Here in rural Minnesota, it seems Spring wants to arrive early this year – and we welcome it with open arms!

Every March 1st, my three boys, my husband, and I begin our annual countdown to Spring. We keep a year-round journal to record all the changes we see around us, but Spring is the time of year when we have the most entries! We’ve kept this journal ever since we moved to the country, and we love to look back to previous years to see if we can predict the changes for the current year. For example, over the past five years, the Sandhill Cranes have arrived at our big pond on or around March 16. We saw our first Sandhill Crane yesterday – right on schedule! Hundreds of Robins usually grace our woods and yard on or around March 20 – we’re expecting them any day now!

We track the first sightings of birds we haven’t seen all winter – Blue Birds, Red-Winged Blackbirds, Brown-Headed Cowbirds, Swans, Sand Hill Cranes, etc. We track changes in our woods and plants; things like buds starting and the first flowers. We track animals we haven’t seen in a while, such as our deer and their new fawns – and later, racoons and their babies. We track the first sounds and sightings of the THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of frogs that live in our ponds and creeks. We track the dates of “ice out” on the ponds on our property and of the lakes down the road. We track the dates when the creeks start flowing again (we love to watch the “ice bergs” float down the creek).

This is an activity our entire family does together and it subtly encourages our boys to be aware of their surroundings. It allows them to practice their skills of observation; it creates anticipation as we each look forward to our favorite signs — like the tadpoles for my frog-fanatic son, and the baby deer for me. My boys become enthusiastic about writing, because they like to be the one to record an observation in our journal. And I like to see how their handwriting has improved from year-to-year!

We took a walk to the big pond the other day. The ice has pulled away from the edges and some of it has sunk to the bottom. As soon as we approached the pond, we saw a salamander swimming in the reeds, followed by a fish that swam through the cracks of ice, curious to see us, too! The first mosquito was spotted (and swatted) today. Several honey bees buzzed around my bright yellow boots, and the first grasshoppers played around our feet.

Soon the first skunks, bear, Killdeer, and snakes will arrive. And we can’t wait for the true smell of Spring – worms coming out of the freshly thawed soil! We sure love the anticipation of Spring!

No matter where you live, Spring brings change. It’s just up to you to notice these changes.

Make sure to read our article Signs of Spring for more ideas on how you can enjoy this time of year with your kids.

Get outside with your kids and enjoy all that Spring brings!

Enjoy Spring!

Want some fun products to help you make the most of Spring? Check out the list below!

• The Private Eye Curriculum – Look closely. See more. Think more. This lively introduction to The Private Eye program will propel you and your kids into the drama and wonder of looking closely at the world, thinking by analogy, changing scale and theorizing.


• My Nature Journal – A unique keepsake journal specifically designed to help children build a lasting personal connection to nature.


• Sharing Nature with Children – This book is full to the brim of ideas on how to enjoy nature with children!


• Kaufmann Guide to Insects – Identify the insects you see with this quality guide book.


• A Walk in the Woods – This quality coloring book helps kids identify and relate to the creatures around us.


• The Golden Guide Set – Classic field guides to help you identify animals, insects, birds, and more!


• DIY Nature Kaleidoscope – View found items in nature up close and in a different way by making your own refillable kaleidoscope!


• Translucent Megalens – View the small changes in nature with this handy magnifying glass.


• DuAll Box – A perfect container for observing nature up close!

Last night, the moon was almost full as it lit up the night sky and cast long shadows from the trees. While my kids and I sat inside observing the moon, we noticed a fox in our yard hunting in the bright moonlight. It felt like one of those teachable moments that create lasting memories, so I decided we would go outside and join the fox.

Instead of getting ready for bed, I had my kids get ready to go outside. After bundling up in all their snow gear, we went for a walk in the moonlight.

The air was very still as we crunched through the snow along our country road. The Great Horned Owls sang in chorus, as they too were celebrating the almost full moon. My kids talked in whispers, as if they didn’t want to break the magic silence of the night.

Occasionally, we stopped and listened to the night sounds. We could hear animals walking through the woods on their own moonlight walks. We noticed how the moon appears to travel across the sky – as we played shadow tag by the light of the moon. As we walked, we looked at the moon and described the faces we imagined seeing in the craters.

It was a perfect winter night for an adventure and a moonlit walk.

Now it’s your turn!

A Full Moon will light up the night tonight. The moon will begin to rise around 4:40pm Central Time, and because it is rising early, it presents a perfect opportunity to go outside and observe it with your kids!

And… to help your kids learn about the phases of the moon, make sure to see our Chart the Phases of the Moon activity. This article includes a moon phase calendar that you can download and print to use with the activity, as well as links to websites to help you learn more about the moon.

Have fun, and enjoy your own moonlit walk!

“For one week, act on every single thought of generosity that arises spontaneously in your heart, and notice what happens as a consequence.”

This week is “Random Acts of Kindness” week.

Like everyone else, my kids and I think random acts of kindness throughout the year is great. But we especially like this week as a focus. For several years now, I’ve taken my kids into town to go through a drive-through for breakfast and we pay for the car behind us. This simple act still thrills my kids, and it’s a nice way to start our day. After this start, I challenge my kids to complete at least five random acts of kindness throughout the day. We’ve discovered that once you get started, it’s hard to stop!

Why not brainstorm with your kids and come up with a list of acts of kindness you can do within your community – then go out and do them!

The website The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation has lots of wonderful ideas for kindness activities that you can do within your community, families, school, or homeschool. There are lessons you can download and use, too.

Have fun!

Ah, Winter in Minnesota. Land of 10,000 lakes and enough snow to make snowmen to cover them all! That’s our goal… sort of.

We get quite a bit of snow where we live each winter, and of course, all this snow means lots of fun! Every year I challenge my kids to create 100 tiny snowmen in our front yard. These adorable snowmen greet our visitors and put a smile on everyone’s face.

If you have snow where you live, give your kids our Snowmen Challenge!

What You Need:

• Sticky Snow (sorry we can’t send you ours!)


• Sno-Baller Snow Ball Maker or a Snowman Maker Mold


• Place for your snowmen to gather. A front yard is recommended so everyone can enjoy them!

What You Do:

• Dress in appropriate winter clothing to stay warm and comfortable outdoors.


• Gather your children to show them how to create mini snowmen. We like our snowmen to be at least 18 inches tall. Of course, if you are really ambitious, taller snowmen are even more fun!


• Form a snowball and roll it in the sticky snow to create the large ball that forms the base of your snowman. We recommend this first snowball be at least 10″ in diameter.


• Form another snowball and roll it in the snow to form the middle section (or torso) of your snowman. We recommend this snowball be at least 6″ in diameter. Stack this snowball on top of the base snowball.


• Form the last snowball to make a 3″ diameter snowball – this becomes the snowman’s head. Stack this snowball on top of the torso of your snowman.


• No two snowmen are alike! Some might be snowwomen! Use rocks, sticks, and mini carrots to decorate your snowpeople – be creative!


• When your armada of snowmen are complete, make sure to take a picture and save it for your family album!


• Enjoy your gathering of snowmen while you can. Remember, when the weather gets warmer, they will get tired of standing around and will ultimately disappear!

Variations:

• Use our Snow Brick Maker to create pedestals for your snowmen.


• Use our DIY Snow Painting Kit to decorate your snowmen!


• Don’t have snow where you live but still want to create snowmen? Check out our Snowman Kit and have fun!

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.

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I admit – my kids often tell me I’m “crazy” … but always in the most loving way.

Today, with temperatures in the 60s (rare for this time of year in Minnesota), I decided we would have our lunch outside in the grass – a picnic in November. My boys and I enjoyed this so much! Definitely an “outside the box” Fall activity!

I made our favorite “Firecracker Sandwiches” for lunch and we sat on a large blanket in the sun. We drank lemonade in our favorite Vodka Glasses set in a bowl of ice (these glasses are really fun to drink from). We watched clouds roll by, told stories, talked, and laughed. What a glorious day!

Create your own special picnic in the sun – even (or especially) in November!

Firecracker Sandwiches

What You Need:

• Tuna Salad (use your favorite recipe of tuna, mayonnaise, salt, and pickles)


• Bread, flattened


• Colored Plastic Wrap


• Rolling Pin


• Twist-ties or Colorful Ribbons


• Lemonade (optional)

What You Do:

• Prepare the tuna salad using your favorite recipe.


• Place a slice of bread on the counter and flatten it with a rolling pin, so that it ends up a thin, flat piece of bread. Kids LOVE to do this!!


• Spread a bit of tuna salad onto the flattened bread, then roll the bread up in a jelly-roll fashion.


• Continue creating rolled sandwiches until you have enough prepared for everyone in your picnic.


• Wrap each rolled sandwich in colored plastic wrap. Twist the ends of the plastic and tie shut with twist-ties or ribbon. Now they look just like firecrackers!


• Spread a blanket on the grass, and serve your firecracker sandwiches with ice cold lemonade served in a special glass. What a fun picnic!

Variations:

• Don’t like tuna salad? This idea works well with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or any other kind of sandwich your kids enjoy! Just spread a layer of your favorite sandwich ingredients on the flattened bread, wrap with colorful plastic wrap, and serve! Delightful!

While enjoying your picnic, share a fun book with your kids! Try The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems – classic poetry to set the mood for a picnic!

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.

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It’s been a blustery, rainy, windy Fall day here in Minnesota. We’ve been stuck inside all day, with only dreams of swimming and basking in the sun.

With three very active young boys, and the inclement weather outside, I needed to find something “new and different” for them to do inside today. I decided to introduce them to the Fun Fly Stick. This simple gadget turned our entire afternoon into an absolute blast!

Upon opening the Fun Fly Stick, I got first dibs, and was able to show my boys the magic of flying the metallic butterfly. Oooo’s and aaah’s all around! Immediately upon seeing the butterfly levitate in midair, my kids were trying to figure out how this gadget works. “It’s static electricity!” shouted my hands-on 10 year old. “It’s electro-magnetism!” stated my scientifically minded 12 year old. “It’s magic!” said my imaginative 8 year old (ah… the precious moments of childhood). “Let’s take it apart to see how it works!” they all said in unison – reverse engineering at it’s finest!

Before I let my kids disassemble their new “toy”, I encouraged them to experiment with it first. They decided to try the Fly Stick with balloons (one of my kids was sure the Fly Stick ran on static electricity and was certain the balloon would react the same way the metallic objects had). After the balloon experiments, they decided to put aluminum foil around the end of the Fly Stick to see what would happen. After serveral experiments with the alumnium foil, they moved on to their hair. Yes… their hair! They thought they would be able to raise their hair until it was standing straight up! Don’t you just love the inquisitive minds of young children?

Through all the experiments of this afternoon, my kids were able to create “lightening bolts” of metal by having the butterfly object zip and zap between the Fun Fly Stick and their arms. My kids even found a way to see colored “arcs” from the Fly Stick to their arms. They also placed the metallic pieces on our marble table and were able to charge these pieces to see colorful sparks – “Wow! Look at the colors!” exclaimed one son; “OH, did you see the SIZE of that spark?!?” yelled another; “I smell ozone!” declared the third. Rest assured, my kids were completely supervised and safe – the Fun Fly Stick causes no harm (just lots of fun).

We just received the Fun Fly Stick, so I have reservations about letting my kids disassemble it to see how it works… even though I know this is how they learn. I guess if they can figure out the inner workings of this gadget, and learn something along the way, then the price we paid for the toy is worth it.

My husband works in design engineering, and has not yet seen the Fun Fly Stick in action. My kids are planning a presentation for their Dad when he gets home. They are excited to show him what they’ve learned…. then they are looking forward to the disassembly to reverse engineer this gadget.

I am thrilled with this toy and all the “tinkering” it has presented today. I’ve enjoyed watching my kids experiment and play, and especially like the fact they wanted to figure out how this gadget works. They have asked me to purchase two more Fun Fly Sticks so they each have one… as they have now devised a game to play and it requires each of them to have their own levitation wands (think Harry Potter and the Snitch).

Creativity.
Reverse engineering.
Childhood.
The mind of a child is amazing….

Oh, I almost forgot! You’re probably wondering what the results were of the balloon, aluminum foil, and hair experiments with the Fun Fly Stick. Well, I guess you’ll have to buy one for YOUR kids and experiment for yourself. I promise, you won’t be disappointed.

Final update: My husband came home and was enthralled by our sons demonstration of the Fun Fly Stick. I think he’s secretly planning to bring it to work to show all his engineering collegues. I hope we get to see it again someday.

Every day at lunch, I present a puzzle to my kids for them to solve – a thinking challenge. My kids love these daily challenges and can usually figure them out – some puzzles quicker than others.

In all the years I’ve been doing these lunchtime puzzles with my kids, they have never gotten frustrated or stumped before. Well… today’s puzzle frustrated my very logical thinking, pattern spotting son nearly to the point of tears. I felt so bad for him, I ended up asking him questions to help guide him to the answer (and he now thinks this is a really cool puzzle).

Want to try our puzzle from today? Here’s what you do:

What You Will Need:

• 3 Pieces of Silverware


• Your two hands


• Table

What You Do:

• Present this puzzle by telling your kids a story, something like this: “I had the strangest dream last night; I had met a group of aliens from another planet and they were teaching me about their culture and how they communicate. Here… let me show you something I learned. If you want to learn, just watch everything I do.”


• The object of this puzzle is for your kids to figure out the special way that aliens communicate numbers.


• Arrange several pieces of silverware on the table any way you like – the more unusual the pattern, the better.


• Your kids attention will be drawn to the silverware, but never mention to them that they have to look at it. The trick in this puzzle are your fingers (but don’t say anything about that either).


• To communicate a number from one to ten, choose a number in your head, arrange the silverware, then use that number of fingers to hold the silverware in place; your fingers are really the clues to solving this puzzle – the silverware is just a way of distracting your kids attention. For example, hold out four fingers while arranging the silverware and say “This is the number four to the aliens.” IMPORTANT: Be very discreet with your fingers; don’t make it obvious that your fingers are giving away the number. Think like a slight-of-hand magician!


• Now rearrange the silverware, using a different number of fingers to arrange and hold the pieces and tell your kids what the number is. Do this several times, then ask them to guess what the number is; continue doing this until your kids catch on.

Tips:

• Make sure not to tell your kids how this puzzle works. No questions are allowed while you display the silverware.


• Arrange lots of different patterns and different numbers. If your kids still can’t solve the puzzle, try different silverware arrangements but hold them with the same number of fingers each time. For example, arrange the silverware and hold out seven fingers while saying “This is the number 7 to the aliens”. Rearrange the silverware into a completely different pattern, holding them with seven fingers and say “This is the number 7 to the aliens.”


• If one of your kids figures out the puzzle before the others, let him or her take over.

One Step Further:

• When your kids have solved the puzzle, ask them what they were thinking as they watched you arrange and rearrange the silverware.


• To solve this puzzle, kids need to be very observant. These observation skills are obviously very important as they go through life. By observing and guessing how the puzzle works, they work their way toward a solution.


• No mother wants to purposely frustrate her kids… if your kids become really frustrated with this puzzle, ask them guided questions, such as “What is it that you are looking for?”, “What specifically are you looking at?”, “What other clues could there be?” – you get the idea!

Oh… and my son who was frustrated with today’s puzzle? That’s him in the picture – practicing. He can’t wait for his Dad to come home and try this puzzle with him! Now do you know what alien number he is displaying?

Have fun!

Looking for some thinking puzzles? Check these books out!

Super Smart: 180 Challenging Thinking Activities – Put the minds of bright kids in overdrive! Filled with 180 “activity-a-day” classroom warm-ups that include new, challenging vocabulary activities and critical thinking activities that push the limits, Super Smart will pique kids’ curiosity and tickle their funny bone.

Brain Games – Here’s a unique collection of over 170 reproducible exercises that stimulate your child to think and reason more intelligently and critically! The exercises are fun, can be used at any time for a variety of instructional purposes, and are perfect for large and small groups as well as independent work.

Are They Thinking? – This outstanding thinking-skills program will fascinate students with its diverse challenges.

Okay. First, let me say that I don’t think everyone is going to let their kids dig a huge hole in their backyard – I understand this. But I have to say, a huge hole in our backyard has been the source of some pretty great adventures and experiences!

I gave each of our three boys their own shovels earlier in the year, secretly hoping they would use these new shovels to help me dig holes for all the plants I wanted to get in the ground. One day, while I was digging holes in my Butterfly Garden, my kids were digging a hole in our backyard. Our backyard is a field several acres in size, so a hole in the ground didn’t seem like a big deal to me. I kept a watchful eye on my boys while they were digging in the hard clay. It was amazing that they worked tirelessly as a team on that hole in the ground, yet getting them to pick up their clothes in their rooms is like asking them to move a mountain. But that’s a different story.

At one point, I noticed that the hole was getting so deep, I was certain they would hit water! Then I heard my middle son exclaim “Mom! There’s water in the hole!” – Sure enough, I looked out and saw that my son was standing in the hole up to his chest!

This hole in our yard has remained for several months. It is a spot that my children visit on a regular basis. Sometimes, it is a hiding place, an area to crawl down into when invisible invaders are at hand. At other times, it is a perilous snake pit, crocodile lair, or boiling tar pit that must be avoided at all costs! At one point, they were sure they could use it to trap the large black bear that eats our bird seed and berries! Thank goodness they haven’t captured him yet!

My husband doesn’t like having to mow around the hole, but he never fills it in either. In fact, I’ve caught him a few times standing over it out in the yard, hands on his hips, shaking his head – but with a big grin on his face at the same time. He knows the importance of the hole too.

It’s rained a lot in our area the last several days, so of course, the hole is now full of water, and becomes a whole new adventure area (sorry, couldn’t resist the pun). The boys take turns jumping into the hole to feel their feet being sucked into the mud – this is endless fun for them. It suddenly becomes a sea of quicksand, waiting to gobble up any unsuspecting adventurer who happens to wander too close – then it’s all hands to the rescue to save their hapless team member from the quagmire. Throwing mud balls into the hole, and watching the mud splash onto their brothers always seems to signal the end of a successful rescue. What fun to watch!!

I think every child should experience the very basic, simple pleasure of digging a hole. Crawling into the hole, playing in water and mud in the hole, jumping over the hole…. childhood just doesn’t get much better than that.

So if you’ve got a safe spot to do so, go ahead – give your kids a shovel. Encourage them to dig a hole – a big hole – in your yard! You can always fill it in later, the grass will always grow back, and you’ll never know the hole was there. But the simple pleasures they will get from their own creation will be memories they will have forever.

My three boys thoroughly enjoying swimming in our pool. The days here in Minnesota have been hot, hot, hot – and this makes swimming all the more fun. Of course the boys swim laps, see who does the most creative dive, and they demand to have their big splashes rated on a scale of 1 to 10.

They have a lot of pool toys – from inflatables to diving toys to 144 yellow rubber duckies, and everything in between.

The giant inflatable alligator becomes a creature to wrestle with in the murky waters of the Everglades. The large white raft becomes a life boat from a capsized ship, lost at sea. Sometimes it even becomes an iceberg or even a cloud floating effortlessly. The Diving Subs become spy ships on secret missions. The AquaVue becomes a porthole in a submarine, used for discovering alien life forms at the bottom of the sea.

Needless to say, my boys have very active imaginations, and there is never a dull moment in our pool.

I enjoy swimming with my kids, but I also enjoy a little relaxation while sitting in a chaise lounge at the edge of the pool. While sitting around the pool, I use our old cloth baby diapers to keep cool (no worries, they’re new and have never been used). We always used these cotton diapers as “burp cloths” when our kids where young, and we have dozens of them. The fine cloth holds water well, and they work great to put around the back of your neck on hot summer days. Today, I took one of the diapers out of my pool bag, dipped it in the water, and draped it around the back of my neck – so refreshing. My boys asked what this cloth was, and I explained to them that we used them when they were babies. One of my kids asked if he could see it, so I gave it to him. He started playing with it in the pool and suddenly, all three boys had to have their own “burp cloth”. Their imaginations were in full gear as the diapers became parachutes and submersibles. One of my sons threw his cloth onto the water and noticed how there were air pockets in the cloth. The other two boys followed and soon they were all tossing the cloths into the pool, and were popping the bubbles that formed under the cloths. Soon, the cloths became islands at sea, snake skin, jelly fish, and catapults. Who knew such a simple piece of cloth could inspire so many imaginative uses! My kids played with their cloths in the pool all afternoon – creating one invention after the other.

I love simple pleasures and enjoy watching my kids use their imaginations to invent creative activities, toys, and games out of everyday items.

From baby diapers, to creative pool toys…. who knew!

At breakfast the other morning, my kids were laughing and telling knock-knock jokes – some they’ve heard before and some that they were making up. I remembered I had a knock-knock joke book that I loved when I was a kid, and I was pretty sure I even remembered where it was packed away. After breakfast, I found the crate that was packed with things from when I was a kid. Inside the crate, just as I had remembered, was my favorite knock-knock joke book… but… my kids were more fascinated by my “treasure box” that we unpacked.

When I was 8 years old, my Dad gave me an old cigar box – you know the kind; sturdy cardboard with a flap-type lid. He told me I could use the box to store my treasures in. Over the years, I added small trinkets and treasures to this box – so many that the box could barely close anymore. This morning, I untied the ribbon holding the box closed and my kids and I sat on the floor for a long time and looked through it.

As memories came flooding back to me, my kids were amazed at some of my treasures: a gigantic replica of a penny that my Mom gave me; stickers collected from gum packages; a couple of rocks from a trip we took to the west coast; a small key from a long-lost diary, kept as a teenager; a pressed and dried four-leaf clover (the first one I ever found on my own); a ticket stub to my first dinner theater experience (a 13th birthday celebration with my Mom and Dad); a yellow smiley face pin that I loved to wear on my jean jacket; and many more special treasures. My boys laughed at some of the things I had in my treasure box, and asked about each and every item. It amazed me that I could remember why I kept all these treasures, and it was great fun to tell my kids the stories behind them.

I think every kid should have a treasure box of their own. One that they can collect and store their most favorite memorabilia in. One that they will revisit some day when they are older, perhaps with their own children.

Today, I gave each of my boys their own treasure box… a simple, blank cigar-style craft box. I hope they will be able to capture their childhood memories, too!

Why not start this tradition with your kids?