04Sep 2023 by catbird 1 Comment
Seed Saving

Seed Saving

Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Garden
Collecting seeds in the fall garden is both useful and super fun for kids. Shelling beans is one of our favorite fall activities- crinkly seed pods make all kinds of interesting noises and provide free seed for next year. Seed saving is both one of the last tasks before the garden goes to bed, and a promise of next years growth. It’s the end of one cycle and the start of the next one. Sometimes I hand draw fancy seed packets- sometimes I stuff seeds in random unlabeled bags and forget about them. My Farm to Flight unit study includes a printable seed packet with a space to tell the story of your seeds— was it the biggest juiciest pepper? Was it a gift from your grandma? The stories of…
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04Sep 2023 by catbird 4 Comments
The Simplest Autumn Lanterns

The Simplest Autumn Lanterns

Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Craft Project, Play
It's no secret that we love lanterns, this site is full of various lantern designs of varying complexity. (falling leaves lantern, star lanterns, harvest moon lanterns, frost lanterns) But when my kids were toddlers this was the go to lantern craft. It's super easy for little hands and can be upgraded in any number of ways. The supplies and simple and easy to manipulate. Fall is lantern time for me. The nights are darker and longer and a lantern brings a cozy flickering light. A number of traditional celebrations and festivals include lanterns this time of year and it's the perfect time for a lantern walk. Easiest Tissue Paper Jar Lanterns In their simplest form these lanterns consist of a recycled glass or plastic jar, tissues paper, glue, and some…
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04Sep 2023 by catbird 1 Comment
Fall Apple Picking Hike

Fall Apple Picking Hike

Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Foraging, Garden, Hike Ideas, Play
Ok so "hike" is a little bit generous here, but this is a great way to get outside, get exercise and procure snacks. And as I have mentioned, we love hikes with built in snacks. There is something about picking fruit off the tree that is inherently more thrilling than buying it at a store, and it makes children infinitely more likely to want to eat it. They have participated in the process so they are now invested. The best part is that when invariably get home with way too many apples, you can partake in one of our other favorite autumn traditions-- baking with apples!
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04Sep 2023 by catbird 2 Comments
Inky Cap Ink

Inky Cap Ink

Autumn, Craft Project, Foraging, Nature Art, Nature Collection, Nature Journaling
Have you ever noticed that lots of mushrooms have “ink” in their name? Shaggy ink cap, inky cap, fairy ink cap etc. This isn’t a coincidence, you can make a simple ink from most mushrooms that have ink in their name. The process couldn’t be simpler- the mushrooms naturally (and quickly) deliquesce (which is a fancy way to say they turn into a pile of goo) into a black liquid which is filled with spores. This is both the mushroom's way of dispersing spores and a quick way to make ink. I tried to find some historical accounts of the use of mushroom ink and unfortunately came up mostly empty. Mushrooms do make a strong seemingly lightfast ink though-- the pictures below are made from ink I have had sitting…
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04Sep 2023 by catbird 3 Comments
Spore Prints

Spore Prints

Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Craft Project, Learning, Nature Art, Nature Collection, Nature Journaling
Spore prints are useful tools for identifying mushrooms you find, they also make lovely ephemeral artwork. Fall is a fantastic time to search for mushrooms, it feels like the woods are covered in them this time of year. (And lawns too for that matter.) The "print" part of the spore print is the spores that dropped from the mushroom. The different colors aren't just nice to look at, but a key way to identify mushrooms that look similar. The green prints in this post are from chlorophyllum molybdites common name "the vomiter." As the common name indicates this is absolutely not a mushroom you want to eat, but it looks very similar to others that are edible. Never, ever eat a mushroom without confirmation from an expert. Back to the…
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01Sep 2023 by catbird No Comments
Hunt for Animal Tracks

Hunt for Animal Tracks

Hike Ideas, Midwinter, Play, Winter, Winter Solstice
Whether you have snow or mud, winter is a great time to hunt for animal tracks. The lack of underbrush makes them much easier to spot. Younger friends will likley just be excited to find and identify some tracks, but older friends might enjoy tracking the paths the prints take and trying to reconstruct what the animal might have been doing and or where it is living. We spent literally hours following those raccoon tracks around the forest and mapped out what we hypothesized was a whole community of raccoons. They went to the water, they went to different trees that appeared to have dwellings in them, it was pretty fascinating. Another fun step would be to draw and illustration or write a story about what you found, in our…
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26Aug 2023 by catbird No Comments
Back to School Lemon Balm and Chamomile Micro Stuffie

Back to School Lemon Balm and Chamomile Micro Stuffie

Autumn, Back to School, Craft Project, Folklore, Play
Back to School Lemon Balm and Chamomile Security Stuffie! Whether you are returning to traditional school or starting up homeschool again, this time of year always seems to be a bit fraught with anxiety. As I was researching lemon balm (melissa officinalis) one day, it’s abilities to calm and improve focus jumped out at me right away. What could be better for back to school? Lemon balm is a member of the mint family and is considered a calming herb. It was used as far back as the Middle Ages to reduce stress and anxiety, and improve cognitive function. Study after study has confirmed that smelling lemon balm has a powerful and positive impact on feelings of nervousness and anxiety. Chamomile is another long used herb to relax and de-stress.…
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26Aug 2023 by catbird 3 Comments
Autumn Equinox Corn Dolly

Autumn Equinox Corn Dolly

Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Craft Project, Folklore, Play
Some people make corn dollies for First harvest and some make them for Equinox and some make for neither just to celebrate fall. For whatever reason I associate them with Autumn Equinox and try to make a new one every year. She is supposed to be stored in the all year to ensure an abundant harvest. Then it goes in the fire on the next Equinox and her ashes are spread in the garden to come full circle. Oddly enough, the "corn" in corn dolly generally refers to wheat, corn was slang for grain in medieval Europe which is actually why we now call maize corn. When colonists came to the US they just called the local grain (maize) corn because that's what they were used. To confuse things further,…
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26Aug 2023 by catbird 1 Comment
Signs of Fall

Signs of Fall

Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Nature Art, Nature Journaling, Play
I am generally opposed to worksheets- they squash creativity and are limiting. Consequently I am never impressed with the "fall scavenger hunt" printables that make the rounds this time of year. For one thing fall looks different depending on where you live. That said, this is great time to look for signs of the upcoming seasonal shift. It's a great practice as an adult to focus and hone in on subtle shifts in nature and I find that it is downright thrilling for kids. (As well as setting them up to be adults who notice the subtle shifts in nature...) So ditch the worksheets and just bring a nature journal or sketchbook and try listing and or drawing pictures of the things you see. If you do this year over…
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