Foto Fridays: Yard/Garden

This weeks theme for La-La's Home Daycare Foto Friday is Around the Yard or Garden. This is my neighbor's Clematis that has snuck into my yard through the fence. I like the contrast of the bright purple against the brown fence. My garden has been taken over by veggies and I love how the flower has come over to brighten up the sea of green!

Visiting Neighbor

Urban Nature Scavenger Hunt

Living in the Pacific Northwest we are lucky to have nature at our fingertips: 2nd tallest waterfall in the US (and prettier than the 1st by far), 2nd largest free-standing, single rock monolith in the northern hemisphere, one of the most ruggedly beautiful coastlines anywhere, dense forests, mountain ranges, high desert, farmlands & vineyards, lakes, rivers, the prairie dunes of the Palouse Hills, and tons of protected green space-after all we are all tree huggers here! However, I couldn't explore our "backyard" for our summer challenge and not include another part that makes up our landscape-urban city life. We live in a suburb of the metropolis of Portland, OR, with over 2 million inhabitants. At Go Explore Nature I found a Urban Nature Scavenger Hunt and I knew we were set to explore!

Scavenger Hunt (pic is of Portland)

We started out the day reading the Curious Garden by Peter Brown, and talked about how nature can be found in cityscapes. This book fits nicely with Portlander's sentiments because we are known for garden rooftops and green living. Then after a surprise lunch with Daddy at the shipyards it was off to the big city! The goal was to find natural thinks in a concrete jungle. Some of the things on our hunt was a flower in a sidewalk crack, birds, leaves, trees, puddles, seeds, and evidence of animals. In downtown Portland there are quite a few park spaces, but I purposely took "A" where we wouldn't come across them. It took some searching but we found everything but a seed (we went home and researched that Pine Cones can't be considered a seed). The great thing about the Urban Nature Scavenger Hunt I found was it also asked thoughtful questions like: Close your eyes and see if you can hear any natural things among the city sounds, take 20 steps and see if they were all concrete and where the nearest grass is, and (my fave) if you were a rabbit where would you sleep tonight. Of course, we also had lots of fun finding Curious Gardens of our own. "A" even discovered wind turbines on a skyscraper-nice find little man!!!

Weed trying to sneak through a grate

Boys in Downtown with Max in the background

Do you see the wind turbines on the skyscraper in the back?

Roof Top Garden (Curious Gardens)

Flowers Blooming in a Concrete Jungle

I love this city!

To finish up the Urban Nature Study I wanted to do an art project at home. I was really excited to do this one, so I made had to make one myself. My brother use to be an architecture major and had this fun stamp kit that makes buildings out of shapes. When he switched majors I got his castoff. Now this kit is pretty advanced! It has a book of ideas but it is not for the faint of heart. That being said the things you can make are endless, and I am excited to use this many times in the future for art work at home and in the classroom. "A" and I got busy building a city scene,  and "A" was content creating for some time. Then we drew nature in the urban landscape because as we now know- nature is everywhere if you are just patient enough to look.

"A" making a city using the stamps

My city with book of ideas and kit in background

My finished Urban Nature scene

"A" proud of his masterpiece (I'm pretty proud too)!

Dino Mom

My five year old LOVES dinosaur. Tis the age, I guess (it started around 4 years old). Between him and my work in an elementary library I have had my share of dinosaurs books and items to preview. So here is my list of my favorite dinosaur books, films, and crafts.

 Books 

1.)  Dinomummy by Phillip Lars Manning: This is one of my favorite dinosaur books about mummified remains a teenager found in 2000. The book has a great mix of non-fiction and fiction. It is great to see the computer graphics of what they think happened to Dakota the dinosaur based on the remains. A true detective discovery.

2.) Dinosaurs In Your Backyard: The Coolest, Scariest Creatures Found in the USA by Hugh Brewster: This book is a new discovery for me but I loved the illustrations and text features. It was especially fascinating to see what the continental United States looked like during the time of dinosaurs and where oceans lied. The text is very informational but still easy to understand for a preschooler.

3.) Prehistoric Actual Size by Steve Jenkins: I am the hugest Steve Jenkins fan. I recommend you get your hands on any book he has written and/or illustrated and devour them with your children immediately. He creates amazing cut paper artwork with exceptional eye to detail. Being an actual size book it was fun to see that not all things were huge. However, we would flap the book over our heads for the massive flying reptiles and imagine the horror of what it would be like to have something like that overhead.

4.) Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Barbara Kerley: This picture book is the true story of an artist 150 years ago who was the first person to create life size replicas of dinosaurs. It follows the life of Waterhouse Hawkins and his tremendous successes (having Queen Victoria for a dinner party inside a replica of a dinosaur) and defeats (a mob boss destroying his museum in Central Park, NY). I wonder if one day we will excavate Central Park and find Hawkins work?

5.) My Daniel by Pam Conrad: This was one of my favorite chapter books as a child. It is geared more to ages 9 and older.It is the story of an old women who shows her grandchildren a dinosaur fossil her and her brother found as children on their farm in Nebraska. The majority of the story is a flashback of the discovery and excavation of the dinosaur fossil. If you or your child like historical fiction this is a great read.

6.) Dinosaur Cove Series by Rex Stone. This is a chapter book series for beginning readers. My son likes this as a read aloud, but children in 1st-3rd grade if they like dinosaurs will find this series enjoyable. It is about a boy and his friend who likes to look for fossils finds a secret cave that puts them into dinosaur time. Each book follows their adventure with one of these giants.

7.) and 8.) National Geographic Kids Ultimate Dinopedia by Don Lessem and Insiders: Dinosaurs by John Long. Both of these books are great expansive reference books for older children. The illustrations are engaging and hours of fact finding can be hand. P.S. I am a fan of most books National Geographic Kids and Insiders.

Films

 1) Land Before Time film and show series. Most people are familiar with this series. It is just sweet little movies with great messages for preschoolers.

2.) Dinosaur Train (PBS): TV Show that has a family of dinosaur travel through eras on a train and learn about different dinosaurs. Great for preschoolers that like both dinosaurs and trains. A side note: PBS Kids has a computer game on their website that goes along with this TV show that is really fun and informative.

3.) Walt Disney's Dinosaur: I think this film is stunning and sweet and I am not sure why it hasn't been widely known as other Disney films.

4.) and 5.) Chased By Dinosaurs (BBC) and Clash of the Dinosaurs (Discovery Channel). Both of these documentaries are really fun for all ages, although Clash needs parental guidance. Chased by Dinosaurs is described as a cross between Jurassic Park and Crocodile Hunter. It is fun to see the size of a man to a dinosaur in computer graphics. Clash of the Dinosaurs is my new favorite because it looks at scientific features they have found dinosaurs to have and how that made them survive. My five year old loves it! PS. Both are currently Play Instantly on Netflix if you want to check them out.

Crafts

1) Dinosaur Excavation Kits: There are many brands out there. This is the one we did, but with a Brachiosaurus rather than a T-Rex. All kids should have the chance to be a paleontologist. I was surprised how difficult it was to get to the bones. It took a lot of elbow grease. Also once we found the bones "A" had a hard time stopping so I think some of the bones got chipped away. He holds his skeleton fossil like a prized trophy among his prized possessions.
 
2) Create your own Dinosaur Environment Using Live Plants. This is one of my most favorite things we did this summer. We took an under the bed storage bin and drilled a few holes in the bottom. Then we lay down pebbles and potting soil. "A" then picked plants that he thought looked prehistoric (ferns, grass, plants with colored leaves) and we planted them. Next I used more pebbles to make a path. Lastly, he decorated the environment with dino figurines, items from his shell and rock collection, driftwood and he added cars and a tunnel Daddy made from a PVC pipe a for good measure. It turned into more of a Jurassic Park environment, but he gets to drive and play so it's okay with me. Later we can change dinos out for jungle animals if we want. Make sure to water with a light mist every couple of days to keep your plants alive.

"A's" Jurassic Park with live plants

Gourd Birdhouses

This has been the very first summer I have been truly in love with my backyard. My hubby helped my make raised garden beds in the spring, which has made a world of difference in my green thumb (or lack thereof). A few other cosmetic items made or bought (on clearance-of course) has turned our yard into an oasis.One of the cosmetic items made has been a fun craft for my little man, but for me too: Gourd Birdhouses!

My backyard-SWOON! You can see the gourd on the fence.

This is so simple, fun, and beautiful you won't believe it! Purchase some dried gourds. We got ours at a local farm for about $1.50 each. I have also seen them at grocery stores and of course you could grow them too. Just make sure they are dried out. The little ones I find they were practically giving away. "A" thought the tiny ones looked like ghosts so he couldn't help drawing spooky faces. However, the larger ones we decided to make into birdhouses. Scrub away the dirt on the outside of the gourd. I used water, a little of vinegar, and a scrub brush! After they dry you can mark where you will put the bird hole. The hole doesn't need to be very large, but big enough for a bird to get in. Then decorate away! I used permanent markers (so the rain wouldn't wash it away) and nature stencils. "A" decided to just make flowers and vines free hand.  I did find that once my art did get washed away (don't know if I had unknowingly used the wrong markers or what). I actually kind of liked the fresh clean canvas so I could once again create a beautiful gourd! Lemonade out of lemons, I suppose. Anyway, once the gourd is decorated drill a hole on the line you made for the bird hole. I did a lot of little drill marks and then used a standard kitchen knife to saw away the circle. It should just pop out. Inside the dried gourd is some weird dry flesh that you need to take out. It comes out easily enough. Then just place it where you wish, fill with birdseed and enjoy! A note on placement: I put mine on the fence post but you could also hang it. To hang drill two other small holes on the top of the gourd (one on each side). Then use string or wire to hang it. Make sure it can hold the weight of birds though!

"A's" decorated gourd waiting to be drilled, and my finished gourd waiting for birds!