Spending time outside with your family, sharing nature, is a wonderful experience any time of the year. But there’s just something about being outside in the crisp fresh air of Fall that seems to heighten your senses, and provides a unique opportunity to get out and explore the world around you.

Here are some suggestions for things you can do with your kids:

• Lay on your back under a tree and look straight up into the branches. Notice the patterns and the way the branches look against the sky.
• Go for a walk in the woods and climb trees – even climbing fallen trees is fun to do.
• Play hide and seek in the long grass of a prairie. Use a large blade of grass and place it between your thumbs. Hold the grass straight and tight and blow through the gap between your thumbs. What a cool sound this makes!
• Climb on and over large rocks and boulders. Have a picnic on the largest rock.
• Create fairy houses in the woods or in a park. Use things that you find on the ground to build your house. For example, sticks, leaves, moss, rocks, seeds, pine cones, and vines. Build your house any size you’d like. Leave your house where you built it for others to find.
• Climb to the top of a hill, then roll down it; repeat until dizzy. Turn this into a game and see who can roll the fastest, or roll the longest distance.
• Look for spider webs while on your adventure. You can find them in tall grass, between plants, and in trees. You might even get lucky and see the spider that made the web!
• Look for bird nests. Compare how alike or different one nest is from another. Make up stories about what kind of bird made the nest. Test your whistling skills and see if you can imitate the sounds of birds.
• Create nature sculptures in the woods. Use fallen branches, leaves, and twigs, arranging them in interesting patterns. Prop the branches against a tree and weave twigs and vines through the branches. Fill in the gaps with fallen leaves. Be creative! Leave your sculpture in the woods for the next explorer to find.
• Look for animal tracks and other signs that animals are around – such as scratches on a tree trunk, flattened grasses where an animal may have been sleeping, or chew marks on branches.

Be Prepared:

• Safety is imporant when you are exploring the outdoors. Make sure to bring along a first-aid kit in case of minor accidents, bee stings, or allergies. Include sunscreen and bug spray in your kit.


• Make sure to dress properly for your adventure. Comfortable shoes and warm clothing is a must.


• Pack water and healthy snacks for long adventures. Always carry your trash out of the woods with you and dispose of it properly.


• Bring along a journal and a pencil. You never know what you will see and want to sketch, or write about.


• Magnifying glasses and a small pair of binoculars help you examine things close up, and far away.


• Bug viewers can be used to observe insects and small creatures.


• A good field guide is helpful for identifying trees and leaves, insects and spiders, reptiles and amphibians, birds, small animals, and plants.


• A small digital camera is fun to bring along to snap candid shots of your kids while they are exploring. It’s also handy to take pictures of animals and plants that you discover.

One Step Further:

• Plan regular outdoor adventures with your family. Whether you head outside once a week or once a month, make a plan and write it on your calendar. This gives children something to look forward to.


• Make a list of places within your community that you have always wanted to visit. Check off each location after your visit. Places such as arboretums, wildlife parks and trails, lakes, public ponds and creeks, and tree farms are fun places to go. Plot your favorite adventures on a map to show friends where you’ve been.


• Contact local nature centers and find out what programs they offer.


• Keep a journal of your adventures. Record the day, time, and location of your visit. Include descriptions of what you saw, or what you did, or what you want to go back and do.


• Invite your neighbors and friends to join you on an outting. Make it a regular date!

You May Also Like:

• Nature Paper – Create works of art with pictures of things found in nature. Fun for crafts, scrapbooks, and more!


• Sharing Nature with Children – This book is FULL of excellent ideas on how you can share outdoor adventures with your children.


• Alpha Nature – Play a game of Alpha Nature, a fun game of nature discovery.


• Backyard Nature Coloring Book – Use the pictures in this book as a kind of field guide to what you find in your own backyard.


• Nature Kaleiodoscope Kit – Use this kit, along with items you’ve gathered while on your adventure to create a unique kaleiodoscope!


• Nature in a Nutshell – This book is full of ideas that take 10 minutes or less for children to do in nature.

Copyright © 2007-2010 Escapade Direct LLC. All rights reserved. All content on this site is property of Escapade Direct LLC and may not be used without our written permission.

Create beautiful crafts and works of art with realistic paper leaves!

Use the leaves for natural crafts, nature-inspired art projects, science fair projects, scrapbooks, custom greeting cards and gift tags, as well as for general crafts. The leaves also make a great seasonal decoration for your home!

The Crafty Leaves sets contain a variety of beautiful leaves, photographed and printed on both sides of high-quality paper – they look so real! Each set also includes idea sheets and illustrated instructions for creating leaf animals.

There are three different sets available:

Crafty Leaves, Leaf Art Set – Contains 266 leaves to create with!

Crafty Leaves, Leaf Art at Home Set – This set contains 81 leaves and 8 scenery cards to use for your creations.

Crafty Leaves, Leaf Animals Collage Pack – This large set contains 300 paper leaves and 32 scenery cards – perfect for several children or even a classroom of kids!

Click the links above for more information about each kit, and to see our creative ideas for using these kits.

Visit New Arrivals to see all the new things we have in store for you!

Spend time with your family this Fall.
Play games.
Read.
Learn together.

Click Family Fun in November to get started!

Make sure to see the creative ideas and extra website links provided on each of these product pages for even more fun ways to use the products – an Escapade Direct exclusive feature!

Here is a sample of this month’s Featured Products:

• Crafty Leaves, Leaf Animals Collage Pack – Create works of art with these high-quality leaves! Collages, leaf animals, and even leaf identification guides are all possible with this set. Several different sized sets available.
• Scramble Squares – Fall Festival – Put your brain to work with this incredible puzzle! It’s challenging, yet fun – and perfect for Fall!
• Banana Split Card Game – This is a fun game that can be played and enjoyed by the entire family! Two scoops or three?
• Family Fluxx – This game of ever-changing rules is sure to have your family laughing! Perfect for Fall family game nights!
• Flinch – This classic game is loved by all! It’s a great way for families to play together! Don’t forget to serve treats!
• Jelly Belly BeanBoozled Spinner Game Gift Box – Some are sweet, some are not. Who will spin and get Diaper Wipe flavor? A game you can eat!
• Mille Bornes Collector’s Edition Card Game – This fun game of racing and milestones is sure to be a family favorite! Invite your neighbors and have a blast!
• Telepathy – A Strategy Game Combining Logic, Deduction and More – Once you start playing this game, it’s hard to stop! Kids of all ages can play with adults and everyone has fun!
• WASGIJ? High Tide – Setting puzzles together as a family is a relaxing way to spend the evening together. This puzzle isn’t what you think – it’s what you don’t see that forms the picture. Challenging and fun!
• PitchCar – This is one of the best family games around! Family members of all ages can play together. Because you create the race track, the game is different every time you play. Get ready to race!
• The American Song Treasury – Have a bonfire and sing songs from this book. You’ll find all the campfire favorites, complete with lyrics and notes if you want to play along!
• You Gotta Be Kidding! The Crazy Book of Would You Rather Questions – This is a fun book to read during dinner! It’s also a great way to get to know your family better!

Click Family Fun in November to see the complete list of products featured this month – just for you!

Who can resist raking huge piles of Fall leaves and then jumping into them?! For many years, kids – and kids-at-heart – have enjoyed this time-honored activity.

This Fall, while you and your kids are out jumping into leaf piles, choose your favorite leaves and preserve them with this fun and easy “do-it-yourself” project!

Fall presents the most brilliant colors of the season. By preserving these colorful leaves in wax, you can use them for decorations inside your home or use them for Fall craft projects. Your preserved leaves will look fresh for months and months!

CAUTION: This project requires the use of the stove and hot wax. Adult supervision is required!

What You Will Need:

• Saucepan of Water


• Aluminum Pie Plate, disposable tins work best (make sure the pie plate is larger than your saucepan or large enough that its rim will rest on the saucepan opening)


• Aluminum Foil


• Paraffin Wax (found in the canning section in grocery stores)


• Forceps or tweezers


• Colorful Fall Leaves with stems (best if the leaves are fresh, not dried)

What You Do:

• Prepare a drying area by laying a large sheet of aluminum foil on your countertop or work surface.


• Fill a saucepan about three quarters full of water and warm it up on a stove set to medium heat.


• When the water in the saucepan is hot, place the pie tin on top of the saucepan – this is where you will melt the paraffin wax.


• Place one square of paraffin wax into the pie tin and allow it to melt.


• Use a forceps or tweezers to hold one leaf by the stem, then carefully dip the leaf into the melted wax. Make sure both sides of the leaf are fully coated in wax. BE CAREFUL! The wax is extremely hot, and will cause burns! Supervise children closely.


• Remove the leaf from the wax and allow excess wax to drip off the leaf back into the pie tin. Lay the leaf flat on the aluminum foil.


• Repeat this step for each leaf you want to preserve.


• When the waxed leaves are cool, you can use them for decorations or for craft projects.

Ideas for Using Your Preserved Leaves:

Okay, so now you have a pile of beautifully preserved leaves. What can you do with them? Here are some ideas to inspire you:

• Examine Them! Imagine you are traveling to another world and use a magnifying glass or a jewelers loupe to get there. Using these tools, look at the leaves up close. Can you see roads? Parks? Open your imagination and see things in a very different way.


• Play With Them! Use the leaves as “building blocks” and create animals from their shapes! Small leaves could be legs, round leaves could be heads, pointed leaves could be ears… you get the idea! Kids love to create and play with leaves!


• Decorate Your Table! Place several preserved leaves on your dinner table or center island to use as a centerpiece. It’s a great way to bring a little Fall color indoors.


• Make It Special! Use the leaves as place markers for dinner. Use a metallic paint pen to write your guests’ names on each leaf, and place the leaf on the table at their place setting. You could also place the leaves on your guests’ chairs. A special touch!


• Create! Preserved leaves can be used on custom greeting cards or even some scrapbook pages. To adhere the waxy leaf to paper, you will need a tacky glue. Seal your card in a vellum envelope for a special touch. Be creative!


• Make Gifts! Use the leaves to embellish a set of blank postcards. Tie the postcards together with a length of raffia and give them as a gift.


• Design! Tie lengths of monofilament fishing line to the stems of the leaves, then hang the leaves from your windows or around a door frame. Design garland to decorate your rooms for Fall.


• Magnetize Them! Use a tacky glue to adhere small magnets to the back of each leaf. Place the leaves on your refrigerator for Fall fun!


• Display Them! Wrap your preserved leaves around a vase or jar and tie them in place with raffia ribbon. Fill the vase or jar with water and your favorite Fall flowers. If you prefer, the vase or jar can also hold candles, pens and pencils, and other household items.

What are your ideas? Add a comment and share!

We hope you and your family have “piles” of fun!

Watch for more DIY (”do-it-yourself”) projects throughout the month! Click the “Posts” icon or the “By Email” icon in the upper-right corner of this screen to subscribe to our blog.

You May Also Like:

• Flower and Leaf Pressing Kit – This simple press kit allows you to press and dry flowers and leaves. A nice way to keep memories of the past season.


• Real Twig Pencil – Use this pencil along with your leaf decorations! Makes an interesting addition to any decor!


• Art Board Sheets – Create posters and placemats with your leaves and these art board sheets. So many possibilities!


• The Tree Book for Kids and Their Grownups – The acclaimed Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s newest guide answers all kids’ (and their parents’) tree-related questions in an easy-to-understand way.


• A Golden Guide to Trees – This Golden Guide describes and illustrates in full color more than 140 of our most common trees. Educational and fun for all ages!

Copyright © 2007-2010 Escapade Direct LLC. All rights reserved. All content on this site is property of Escapade Direct LLC and may not be used without our written permission.

Nature is full of exciting sights, sounds and smells – and Fall provides an explosion of sensory experiences for you to explore!

Use all five of your senses to enjoy what Nature has to offer this time of year. Be ready for adventure, discovery, and unexpected events.

Wherever you live, you can find interesting things to observe in Fall. Go on a walk in the woods with these activities to make Fall educational, memorable, and “sense”sational!

Click “Sense”sational Fall Activities for lots of unique ideas that will allow you to use all five of your senses!

Let’s go!

You May Also Like:

• Alpha Nature, Nature Discovery Game – A fast-moving family game that explores the fascinating world of nature.


• Audubon Bird Call – Spend time this Fall attracting birds for you to observe before they migrate south for the winter.


• Flower Pressing Kit – Preserve the last flowers of summer and the brilliant colored leaves of fall with this easy-to-use press.


• Nature Kaleidoscope Kit – View treasures from nature in a new way with a kaleidoscope you make yourself!


• Sharing Nature with Children, 20th Anniversary Edition – Use this book to find new and exciting ways to experience nature with your kids!


• A Walk in the Woods Coloring Book – After spending a day exploring the woods, come home and color in pictures of things you observed.

Autumn… leaves changing color, cool temperatures, and Halloween just around the corner. That means one thing: no, not candy. Pumpkins! Pumpkins are part of the festival of fall. But you don’t have to wait for the bumper crop of pumpkins this year. Instead, make your own ever-lasting pumpkins!

You may have created papier-mache pumpkins in the past, which are pretty light, and fairly long lasting. But this project uses plaster cloth to make a VERY sturdy, VERY light-weight pumpkin that you can use as a decoration for years to come. Plaster cloth is much more durable than papier-mache, yet is just as easy to work with.

What You Need:

• 9″ to 12″ Balloon, blown up and tied shut


• Yarn or String


• Small Bowl (acts as a base to hold the balloon on the table)


• Scissors


• Plaster Molding Cloth (Plaster Bandages)


• Water, in a small plastic dish


• Paper Towels (for quick clean ups)


• Large Plastic Tray or Cookie Sheet


• Paints


• Permanent Markers

What You Do:

• Cut the plaster cloth into 1″ x 4″ strips. The smaller strips are easier for kids to work with, and allow more flexibilty in design. Set the strips within reach of the work area tray (you will want to keep these strips dry until ready to use).


• Inflate a balloon to the size you would like your finished pumpkin to be. Tie a long piece of string to the neck of the balloon so you can hang the pumpkin up to dry after applying the plaster.


• To create the grooves (or ridges) found on a real pumpkin, wrap a length of yarn or string around the balloon, starting at the base (or nozzle end) of the balloon to the top of the balloon. Wrap the string tightly to make the balloon bulge out around the string. Continue to wrap the balloon in this fashion until you have grooves all around the balloon.


• Prepare your work area by giving each child a tray to work on. You may choose to lay down newspaper or an old tablecloth in case of spills outside the tray. Place a small bowl on the tray and put the inflated balloon into the bowl. The bowl will act as a base to keep the balloon from rolling or moving. Place another small plastic bowl on the tray, and fill it with warm water. The water will be used to dip the plaster cloth into. We recommend that you have a few paper towels nearby for quick clean ups in case of spills.


• To begin creating a plaster pumpkin, dip a strip of plaster cloth into warm water, just long enough to get it wet, then remove the excess water by running your fingers down the strip. Lay this strip on the balloon to begin building a pumpkin. Rub the strip gently until all the plaster is spread around and is covering the cloth completely.


• Continue adding strips of plaster, one at a time, until the basic shape of the pumpkin is completed. Make sure to overlap the strips so they are connected.


• Once the entire first layer of the pumpkin is completed, continue adding up to three layers of plaster cloth. Make sure to place the strips in opposite directions to give the pumpkin shell strength.


• If you want to build up shapes on the pumpkin, such as a stem, a nose, or a wart, use precut pieces of cardboard, crunched up newspaper, tin foil, cotton balls, or even molded strips of plaster to act as the form. Once the “form” is in place, cover it with plaster strips to make it part of the pumpkin.


• When the pumpkin is completed, allow it to dry thoroughly before decorating. We recommend letting it dry overnight.


• Use paints and permanent markers to decorate your completed pumpkin. If you would like, you can also use sequins, feathers, stickers – or other embellishments to decorate your pumpkin. Be creative!


• If you would like to seal your completed pumpkin, we recommend using a product such as Modge Podge or Acrylic Sealer.

Tips:

• We recommend using a fairly thick balloon for this project, this helps to ensure the balloon won’t pop before your project is done.

Variations:

• Make a vintage pumpkin rattle! Follow the steps above using a 4 inch balloon. When your pumpkin head is done, cut a small hole in the bottom of the pumpkin and place several dried beans inside. Poke a tree branch into the hole and attach it to the pumpkin using a hot glue gun. The tree branch acts as a handle, and now you have a cool pumpkin shaker that you can use for decorations or for play!


• Make an entire pumpkin patch! Create pumpkins of various sizes and paint them all differently. Place the completed pumpkins all around your house for a nice Autumn decoration.


• Create at least three pumpkins in three different sizes. When the pumpkins are done, stack one on top of the other and glue them together. Place your pumpkin stack near your front door for an inviting decoration!


• The plaster is very easy to cut after it has dried. If you would like, use a sharp Xacto knife (with adult supervision) to “carve” your plaster pumpkin! Cut eyes, a nose, and a wicked mouth. Place a battery operated candle inside the pumpkin to light it up. CAUTION: To avoid a fire, do not to use a regular candle or open flame inside the plaster pumpkin!


• Pumpkins don’t have to be orange! Paint your pumpkins any color you would like! How about painting one with chalkboard paint? Then you can “decorate” it over and over and over again!

You May Also Like:

• Pumpkin Nyokki Plant Pet – Grow your own pumpkin plant pet! A fun activity for kids of all ages.


• Vintage Halloween Postcard Book – Use the images from this book as inspiration for painting your plaster pumpkin.


• Vintage Halloween Stickers in Storage Box – Use the stickers from this set to decorate your plaster pumpkin.


• Halloween Is – A book about Halloween customs and traditions.


• The Pumpkin Book – A book all about pumpkins; how they grow and what they are used for.

Copyright © 2007-2010 Escapade Direct LLC. All rights reserved. All content on this site is property of Escapade Direct LLC and may not be used without our written permission.

Star light, star bright…. first star, I see tonight…

It’s the weekend! Get out in your backyard and have a Star Party!

Children of all ages love the anticipation of staying up until dark to watch the stars come out. It’s a magical experience, not soon forgotten.

• On a clear dark night, take your kids outside and watch the stars! For creative ideas to host your own Star Party, read our Star Light, Star Bright article. Don’t forget your insect repellant!
• While watching the stars, see if you can spot the ISS (International Space Station). You can go online and see the flight pattern of the ISS, and see when it will be passing overhead! Visit Heavens Above and enter your location.
• Watch for bright, short bursts of light in the sky. If you are lucky enough to see these bursts, they are probably Iridium flares! The website link above includes schedules of these particular satellites and when you are most likely to see their bright reflections. They really are spectacular to see!
• Count satellites and meteors. See who can spot the most during an evening of star gazing.
• Locate popular constellations in the sky. A Glow-in-the-Dark Starfinder will help. Choose your favorite constellation and read the myths surrounding it.
• Make up your own constellations. Draw them, name them, and write your own myths about them.
• Observe the constellations indoors with our Constellation Viewer. Just download our instructions to see how you can build this viewer. Includes constellation templates.
• Remember folding Fortune Teller (or Cootie Catcher) games as a kid? Here is a link to a Star Finder game from NASA.
• To learn more about the night sky, visit Seeing in the Dark, a PBS Program. This website includes lots of educational activities for families!

You May Also Like:

Sky Challenger – Play games while you learn about the constellations in the night sky! Fun for kids of all ages.

The Constellations – Stars and Stories – Read about the stories behind the constellations. A perfect read-aloud for night sky viewing.

Jar of Stars – Light up your room or party tables with these glow-in-the-dark stars. Make sure to see our ideas for other uses – so many possibilities!

Copyright © 2007-2010 Escapade Direct LLC. All rights reserved. All content on this site is property of Escapade Direct LLC and may not be used without our written permission.

Yep! September 12th is National Chocolate Milkshake Day.

We’re not sure who came up with this sweet national observation, but we sure do love the excuse it gives us to whip up a delectable treat!

Give this recipe to your kids and let them make this most delicious Chocolate Milkshake – it tastes a lot like chocolate cheesecake! Your kids will enjoy the experience of creating something that tastes so good! Of course, adult supervision is necessary with young children.

Cheers!

RECIPE:

What You Will Need:

• 8 ounce package of Cream Cheese


• 2 cups Milk (for a thicker milkshake, use 1 cup of Milk)


• 6 scoops Chocolate Ice Cream (your favorite brand)


• Blender


• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (optional)


• Maraschino Cherry (optional)


• Whipped Cream (optional)


• Makes 4 servings

What You Do:

• Add cream cheese and 1 cup of milk to a blender, then blend until smooth. (If you like a thicker milkshake, use 1/2 cup of milk)


• Add remaining 1 cup of milk and ice cream to the blender, and vanillia extract (if desired), then continue to blend until smooth. (Again, if you like a thicker milkshake, use 1/2 cup of milk)


• Pour into frosted glasses, top with whipped cream and a cherry, and serve with a straw!

Go ahead! Make a milkshake and enjoy!

Want to read more about the history of the milkshake? Check out History of the Milkshake, Wikipedia.

You Might Also Like:

DIY Strawz – Make your own crazy Strawz with this ingenious set! Kids (and adults) love ‘em!

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Copyright © 2007-2009 Escapade Direct LLC. All rights reserved. All content on this site is property of Escapade Direct LLC and may not be used without our written permission.