Description
Spring is the time of creating and cleaning, of building and renewing, and each of the activities suggested here harness our impulses as they connect us and our children with the earth and nature. It’s hard to imagine more exhilarating and inspiring activity ideas than these.
Here’s what’s inside:
Introduction Between Heaven and Earth
MARCH
- Nesting
- Our Native Birds in Spring
- Even Younger Children Can Help Build a Nesting Box
- Nesting Help for Birds Box for hole nesters
- Box for eave or platform nesters
- Sowing, Planting, Growing
- Sprouting Grain
- Caring for Flowers
- Sprouting Walnutes
- Johnny Appleseed Grace
- Johnny Appleseed
- Thought about trees
APRIL
- Creating Garden Spaces
- Garden Work and Health
- Landscaping a Garden as a Group Project
- Actively Shaping Our Surroundings
- Gardens at the Root of Social Change
- What to Consider When Landscaping a Garden
- Initial considerations
- Action guidelines
- Conclusions
- Landscaping Ideas
- Layered tree trunk wall
- Climbing wall
- Tree stump spiral for climbing and sitting
- Twig layer wall
- Building with stone and wood
- A root mountain
- Nesting places for insects, bats, wild bees and wasps
- A willow arbour
- Making a spring flute from a willow branch
- Play pit
- Stone herb garden
- Paradise garden
- Earthworms – compost in a worm box
- Potato box
- Strawberry pots
- Keeping pets
- April does what she wants
MAY
- Plant-based dyes and paints
- Making Dyes
- Color chart for plant dyeing
- Characteristics of plants used for dyeing
- Painting with plant-based paints
- The invigorating effect of plant colors
- Milk Processing
- The Cow – Serving humankind since ancient times
- Milk – Lifeblood of the child
- What can be made from milk
- Beekeeping
- From forest bees to beekeeping
- The Bee Colony
- Biology of the Bees
- Beehives
- Bee products
- Swarming
- How can children be included in beekeeping
Further reading and resources
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So – grab your sweaters, put on your shoes and let’s go outside!
