catbird – Wineberry Woods

21Nov 2025 by catbird

2025 Winter Solstice Picture Book Countdown

You might know that every year I make a Winter Solstice Countdown calendar full of crafts, activities, and recipes. This year I wanted to add picture books to each day to make things even more festive! These books correspond to the activities in the main countdown calendar, so you can read them along with the calendar or just read a book each day if that's more your speed. Happy Solstice! December 1, 2025 Weiwei’s Winter Solstice: A Dongzhì Story by: Michelle Jing Chan December 2, 2025 Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Coldby: Joyce Sidman December 3, 2025 The Littlest Solstice Treeby Lisa Varchol Perron December 4, 2025 Bright Winter Nightby: Alli Brydon December 5, 2025 Winter Story (Brambly Hedge)by: Jill Barklem December 6, 2025 The Tomtenby Astrid Lindgren December 7,…

20Nov 2025 by catbird No Comments

Cold Ice Moons

Cold Moon, Craft Project, Winter

The Mohawk people call December the Time of the Cold Moon. December is the start of real winter for us here in the Mid-Atlantic, and many of this month’s full moon names reflect that. The Creek call this moon the Big Winter Moon, the Shoshone refer to the Winter Moon, the Abenaki call it the Winter Maker Moon, and the Oneida call this moon the It’s a Long Night Moon, which is relates to the Winter Solstice, which occurs this month and is in fact the longest night of the year. In my mind the Cold Moon is always linked to hibernation: animals are hibernating, and we humans spend more time inside, slowing down and getting cozy. It’s also the time we start to find things iced over. To celebrate…

07Nov 2025 by catbird No Comments

Winter Lantern Round Up

Craft Project, Winter, Winter Solstice

We love lanterns at Wineberry Woods, and always seem to be coming up with new and interesting ways to make them! Check out some lanterns of many different skill levels and pick one that suits you! Star Lantern Simple Snowy Tree Lanterns Geode Lanterns Make ice lanterns with natural materials! Frost Lanterns Round Ice Lanterns Snowball Lanterns

04Nov 2025 by catbird 3 Comments

2025 Winter Solstice Countdown Calendar

Winter, Winter Solstice

Countdown to the Winter Solstice with activities, recipes and crafts. Come back each day for a new surprise! The doors won’t open until the correct day (So 1 opens on December 1st, on December 5th you’ll be able to open 1-5, etc.) The calendar includes an exclusive excerpt from my retired Winter Solstice Curriculum that is only be available through this calendar and only in December 2025. Click on the image below to go to the calendar!! (This will take you to a new window) Click once to open the door and click a second time to open the tutorial. Click Here for the materials list– there are some spoilers here, but I tried my best to give you the info you needed without giving away all the surprises! Click Here for the…

26Aug 2025 by catbird No Comments

“The Bug Bandits”

Craft Project, Free Printable, Learning, Middle Grade Book Buds, Play, Recipes, STEAM

Next up in middle grade book buds, is a modern nature school classic-- The Bug Bandits. I have been reading a ton of middle grade books lately, but would love to hear your suggestions for more book buds! Middle grade books are substantially longer, so I have broken the middle grade book buds into a lesson, a craft or two, and a snack. All are driven by the themes and ideas in the respective book. These could be the jumping off point for a more in depth academic book study, or just a fun project to further immerse yourself in the worlds of your favorite books! The Bug Bandits Written by: by Jenni L Walsh The Bug Bandits is a great new book about two kids working together saving an insect museum. As…

25Jul 2025 by catbird No Comments

Wildflower Meadow Soda

First Harvest, Foraging, Recipes, Summer

First Harvest is a time of year when nearly everything is ripe and ready for harvest. It is a time of year when grass and grains are coming into their own. This immediately takes my mind to golden meadows and droopy wildflowers swaying in the sun. We live in a pretty urban area, but there is a park nearby with a big open meadow and the kids love to run through it with butterfly nets swooping wildly and collapsing into fits of giggles. It's such a late summer experience and consequently, such a late summer drink. August here is hot and muggy. I love my tea, and so do the kids, but I just can't in August. Instead we make sun tea, iced tea, tea lattes and tea sodas. This…

23Jun 2025 by catbird No Comments

“Living Bridges: The Hidden World of India’s Woven Trees”

Craft Project, Earth Day, get outside, Learning, Nature Art, Picture Book Buds, Play, Summer

Picture Book Buds are a fun and easy way to incorporate literacy into nature study. Read a book (you can even read it outside!) and then enjoy the related activity and snack suggestions! Living Bridges: The Hidden World of India's Woven Trees Written by: Sandhya Acharya Illustrated by: Avani Dwivedi I was excited about Living Bridges: The Hidden World of India's Woven Trees the minute I heard it was coming out-- what a fun topic for a picture book! I didn't learn about the living bridges of India until well into adulthood, but I was immediately transfixed and I can only imagine how amazing knowledge of these bridges must feel for kids. The story walks through the process of making and tending the bridges, or jingkeieng jri, in broad strokes…

05May 2025 by catbird No Comments

“My Love for You is Like the Night Sky”

Full Moon, get outside, Hike Ideas, Picture Book Hikes, Play, STEAM

Picture Book Hikes are a fun and easy way to bring learning outside. Read a book (you can even read it outside!) and then enjoy the related hike, activity and snack suggestions! My Love for You is Like the Night Sky Written & illustrated by: by Laura Smetana My Love for You is Like the Night Sky is a lovely, lyrical story about how much a parent loves their kiddo. Gentle, spare text full of night sky and space metaphors, (glittering galaxies! full moons!) make this a fun book to introduce younger friends to moon phases, constellations, and the solar system. A perfect wind down/ bedtime book, Laura's beautiful illustrations could also be a jumping off point for a moon study. Thank you to Flying Cardinal Press for providing this book…

26Mar 2025 by catbird No Comments

“Clear and Bright”

Craft Project, Folklore, Foraging, Learning, Picture Book Buds, Spring

Picture Book Buds are a fun and easy way to incorporate literacy into nature study. Read a book (you can even read it outside!) and then enjoy the related activity and snack suggestions! Clear and Bright: A Ching Ming Festival Story Written by: Teresa Robeson Illustrated by: William Low Clear and Bright: A Ching Ming Festival Story is a lovely, lyrical story about a family celebrating the Ching Ming Festival. This is a spring festival right around the same time as spring equinox that has been on my radar for some time, but that I didn't previously know very much about. When I came across this picture book I jumped at the chance to learn more. If you have read much of my work than you may have noticed that…

20Mar 2025 by catbird 1 Comment

“When We Gather (Ostadahlisiha): A Cherokee Tribal Feast”

Folklore, Foraging, Hike Ideas, Learning, Picture Book Hikes, Spring, Spring Equinox

Picture Book Hikes are a fun and easy way to bring learning outside. Read a book (you can even read it outside!) and then enjoy the related hike, activity and snack suggestions! When We Gather (Ostadahlisiha): A Cherokee Tribal Feast Written by: Andrea L. Rogers, Illustrated by: Madelyn Goodnight When We Gather (Ostadahlisiha): A Cherokee Tribal Feast is about a familiy foraging in the early spring for wild onions and then joining a feast at their local community center. I was excited to come across it because I am always looking for seasonal celebrations from different cultures and this is one I had not come across before. I also love wild onions in the spring, they are one of the first (if not the very first) edible plants to start growing, months…

Author: catbird