Fall In South Carolina

Cauliflower Mushroom

A few weeks ago when we were at Sesqui State Park me and the kids found this interesting looking Fungi. We took it to the ranger station and asked them if they knew what it was and they said they had no idea. So we asked if we could take it with us since we know park rules say you are not to take things from the state parks.  The ranger looked at me as if I was nuts asking to have this yucky looking thing.  So we put it in a zip lock bag because it was full of lots of bugs.  We then took it to our very good friend Miss. Chanda--she can figure out what anything is! She is the most incredible person I've ever met.   Well she emailed me and shared her findings.  This brain looking Fungi is a Cauliflower Mushroom, according the the internet it may stimulate the immune system and have anti-tumor properties.  You just never know what you may find when out on a nature walk!  

  wikipedia.org-Sparassis

Nature Class

These are a few of the extra pictures I took during Nature Class today.  Such a pretty walk after the rain. It would have been a more enjoyable class/walk but there was a group of children that lacked parental guidance and thought they should do things like pulling my daughters hair, stuffing itchy leaves down my son's shirt while he was trying to listen to the teacher and more!! Even though I said something to them they really did not seem to care. I was so frustrated by the time I left today!

Fungi!

Reindeer Moss which is actually a Lichen!

Such a beautiful 9 week old puppy!

Sassafras tree--so amazing that there are
so many different leaves on one tree!

Nature Scavenger Hunts

Have you ever done a Nature Scavenger Hunt? My kids love them!!! So I have been working on some new ones for them. 

Here are some links with great ideas for what to include for your hunt:

•   Love the Outdoors  
• birthdaypartyideas4kids 
• www.scavenger-hunt-fun.com 
• www.scavengerhuntsforkids.com 
• www.scavenger-hunt-guru.com 
• www.hometrainingtools.com 
• Utahs Natural Kids 
• www.wildernesscollege.com 
• www.everythingmom.com 
• blogs.smarter.com 

The internet is full of links. Just Google or Yahoo  "kids nature scavenger hunts"

Treasure we found along our Nature Walk

Today at Sesqui State Park the temp high was only 60 and  it was very windy making it feel so much colder.  This was one of the coolest days we've had this year so we haven't really had a chance to adjust. However, finding this beautiful Yellow Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar was so worth a little chill.   Megan also pointed out that this little guy is also our state butterfly:)

The Zoo with Dad:)

Fun at Charlotte Mason Co-op Today

A friend of ours has a Charlotte Mason Co-op. It's a very small co-op with only a few members.  They meet weekly all year rain or shine, hot or cold. It takes dedication and commitment and so it's something I've been giving lots of thought to.   Today we went for the first time to try it out to see how what we thought.   They do Circle Time, Show-N-Tell, Artist/Picture Study, Handicrafts, Nature Study, Nature Books, and more.  Both kids LOVED it today.  They are really looking forward to next time and I am too.
    After hearing more about Charlotte Mason last year I checked out some books from the library and begin researching more online.  While I know we will not use everything Charlotte Mason, there is so much about it that really appeals to me.  I am looking forward to this school year and learning more about the CM style of teaching/learning and joining in on with this group as much as we possibly can.
I also ordered a few nature books about 2 weeks ago.  I ordered Pocketful of Pinecones and  Last Child in the Woods. I began reading these but have been too busy to get past Chapter 1.....I really want to set aside some time this winter to wrap up in a blanket and enjoy these.   I also ordered the Handbook of Nature Studies---I was so excited when this one arrived.   I am planning to do as many Nature Studies as we can and I want to combine it with our Audubon guides and  the Blog: Handbook of Nature Study Blog




These are a few pictures from today(It rained much of the morning but the sun popped out for a while this afternoon):

Nature Class- Nature Writing

Today Miss.Chanda taught the kids about Nature Writing.  First they learned about Fiction and Non-Fiction.  Then the kids made turkey feather pens to use for their nature writing.  Then the kids each set out with their mom to use their 5 senses to see what things they could write about from the nature around them.

Nature Collections--How to store and display

How do you store and display your nature collections?
This is something we are just beginning but I will share pictures of ours very soon:)

 Until then here are a few links with some great ideas to get you started:
Homeschooling-ideas nature-table

Heywoodsmeadow blog- nature-collections

Simple kids- ways to store and display nature collections

GironLife nature-shelf

In the Sparrow's Nest

The Magic Onions blog- Nature Table

WarrenleeCohen - perserving autumn leaves

Ohdeedoh.com nature-collection

Nature Backpacks

Putting this together is currently on my To-Do list: After attending our Nature Class at a local state park it was perfect that I discovered this blog: Noggins and Nonsense She has ideas for putting together your own nature backpack and more. We already have most of the things she listed just a few missing items and then getting it all together. I'm so excited!

Worm Bin How-to

http://unplugyourkids.com/2009/06/17/worm-bin/

Composting

http://www.eartheasy.com/grow_compost.html

http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/rrr/composting/index.htm

http://www.howstuffworks.com/composting.htm/printable

Nature Class

Nature Class--Fossils