If you want children to love nature, you must introduce them to it.

February in a Warm Kitchen

Bread Making and other Kitchen adventures

Yes, I think bread making is an activity for children! Watching yeast wake up, beating up bread dough, watching it grow, then eating it.....Well, we find it enjoyable.

If you'd like to see how it's done..step by step...with a few hints on sharing it with children,...................click here

If you go to the Kitchen section of this site, you'll find a recipe for Russian Tea Cakes. You could do that with your children as well. If children are allowed to work with you in the kitchen from time t0 time (when you're not rushed, and can devote attention to them to make it a positive experience) they will gain knowledge that is impossible to measure (science, math, reading, health, following directions....the list goes on and on!). Mostly gained though, are fond memories, and a positive experience with cooking.

February is also a good time to clean out the fridge. Yes, involve the kids again! Make sure your kitchen is fairly clean so you have plenty of room to unload. I like to make sure all the dishes are done and out of the way. Now, have your children fill the sink with some water. Bubbles are optional....but they'll probably want them. Anything that isn't potentially harmful but needs to be removed from the fridge is put next to them. Tell them they can make a "mad scientist concoction" as long as they rinse the containers.

(Have a pan of warm bubbly water for yourself, so you can scrub the fridge while they're busy.) Everyone is together in one room having fun. Well, you might not be having fun....but you get to listen to the children squeal with delight at their gross antics. You'll probably be smiling here and there anyway.

March Madness

By this time, here in New Hampshire, we've got an extreme case of cabin fever. Each and every warm day we scout the yard and woods to see what else is emerging from a long winter slumber. A field guide of tracks and scat (yup, scat) help us identify the clues we find. If your children enjoy the Nancy Drew or Hardy boy series, they may enjoy playing "detectives" if you present these nature hunts as mysteries. You'll need to be a little creative.....coming up with a crime, but nature will provide clues and a trail to follow. The ultimate is finding the "criminal's" hideout.....or even catching a glimpse of him! (Chipmunks, squirrels, porcupine etc.)

Maple syrup production is another big event during March in N.H. Most parents have taken their children to a sugar shack at least once, but I suggest several visits over the course of many years. It seems early elementary students are introduced to this form of agriculture and that is about all they see of it. The idea at that age level is to demonstrate where maple syrup comes from. (This is usually tied into farm visits later in the spring to show where milk comes from, and eggs....etc.) Visits at later ages though, will bring forth new and more advanced questions and understanding. They are now ready for learning the ties that agriculture has within society. Maple production is unique to the Northern states, and is being impacted by housing development and climate change.

I like to show children that trees are a living thing, just as we are. A very effective way to do this is with a stethoscope. During the spring, as the sap runs, you can actually hear it if you use a stethoscope! Be sure to have the children listen to their blood flow, and then the tree's. It is a very special event watching their eyes widen with understanding.

Keep your ears and eyes open for the first Robin of the year. Reports start coming to me as early as the first week in March. I don't usually hear or see them until the second or third week though....it's a little colder and snowier here. Ask your children if Robins can walk. Observations will show they hop and run....but let them find that out on their own.

April Showers and Butter Races

Spring is finally here! Keep an eye out for the first flowers. Don't forget to look up! The trees produce their flowers as if competing with the crocus.

Farms are buzzing now. There is so much to do, and not enough hours in a day. Still, many open their doors for educating the future. Young animals are always adored by children, and this is one way to inspire future farmers. Again, remember to return to the farms as your children grow. They'll have new questions, and focus on different aspects of the farm. The animals are always going to be the main attraction, but I was delighted when one year my son showed more interest in the mechanical portion of milk production.

If you happen to visit a dairy farm that sells their product, bring home some heavy cream and try making butter! See the butter making instructions . Better yet, how about a race.....man against machine? Fill a quart jar one half way with cream. Have the children take turns shaking it while the Kitchenaid churns. Who will win?