Tag Archives: nature

Listen In Nature

Many children in this country have lost all understanding that they are part of nature and are connected to nature.We live so fearfully that children will be nabbed or will get hurt that we keep them inside and away from danger. But ultimately we are harming them far worse by robbing them of the experiences that can only be found outside in nature.

“To become stronger adults, kids need to be outside and allow their bodies to do what they’ve been designed for from the beginning. – Kacie Flegal, a chiropractor in Ashland, Ore., who specializes in pediatrics.

In college I studied Ornithology because I was obsessed with the film maker Peter Greenaway. His film A Walk Through H: The Reincarnation of an Ornithologist change my view of birds, film making and visual experiences.

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Some of Greenaway’s other best-known films include:  The Draughtsman’s Contract (1982), A Zed & Two Noughts (1985), The Belly of an Architect (1987), Drowning by Numbers (1988), and his most successful (and controversial) film, The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989) also include references to Ornithology, birds and nature.

As a parent this has me thinking about sharing a love for birds with my children and if I want to get them outside to listen more I can start with the sound of various songbirds. Doing this can really can teach a child about the diversity of the natural world.

Once you spend time outside listing for birds why not get creative?  Set up an outdoor creativity studio where you can build and make things! Go grab these Free plans to build a birdhouse for your own back yard from Ana White

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ADDED BONUS:

While building your bird house listen to some classic music inspired by birds.

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National Park Trust’s Kids to Parks Day

Today May 21, 2016 marks the National Park Trust’s sixth annual Kids to Parks Day. Visit a park in your neighborhood or nationally today! Celebrate the outdoors and all that nature has to offer.

If you have a 4th grader see America’s natural wonders and historic sites for FREE! Visit every kid in a park for more information.

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Parks are amazing American project that we can be intensely proud of and need to share the importance of maintaining and celebrating them with future generations. The only way to do that is to take the kids out and play!

National Park Trust National Kids to Parks Day Logo. (PRNewsFoto/National Park Trust)

While your visiting the National Park Trust’s site download some useful tools for exploring parks including these Activity Guides:

Activity 1: Exploring Federal Lands and Waters (PDF). This lesson teaches students why our country protects lands and waters.

Activity 2: Environmental Stewardship(PDF). This lesson shows students how to take care of lands and waters.

Activity 3: Our Nation’s Native Peoples(PDF). This lesson teaches students about the people who lived on this land before it was called the United States.

Activity 4: Citizen Science (PDF). This lesson helps kids learn about the difference between weather and climate.

 

Laboratory5 Inc. is a small business based in Tempe, Arizona

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Play Outside – Look up!

There are so many ways to create kids who love being and playing outside. Children benefit greatly from the sensory experiences in nature, including looking at things outside, smelling things that are organic in nature, listening to sounds in nature and touching textures while they are outside.

So how do we actively do the work to get kids off of tech and out into nature?  Start small!  Ask a child to step outside and look at shapes that they can see in the clouds, once out there have them notice the wind on their face or the feeling of sun shining down on them. Ask them to take a deep breath and smell the scents all around them, have them describe what they smell. Grow their outdoor experiences from there.

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Want to turn this activity in to a creative outcome? Check out “The Cloudspotter’s Guide” from your local library and then use the attached Cloud Template: Clouds Template

And follow these instructions:

How to make a cloud mobile

 

The Clouds:

  1. Use the PDF cloud template offered on this site. Cut out five cloud shapes out of cream or white cardstock.
  2. Glue these shapes down on a larger piece of paper, leaving plenty of room around each shape.
  3. Look at each shape and think about what it looks like i.e: a rocket ship? A fried egg? Draw that shape around the cloud form and cut each bigger picture out.
  4. Use colored pencils to color in the outer forms if desired.
  5. Hole punch the top of each shape.
  6. Run a piece of string or yarn down through each of the holes so you form a continuous ladder of shapes.
  7. Tie the top piece of string or yarn off into a hanging loop.

 

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Laboratory5 Inc. is a small business based in Tempe, Arizona

Visit our website: Laboratory5       Follow us on Twitter: @lab5     Become a fan on Facebook: Laboratory5
Contact Us at anytime – we’d love to hear from you

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