I hate to cancel hikes just because it’s raining. So, on Saturday, November 12, we left for our hike to Blue Mound State Park despite a wet forecast. As predicted, it poured on our way there. But by the time we got there, the rain stopped. Perfect. Temps were in the 50s and it was […]
Damp Day Delight: Stone tools and why I hate to cancel trips Read More »
Kids love a good scare, especially a fun scare. We all got our screams out on Saturday night when 30 kids – yes 30 kids — and lots of adults from Goodman Community Center went to the Haunted Hayride at MacKenzie Environmental Center in Poynette. The kids were very excited and the night was perfect-mild
Haunted Hayride: The Joy of Fright Read More »
With Halloween right around the corner, it’s important to remember that nature can be scary for kids. The heart of the Pheasant Branch Creek Nature Preserve in Middleton is a huge spring. Water boils up from the ground and looks like a cauldron of boiling water and sand. The spring intrigued the K-5th grade kids
Bubble bubble toil and trouble: Dealing with fear Read More »
Q: How do you teach kids the art of listening? A: One minute at a time. While hiking today at the Arboretum with 10 kids, I tried something new. I held up my watch and said, “For one minute, let’s see how many birds we can hear.” It wasn’t perfect silence, but that’s okay. The
One minute of silence: Listening to the birds at the Arboretum Read More »
Kids are loud. I don’t always want to hush them up, especially when outside. On the other had, if they miss the sounds of the outdoors altogether then I don’t think I’m doing my job as a teacher. Yes, kids are loud, but teaching kids the value of being quiet is a gift. On Saturday,
Zero Voice: Making it quiet on the trail Read More »
Do technology and nature belong together? After all, isn’t hiking supposed to get us away from machines and technology? That’s what I always thought. However, after our first geo-cache outing, I believe there is a place for geo-caching in the nature curriculum for kids. It’s just a different kind of nature experience. Here are the
Going on a Treasure Hunt: Geo-Caching at Picnic Point Read More »
Small successes with kids need to be celebrated. Yesterday, while picking up kids at Emerson Elementary School (home of the Emerson Eagles no less) for our after school program, the principal, Karen Kepler, pointed out the eagle button she was wearing. “Do you know who gave me this?” she asked. “John?” I asked. Yes, it
Eagle Watching Success Story Read More »
It’s important to get outside even on cold days. Teaching kids how to dress for cold weather is a great skill to have. Too many people stay inside all winter. Meanwhile, there’s a world of ice and snow ready to explore. Today, Four hearty kids and three adults went on a walk in the frozen
Winter Tracks on a Cold Day Read More »
It’s fall and no matter how many times I’ve done this, it’s still exciting to take kids on a leaf safari. On a glorious October day, me and my co-teacher Zach took about 11 Kindergarten and first-graders on a leaf safari. They were REALLY excited about this, especially when they saw that they got to
What do you get when you cross 11 school age boys with insect exploration? Lots of high energy insect fun. Bugs and Slugs marked my second of two week-long adventure camps run from the Goodman Community Center this summer. Bike camp was in June and Bugs & Slugs was in August. As this was my
Bugs & Slugs: Insect Adventure Read More »
