04Sep 2023 by catbird No Comments
Elderberry Syrup Playdoh

Elderberry Syrup Playdoh

Autumn, Back to School, Craft Project, Nature Art, Play, Recipes
I hate wasting things. It stresses me out to throw out the herbs after making a salve or syrup. (Although I don’t usually even do that— I compost them…) Every time I make elderberry syrup, which is pretty frequently in the cooler months, I have anxiety about all the cooked mushy berries left over at the end. I’ve tried reusing them but the resulting syrup was too weak. I’ve reduced the amount of berries I use with no ill effects, but I still feel like I’m wasting a huge amount of plant matter that I worked so hard to grow. And then I had a sudden brainstorm… I would make playdough with the leftover berry mush!! This stuff smelled so good that I wanted to play with it!! The color…
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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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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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13Aug 2023 by catbird No Comments
Solar Balloons

Solar Balloons

Craft Project, Learning, Play, Recycled Materials, Summer
We always struggle a bit with the dog days of summer-- its hot and humid and no one really wants to do anything. That coupled with the sinking "summer is ending soon" feeling that I always get this time of year always seems to make me cranky in august. So instead of sitting around we decided to break out some simple projects that benefit from sweltering heat- the first of which was this solar balloon. What is a solar balloon anyway? "A solar balloon is a balloon that gains buoyancy when the air inside is heated by solar radiation, usually with the help of black or dark balloon material. The heated air inside the solar balloon expands and has lower density than the surrounding air. As such, a solar balloon is similar to a hot air balloon. Usage…
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23Jul 2023 by catbird No Comments
Wildcrafting Tea

Wildcrafting Tea

First Harvest, Foraging, Garden, Play, Recipes, Summer
The first harvest is all about, well, harvesting. Many people associate this day with grains and bread, but there are lots of other things that are at their peak and ripe for harvesting this time of year too. One of our favorites that you might not immediately think about is herbal tea. We harvest wild plants and plants from our garden, dry them and make a new tea blend each year. (Naming them is obviously part of the fun...) Past names have included "summer thunderstorm tea" and "firefly tea." Herbs to Harvest for Tea Try collecting a variety of herbs and then let children smell them and decide which ones they like together. Wash and dry everything and then crush them up in a mortar and pestle. (This step is…
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