Nature Activities – Earth Month

Backyard scavenger hunt (see attached for a list of possible things to look for). This can be a contest or a cooperative activity. It can be just for fun and/or it can also be a math activity at a variety of levels. Young children can add up their total; older children can do multiples of some items as indicated; if several family members participate an average can be calculated for the family as a whole. You can determine which items were found by everyone (100%) and which items were found by only a few and calculate the percentages.

Planting seeds Egg cartons, small dixie cups make great seed starters with a little potting soil. You can buy seeds to plant or try planting seeds from your kitchen; e.g., all kinds of dried beans, seeds from oranges, lemons, limes, apples, peppers, etc. Be sure to put labels on the containers.

Planting seeds – journal. Keep a diary of how long it takes for seeds to sprout.

Planting seeds – math Estimate how long it will take to begin to see signs of growth from various seeds. Put your guesses on the labels. Count how many times your guesses were accurate. Make a bar graph or a line graph with number of days on the left axis and types of seeds along the bottom. Then plot the number of days it takes for each type of seed to emerge from the soil for each plant.

Bird Counting Journal: Find a location where birds tend to congregate. Notice the birds that come to the location each day. Using Google or a bird identification book, see how many different kinds of birds you can identify. Count how many birds come to the location at a certain time of day (e.g., from 8-9 a.m. each morning).

Squirrel Watching: If you have some squirrels who live in a nest close to your backyard, pick a squirrel or two to track over time. Try to identify the pattern of behaviour, and if it seems to be weather related. What time of day do the squirrels emerge? How long do they stay out each time they emerge? What are some of the activities they engage in?

Nature poems (try writing some of your own!): Mud is very nice to feel All squishy-squash between the toes! Roses are red, I'd rather wade in wiggly mud Mud is brown, Than smell a yellow rose. ______Nobody else but the rosebush knows How nice mud feels Between the toes

Spring Scavenger Hunt, potential list (add your own ideas below)

¨ dried leaf ¨ pebbles (small stones) ¨ rocks ¨ dead twigs (on ground) ¨ dried bark from a tree (on ground, not on the tree) ¨ worms ¨ small bugs (usually under rocks, dead leaves, etc.,) ¨ old plant leftover from from last year ¨ seed pods on old plants, or pine cones with seeds ¨ seeds from trees (maple keys) ¨ new plants emerging fresh this year ¨ new buds on plants or trees ¨ new blossoms/blooms ¨ weeds (e.g, dandelions, crab grass, creeping charlie) ¨ pot, planter, ¨ ¨ garden ornament (decoration, , etc.) ¨ garden shed, bench ¨ garden tools (e.g., rake, shovel, trowel) ¨ bucket ¨ holes in trees, used by squirrels or birds x ____ = _____ ¨ nests (squirrels, birds) x ____ = _____ ¨ squirrels x ____ = _____ ¨ birds x ____ = _____ ¨ chipmunks x ____ = _____ ¨ rabbits x ____ = _____ ¨ ______¨ ______¨ ______¨ ______¨ ______¨ ______

Total items found (including multiples): ______