If you are looking for resources, songs and poems that have been shared previously on the blog, you can use the search tool on this page.
EARTH, WATER, AIR, FIRE - this week we are going to explore the four elements. We’ll get down in the dirt, play in the water, run with the wind, and harness the power of the sun!
A tree is a symbol of the four elements working together: The trees roots are grounded in the EARTH. The tree needs WATER and FIRE (heat from the sun) to survive. The tree takes in carbon dioxide and releases oxygen into the AIR.
SEASONAL POEMS:
Artwork credit: Madison Safer
Mealtime Blessing
Earth we thank you for this food
For rest and home and all things good.
For wind and rain and sun above
But most of all for those we love
Blessings on our food.
SEASONAL SONG:
Mother Earth
Mother Earth, Mother Earth
Take our seed and give it birth
Father Sun, gleam and glow,
Til the roots begin to show
Sister Rain, Sister Rain,
Shed thy tears to swell the grain
Brother Wind, breathe and blow
Then the blade green will grow
Earth and Sun, Wind and Rain,
Turn to gold the living grain.
NATURE ADVENTURES & PROJECTS
Pack your backpack with a snack, water, and extra clothes and get ready to hit the trail (or your backyard!).
Here are some ideas that you might want to try out this week:
EARTH
NATURE ADVENTURE
Spend some time weeding in a garden, playing on a sandy beach, or go for a walk to look for different textures and samples of earth. Can you find the following:
rough gravel
smooth stones
giant boulders
mud
dry, hard packed earth
loose, moist earth
sand
clay
quartz
Materials:
Sidewalk chalk
Bucket
Mud
Instructions:
Collect or make some mud in a bucket.
Draw a target using sidewalk chalk.
Add numbers to the target and turn it into a math game. How many points can you get?
PROJECT
Make Mud Paint
Check out this activity that was posted previously on the blog.
Or check out this recipe from Learn, Play, Imagine
WATER
NATURE ADVENTURE
Cool off in a stream, creek, river or lake! Look for a couple fist-sized or bigger rocks to bring home for Rock Painting (see below). Or bring a couple of paintbrushes with you on your adventure and do the activity on the spot!
PROJECT
Rock Painting
This simple activity is best on a hot day so that you can watch your designs disappear before your eyes.
Photo credit: Play of the Wild
Materials:
A couple of different sizes of paintbrushes
Rocks (fist-sized or bigger)
A bucket of water (the paint!)
Instructions:
Lay your rocks out in the sun so that they get toasty warm.
Fill a bucket with water.
Use the paintbrushes to paint designs on the rocks with water.
Watch as your designs vanish!
PROJECT
Make Flower Ice Cubes
On hot days it is extra important to stay hydrated. Try out these ice cubes from Garden Therapy to spruce up a glass of water.
Photo credit: Garden Therapy
Air
NATURE ADVENTURE
Find an open meadow (even better if there is a hill in it). Run as fast as you can! Feel the air in your hair and on your skin. Do you know a spot where there is usually a nice breeze? Seek it out and enjoy feeling the air move around your body.
PROJECT
Make a Kite
Kites are a great way to experience the power of the wind.
Photo credit: Buggy and Buddy
Materials:
A full sheet of newspaper
Two sticks the width of your pointer figure (or slightly wider) - one 24” and one 30” long.
Scissors
Pencil
String
Masking tape or packing tape
Ruler
Yarn and / or ribbons
Instructions:
Lay the 24” across the 30” stick (6” from the top) to make a ‘t’ shape.
Use the string to wrap the sticks tightly together where they meet.
Wrap the string all the way around the outside of the ‘t’ shape, at the ends of the sticks. Secure the string in place at the ends with a piece of tape.
Photo credit: Buggy and Buddy
4. Place a large sheet of newspaper on the floor. Place your frame on top of it. Cut about one inch outside the frame to make your newspaper the same shape.
5. Fold the edges of the newspaper over the string and tape into place.
Photo credit: Buggy and Buddy
6. Cut a piece of string 24 inches long. Poke holes into the top and bottom points of the kite. Tie one end of the string into the top hole and one end into the bottom hole. (Use some tape to keep it secure.) This is the brindle of your kite. Tie your flying string to this brindle string to fly your kite. You may need to adjust where on the brindle you tie your flying string.
7. Use ribbon to create the tail of your kite.
8. Go fly your kite!
FIRE
NATURE ADVENTURE
Put on your sunscreen and sun hat (make sure to bring along a water bottle) and go on a sun walk. Experiment along the way by finding sunny spots and shady spots. Feel the difference in temperature between the two.
PROJECT
Make a Solar Oven
Did you know that the sun is a great big ball of fire? You can use the heat of the sun to cook and bake food.
Materials:
Pizza box
Tin foil
Plastic wrap
Tape
Scissors
Pencil
S’more ingredients (graham crackers, marshmallow, square of chocolate). Alternatively, nacho chips and cheese would work well too.
Dark coloured paper plate or tin plate
Instructions:
Cover the inside (bottom) of the pizza box with tin foil. Tape in place to secure it.
Cut a flap in the lid of the box that will let light in.
Tape plastic wrap over the ‘window’ on the inside of the lid.
Cover the inside of the window flap with more tin foil.
Prop open the window flap with a pencil. The point of the pencil lead will stick into the cardboard while the rubber eraser will rest against the tin foil flap holding it open at an angle.
Place your food on the paper plate and put the plate in your solar oven.
Take the solar oven outside and find a sunny spot to try it out.
*You may need to play around with the position of your solar oven to capture the most sunlight.
Photo credit: Take Them Outside
PROJECT
Build a Fire
Knowing how to build a fire is a very important survival skill. There are several tricks you can learn to make your next fire a success!
You can practice gathering the materials you will need to start a fire.
Remember to check the fire outdoor fire regulations in your area before lighting a fire!
You can also practice building different campfire structures. See the illustrations below.
Illustration credit: Take Outdoors
STORYTELLING
This week we are sharing the story: Grandfather, What is a Medicine Wheel? By Sandra Samatte published by Native Reflections
CONNECT WITH COMMUNITY
You have the opportunity to connect with other parents and families on the Nature (home)School journey through a private Facebook group. The digital forum is a place where you can post photos of the activities that you get up to with your children, share stories or inspirations from your outdoor adventures, and connect with other families. Please follow the link to connect with other families in the online community or from Facebook - search: Nature (home)School Support.