More Nature Activities

I was browsing the web today and realized there are some great nature blogs with outdoor activities for kids that I haven't checked out recently.

These are some great blogs and posts that I think you should check out:

Grass Stain Guru I love the Mystery Critters posts - if only I was better at guessing. Bethe provides great activities and insights for parents to take their kids outside. Importantly, she agrees that children should play outdoors using their imaginations!

Childhood101 is another fun site that posts include all sorts of ideas and activities to try with your children. The activities from this post are especially fun to for the outdoors.

Over the past year, we also have tried to post various nature activities to try with your children! What are some of your favorites?

I think it is great when parents share ideas of outdoor activities they have tried with their kids. Playing outdoors requires little to no work from parents. Children's imaginations are huge and they love to use them!

What other outdoor activities do you have?

'Tis the Season

Now that winter has arrived you might find you and your family spending more time inside playing the Wii or backing cookies. Scholastic has put together a fun and exciting list of winter activities that you and your children can do even when snowflakes are flying. Lets learn from and enjoy this wonderful season.

•Create a sundial. Find a long stick and set it in the snow. Try to tell the time throughout the day by where the stick's shadow is cast. (At high noon there will be no shadow.)

•Start a nature sketchbook. Buy an inexpensive artist's sketch pad or book and begin a winter nature diary. Each time you take a walk, observe something up close in nature. Draw the item, then write down descriptive details and date the entry. Continue you observations and entries throughout the year as seasons and locations change. This is especially fun if you visit the same area year after year — you can compare your observations over time.

•Identify trees during a walk in the winter woods. Observe the shape and bundling of evergreen needles and patterns on bark. Borrow a naturalist's guide from the library to help make your identifications.

•Go on a berry hunt. Pick berries with leaves attached and try to identify them (but don't eat them!). Use a naturalist's guide or check the Web before or after your search to find clues.

•Observe the night sky. Before your trip, research the constellations and planets that may be visible on a cold clear night at the latitude and longitude where you are staying. Practice picking them out in the heavens by first tracing the constellations on paper. Then, when you are away, it will be easier to find them. Your Sky is just one site where you can map your sky.

•Search for animal tracks. The best time is early morning when snow is pristine — you'll find the tracks of nocturnal animals. Draw and label what you see. Visit www.bear-tracker.com before you leave for your trip, and download pictures of tracks for black bear, porcupine, beaver, red fox, gray squirrel, moose, skunk, brush rabbit, deer mouse and black-tailed deer. You can also learn about their winter habitats at the site.

•Keep an eye open for skat, too. Droppings are another way to look for signs of animal life.

•Collect pine cones from different types of evergreens. Take them home as mementos of your trip.

•Take bird-watching breaks. Record your findings in your sketchbook. When you get home, do some research (using the Internet or an Audubon guide) to find out what types of food these birds forage for in winter.

•Listen and look for owls just before dark. In the daytime, keep your eyes open for "owl pellets" during your walks. Owls spit up these small, oval-shaped balls that may contain bits of undigested bone and fur.

•Hunt for icicles. See who can find the biggest.

•Explore lichen. To identify and learn more about various kinds, check out http://www.angelfire.com/ma/pondart/lichenpage4.html.

•Search for deer fields on foot, while showshoeing, or when you are in your car. Deers like to collect in meadows that are sheltered by trees.

•Blow bubbles outdoors in the cold. Do they freeze? Visit Bubblesphere for a host of information.

•Play snow "basket"-ball. Scoop out a large bowl-shaped area in the snow and make a ton of snowballs, then see who can land the most into the basket.

•Try snowball catch for variation.

• Team up for snow hockey or golf. Use a broom for hockey, or bring along a toy club for golf.

•Have fun with outdoor tic-tac-toe. Use a long stick to draw the grid and the Xs and Os. Or color snowballs (use a spray bottle filled with watered-down food coloring) and throw them into the grid to play - red against blue, for example, instead of X vs. O.

•Go snow bowling. Line up inverted pails of snow, then try to knock them down with snowballs.

•Build a snowman, of course. Use stones, branches and berries to decorate (and a carrot for his nose!).

Friday Morning at High Trails

Last night we saw some great skits! Each cabin performed for each other. The High Trails staff did a cowboy melodrama that received lots of laughs. The teachers told some good jokes and read cowboy poetry. It was lots of fun!

This morning the students finished packing and the High Trails staff helped clean the cabins. We had another delicious breakfast - hard boiled eggs, oatmeal, and fresh banana bread.

The students are all meeting at their stakes for the last time to head to Sunday Rocks. The High Trails staff read 15 - 20 of the quotes the students wrote during Setting the Mood on Tuesday. From the rocks, the students head on their last discovery group - Putting It All Together. They'll head back in for the Million Dollar Buffet before getting on the buses.

It was a great week up here at High Trails. The High Trails staff and teachers saw growth in their students. We expect they will have lots of new nature facts to bring home with them. We will miss all the students! And wish them luck for the rest of the school year.

Thursday Morning at High Trails

It's looking like another nice day here! The students started the morning by picking which hike they wanted to go on. The group that went to the candy cane were able to hike up close to a few deer, including a big buck.

Everyone ate their fill of french toast with syrup, orange juice, and cereal this morning. We are sending the groups out on their all-days right now. They will spend the day out on the trail for their discovery groups. A few of the extra activities include the homesteaders making candles and apple cider; the cowboys learning how to rope and brand, the prospectors heading to the copper mines. The groups will head back in this afternoon for another recreation time.

The students are having a great time and can't wait to return home to share all their adventures with you!

Tuesday Afternoon at High Trails

Our second group of Mountain Ridge students arrived safe and happy this morning. They moved into their cabins and have already been playing games as a cabin group with their High Trails staff leaders.

Everyone enjoyed a good lunch of sandwiches, homemade chicken and rice soup, and freshly made ginger cookies. There were not many leftovers on any table!

At 3 this afternoon the students will go on their first discovery group, Setting the Mood. They will play sensory awareness games, find their special spots, and enjoy nature around the High Trails property.

If you want to check out pictures of our facilities and the activities your child will be partaking in this week, please click on the link to our camp Web site and High Trails Web site. Check back tonight and throughout the rest of the week for updates on how the 6th graders are doing!

Friday Morning at High Trails

Good morning Mountain Ridge families! The sun is starting to come out and it is going to be a beautiful morning here at High Trails.

The students are packed, eating breakfast, and are ready for their last discovery group. We are enjoying a big breakfast of hard boiled eggs, oatmeal, fruit, and coffee cake.

Our last discovery group today is Putting It All Together - a wrap up of the week.

Even with the 2 hour delay down in town, the students will be back at school by 1 p.m.

You can check out a few pictures of our lodge and cabins to see where your student was this week, as well as our discovery groups.

Mountain Ridge First Morning at High Trails

We woke up to a wonderful snowy morning! We have about 2 inches on the ground this morning; we still have big fluffy flakes coming down. The 6th graders are very excited to be out in the snow!

We had short hikes this morning. Everyone went out for 30 minutes to an hour looking for new tracks in the snow. All the 6th graders looked happy when they came in for a hot breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast.

Our morning discovery groups just went out. The plan is to play and learn in the snow for an hour this morning before heading to indoor spots for more discovery group activities. We have fires going in various buildings around High Trails. The hot chocolate is on the stove to help everyone warm up.

The plan for later this afternoon is to have snowman building and sledding, as well as other fun snowy day activities.

Check back for an update later this evening!

Camper Posts

We're going to share a couple of stories that our campers wrote about the last week at camp. During an activity this week they wrote down their ideas and memories of trips and all-camp activities. As you can tell, we have been very busy in our first two weeks of camp!

 

Mueller Ranch by Clara Butler

On Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 2 girls and 2 counselors went on an all-day trip to Mueller Ranch. Mueller Ranch is a state park where animals can take refuge. The scenery was truly amazing; you could see Pikes Peak to its full extent. Everything in Mueller Ranch is completely wild, so children are kept close to adults, because of bears. It is so full of wild animals and flowers that would be hard to find anywhere else. We rock scrambled, explored secret trails, and just looked at the views. When we got to the top of the rocks we scrambled on, we ate lunch and just looked at the amazing view. In my entire life, I've never seen a view as beautiful as that one. You could see everything: ponds, valleys, mountains, and even wild animals. 

All in all, it was an incredible day; I couldn't have asked for a better one.

 

Miss Sanborn by Elena Wirth and Jessie For,am

On Wednesday night High Trails Ranch for girls hosted the 1st session 2009 Miss Sanborn Pageant. The contestants were Chit Giving Cowgirl from Juniper West, Gardening Mama from Juniper East, The Energizer Bunny from Ponderosa West, Gymkhana Mama from Ponderosa East, Tony the Tiger from Silver Spruce West, the Sanborn Yodeler from Silver Spruce East, and the High Trails Store from Cedar Lodge West. On the South Ridge, we had Duct Tape from Crystal Palace West, Patty the iPod from Crystal Palace East, Pita Pizza from Kinnikinnik West, Fanny Fire from Kinnikinnik East, Nelson and his squirrel were from Columbine, and from Gold Hut we had Cheryl. But there could only be one winner and it was...

Duct Tape was 1st session Miss Sanborn.

 

Miss Sanborn by Abby Klonsinski

On Wednesday, June 24, the annual Miss Sanborn Pageant was held. All the contestants and cabinsides were eager to get started. Everyone put on a wonderful performance and had great talents, but in the end there was only one winner. It took time and the judges had a hard time deciding the winner, but Miss Duct Tape took the gold and is now the new Miss Sanborn. She had an amazing performance and was very quick with answering her hard questions. Although everyone had their hearts set on winning, it seem that they were fine with Miss Duct Tape being the winner. Not only was there a Miss Sanborn, but a runner-up, Cheryl from Wisconsin; a second runner-up, Nelson Fitzgerald and his ninja squirrel; A Miss Universe, the Sanborn Yodeler; and two other finalists, Miss Pita Pizza and Miss Gardening Mama. Everyone had a wonderful time and is looking forward to next year.

 

Miss Sanborn by Kylie Archer

At High Trails, the competition was fierce. Some of the contestants were Tony the Tiger, the Energizer Bunny, the Pita Pizza, Patty the iPod, and the Sanborn Yodeler. But in the end, Mrs. Duct Tape was crowned Mrs. Sanborn. Mrs. Duct Tape (Beth) was the obvious choice with her easy and efficient uses. Mrs. Duct Tape’s talents include: fixing broken bones, patching up canoes, quieting the ninja squirrels, and preventing car accidents.

 

P-Dubz Cabinside Overnight by Lizzie Harris, Kiara Brothers, and Antonia A.R.

Beyond A-Bluff (aka Ladybug Village) was very fun! We played Whiffle Ball and created our skit. Our JC, Evy, fell in love with a rock. That rock went through a lot that day. He married Evy, he won a wet t-shirt contest, and his wife “died” in the circle of death. After his many adventures, he died a gory death of being split in two by a stick. A Pine tree branch fell on him while he was “sleeping.” We could not start a fire because it was too windy. Ranger Ryan started it for us. We slept outside under the stars. Some of us saw 30 shooting stars. Antonia saw the Big Dipper. Then we ate Breakfast Crepes and went back to camp.

 

Capture the Flag Overnight by Sarah Covington

Last night I was on the Capture the Flag overnight. My team won, but we tied the other team because it was starting to rain and lightning. We got in the tents and sat in lightning position. Then Savannah, Clare, and I sang High School Musical. Abby helped us start the songs while she read. We had cold Pita Pizzas because it was raining. The van came and got us so we slept in Heisler Hall. We made s’mores and hot chocolate. Then we went to sleep. In the morning we ate Breakfast Crepes in the fireplace. It was AWESOME!!!

 

Art Barn by Georgia Evans and Eve Ozog

Have you gone down to the Art Barn? Well if you haven’t, you’re crazy, girl! There is sooo much to do like…

Paint, make pottery, nature activities, bracelets, candles, stepping stones, bracelet weaving, masks, watercolor postcards, and cool collages. And who may you ask is the creator of this “art palace”?! Miss Joyce Maier of course!! “She is very nice. She is fun and crafty,” says Jessie from Ponderosa West. As well as being crafty indoors, you can be crafty outdoors and still have fun, like flower pressing and flowered pinecones. Whatever you do and wherever you do it, art in the Art Barn is ALWAYS fantastic!!:) 

Nature Activities

I have got to say the beautiful weather of the past few weeks has started to make it harder to sit indoors and work, especially when the days are full of sunshine and warmth.  I can think of a thousand things to do outside on a spring afternoon, even raking pine needles to get some fresh air sounds therapeutic.  For those of us who live in the outdoors it seems natural to step outside, but I know when the city streets seem to fill your backyard instead of the mountain's forests, it can be hard to talk kids into getting out there.

Sanborn staff recently presented a session at the National American Camp Association Conference titled "101 Nature Activities."  Our goal was to help demonstrate how accessible the outdoors can be and that you don't need a lot of "stuff" to have fun outside.  Like Jane mentioned in her post,  April is Children and Nature Month, why not get out there and take advantage of what Mother Nature has to offer?  Here are a couple of quick activities to enjoy that will help to create a sense of wonder no matter how old you are.  They have been written to be used in a camp setting, but part of the beauty is taking them and adapting them to work anywhere: your backyard, a city park, or an open space nearby. 

Special Spots:  When out on a hike look for an area where children can spread out and find a Special Spot.  Explain to them that they will be "a giant" (think Horton Hears a Who) in their Special Spot, so they will need to inspect it closely to discover what is going on there.  When they enter their Special Spot, they will be entering a little community that already existed before they arrived, so it is important not to do anything which would disturb or damage their spot.  Look carefully at rocks and sticks.  What shapes are they?  Where do you think they came from?  what living things do you find? How do they depend on the non-living things in your spot?  What sounds or smells do you experience?  Take time to just be, to sit and take in the view.

FBI Hike: This fun activity can take place anywhere.  The FBI (Forest Bureau of Investigation) can also become the CIA (City Investigation Agency).  Kids are challenged to explore their environment to find evidence of criminal activity within the natural world.  Examples might include trees which are "littering" by carelessly scattering needles or leaves, birds "murdering" insects or worms, or squirrels kidnapping the "children" (seeds) of trees.  The possibilities are endless and can lead to discussions about food chains, interrelationships within the natural world and many other natural principles.  Investigators can use digital cameras to document the crime scene and make notes about the evidence they find.  At the end of the hike, the detectives make "Wanted" posters describing each criminal they uncovered.

Paint Chip Hike: Give each child a paint chip sample from a hardware store.  They can be all colors pinks, reds, greens, blues; they don't even have to seem like natural colors.  As you are hiking have the kids try to match their color with natural things they see like a purple flower or neon yellow lichen.

We would love to learn about any other great activities that help children gain an appreciation of the natural world around them, so let us hear what you have done and ideas you have.