poems

Summer Solstice

Summer Solstice

Happy Summer Solstice! Welcome to the longest day of the year. This year on June 20, 2021 there will be a total of 15 hours and 26 minutes of daylight. This week, we’re offering up some activities to do in celebration of the Sun!

June Week 3

June Week 3

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!

May Week 3

May Week 3

Spring is a season full of sensory experiences! A rainbow of colours can now be seen on the landscape. There are new scents carried on the breeze. Taste a tea made of edible springtime plants. Listen to the bird song and frog chorus. Delight in the season through your senses!

May Week 2

May Week 2

Rain or shine, May is a month for exploring new growth and observing the earth coming alive all around us. There is so much to see and wonder about! Check out the trees as they begin to leaf out, nurture the seedlings, and jump in the spring puddles!

May Week 1

May Week 1

The weather is getting fairer and the days are getting longer. These fine days of Spring are perfect for getting outdoors and exploring the natural world.

This week we’ll focus on FLOWERS, BUGS, and WEATHER.

Mayfaire, May Day, Fairy Day

Mayfaire, May Day, Fairy Day

One of my favourite Seasonal celebrations is upon us! MAY DAY - or as I knew it growing up: FAIRY DAY. On May Day the warmth and energy that brings forth new life is celebrated with song, dance, and merriment.

Spring is Here!

Spring is Here!

All around is GREEN! New life is bursting forth every day. The birds are busy building nests. Signs of Spring abound. Rainy days give the earth the drink plants and trees needs to refresh and grow and make muddy puddles that are so fun to splash in!

Candlemas, Imbolc, St. Brigid’s Day, Groundhog Day

Candlemas, Imbolc, St. Brigid’s Day, Groundhog Day

What do these festivals, celebrations, and special days have in common? They all mark the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. In the dark and cold and, sometimes, bleak days of winter, marking the halfway point can bring a sense of hope and optimism. We are getting closer every day to spring!

In the Winter Garden

In the Winter Garden

The landscape is white with snow. The branches of the fir and pine trees are draped in a beautiful white blanket. It’s time to bundle up in warm layers and head out to find joy in the creation of snow angels, sculpting of snow beings, discovery of tracks, ice skating, tobogganing, and construction of snow forts!

The Fair Days of May

The Fair Days of May

Every spring there is a day when suddenly the world looks very green again. The slightly green halo of the trees is transformed into pure green wherever you look. The day may be slightly sooner or later than it was last year. It is the day the trees are telling us: summer really is on it’s way! Has that day happened where you live?

Planting Time!

Planting Time!

In Ontario, the May long weekend is traditionally the opening of outdoor gardening season. Gardeners start many seeds inside ahead of time and have laboured to prepare the garden beds to receive the baby plants. Other seeds can be planted straight into the garden once the risk of a visit from Jack Frost has passed. Do you have a garden you are tending? What plants are growing in your garden?

In the Garden

In the Garden

Day by day the earth awakens a little more. Maybe you have been tending some little seedlings inside your home - waiting for the day you can transfer them to their outside garden home. Maybe you have been keeping an eye on a nest near your home and patiently waiting for the baby chicks to hatch. (One of the nests by my house has four blue eggs in it and the other nest has three blue eggs in it!). Spring is so full of wonder, anticipation, and excitement!

The Merry Month of May

The Merry Month of May

The days and nights are getting warmer. The sun is staying up later in the evening. There is a greenish hue to the branches of the deciduous trees. The birds are busy building nests or caring for freshly hatched chicks. (We have two pairs of robins who have chosen to build nests on the sides of our house!!). The forest is full of sweet scents. It is getting easier to be outside as we shed layers of clothing. Oh - the merry month of May! We welcome you!

Celebrate May Day!

Celebrate May Day!

May Day, Beltane or Fairy Day - the first of May has always been one of my favourite days of the year! My wonderful neighbour introduced me to the idea of Fairy Day when I was a child. On the 30th of April, every year, my sister, my cousins and I would carefully create a fairy house at the base of my neighbour’s honeysuckle tree. We would craft tables and seats, beds, and a fireplace out of rocks, bark, and bits of wood. Sometimes we would be allowed to take a bit of flour and some spices from our family’s kitchen to make miniature ‘breads’ and ‘soup’ to leave as an offering for the fairies. When we woke up on May Day we would find that the honeysuckle tree had most certainly been visited by fairies!

Earth Day & Spring Wildcrafting

Earth Day & Spring Wildcrafting

Celebrate Earth Day with us on April 22! In preparing these resources I have been thinking a lot about reciprocity. Mother Nature provides so much for all of the beings on earth. We benefit daily from the air, water, plants, animals, and minerals all around us. How can we give back? How can we show gratitude for all that we receive? In this post, I will share some ideas for activities that you may want to do with your family as a way of ‘giving back’ and expressing gratitude for all of Nature’s gifts.

SPRINGO Challenge!

SPRINGO Challenge!

This week we invite you to participate in our SPRINGO challenge! To participate you can download and print one of the SPRINGO cards. Keep track of what items you are able to find. You might choose to take photos of some of the items you find and share them with us through the Facebook group - Nature (home)School Support, or write a list. Set a goal for your family: will your goal be to get 5 in a row (horizontally, vertically or diagonally)? Or you will you aim to complete a full card?