of others and give gifts to those they love. How about spending some time with your kids, giving thanks for the natural world and helping them put together a Christmas feast for the birds?

Here are four easy ideas you can use to make a bird feeder – and if you make them all, you can hang them together on a tree outside to make an Christmas tree that gives your feathered friends a festive feast.

How to make a bird feeeder: popcorn chain

Stringing up some popcorn chains to wind around your tree will make it look just like you’ve added some bird-friendly tinsel. All you need to do is pop some corn kernels (with no added salt or sugar) and then use a needle to put them on to some thread.

You can make your chain as long as you like to fit your tree. Leave some lengths of thread at either end so you can tie it in place. You’re even allowed to eat a few pieces of popcorn as you work!

How to make a bird feeder: cafe bar

To make a cafe bar bird feeder you need to use a small plastic pot. Use a craft knife to make a small hole in the bottom then find two sticks to make perches – twigs, lollipop sticks or kebab skewers all work well. Cross them over and secure with a little sticky tape. Use some string to thread through the hole in your pot, around the sticks and back through the hole again. This holds the sticks in place and gives you a handle at the top of your feeder to tie to the tree.
Make your bird feed by mixing one part lard with two parts bird seed. You can also add in raisins, peanuts or grated cheese. You can use a spoon or get stuck in and squish it all together with your hands. Do not melt the lard (or it will run out through the hole in your plastic pot) but have it at room temperature so it’s easy to combine with the seeds.

Pack the seed mix into your plastic pot and press it down well. Let it chill and harden in the fridge for an hour or so.
Once the seed mix is solid you can pop off the plastic pot and then use the string handle to hang it up – a seed cafe ready for the birds to visit.

How to make a bird feeder: pine cone

You can use this same bird seed mix to make a fircone feeder too. Just tie some of your string to the top of the fircone and use your fingers to squish the seed mix into all the nooks and crannies.

How to make a bird feeder: raisin kebab

This one was B’s invention: a kebab stick threaded with juicy raisins, with some string tied at the top to hang it from your tree.

Decorate your Christmas tree bird feeder

Once you’ve made a variety of bird feeders you can head out into the garden to deck your outside Christmas tree. Of course, it doesn’t have to be a fir tree that you use – the bird feeders transform bare branches really nicely. If you can, pick a tree that you can see clearly from where your children play, then they can watch the birds come and feed and know they’ve shown their feathered friends some Christmas kindness.

For more Christmas Advent activities

Be sure to visit the Creative Christmas Countdown each day in December as there are lots more ideas to come!

You can also visit our Christmas archive for paper plate angels, model Christmas villages, snow playdough and more. And join NurtureStore on Facebook for lots more ideas throughout the week.

happily shared with the outdoor play party

Get your copy of Play Grow Learn

Cathy @ NurtureStore — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 14:00:31 +0000

Have you got your copy of Play Grow Learn yet? Christie over at Childhood101, who produces this e-magazine, sent me a copy to read and I wanted to let you know the second edition is out now because I think you will love it!

Get your copy of Play Grow Learn

Bringing together lots of fun play ideas, the e-magazine is just $4 USD to buy and has some super fun ideas in it to enjoy with your kids.

There are 50+ ideas for outdoor play, some nice recipes for snack time cooking with your kids and – my favourite article – some play ideas that glow in the dark. How fun will that be now the nights are getting darker sooner.

To get your copy, by instant download, hop on over to Childhood101 and and check out Play Grow Learn.

The best kids ice play ideas

Cathy @ NurtureStore — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:25:19 +0000

Ice play provides a rich sensory experience for children to explore. There are so many wonderful creative ways to enjoy ice play, including science, art and maths activities. Here are some of our favourite ice play ideas, from some of our favourite bloggers. Click through on each of the links to discover some fantastic ice play ideas you can enjoy with your children this winter.

Above: sail some ice cube boats :: make colourful ice sculptures :: paint on ice cream :: go excavating for frozen treasure ::

make a frozen rainbow you can eat :: investigate dry ice :: mini ice hockey game :: freeze some bubbles

add ice to your sensory table :: add coloured ice cubes to your bath :: add colour and salt to make ice art

go ice fishing :: create ice decorations :: explore melting :: paint with popsicles

What’s your favourite kind of ice play?