Kim’s Spring Activity List

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Kim's Spring Activity Guide

Our Outdoor Activity Consultant, Kim, has rustled up some exciting Spring Activities to keep our Pathway community busy!

1. Kites

learningliftoff.com

As spring can be breezy, it’s a great time to learn about wind and make and fly a kite
 

 2. Help the Birds 

Encourage birds to nest around your property by providing mud and nesting materials.

 

MUD

  • Choose a spot at the edge of a flower or vegetable garden to establish a mud hole. Use a hose or a bucket of water to wet the earth.
  • Squish the soil using your hands, a stick or a shovel, until it reaches a muddy consistency.
  • Try to find clay soil. Don’t worry if the mud contains small bits of grass or other plant fibres. 

NEST LINING MATERIALS

  • Stuff a mesh onion bag with materials such as dead twigs, pine needles, leaves, feathers, moss, dry grass (as long as it’s chemical-free), strips of bark, and plant fluff from plants such as cattails or cottonwood.
  • Hang the bag from a clothesline or tree branch in your backyard.
  • Some materials that were previously recommended for nesting are now considered unsafe. Do not provide hair (human or animal), string, yarn or loose bits of thread, as birds can become entangled in these materials. Likewise, do not provide pieces of felt or cloth, dryer lint, plastic, tinsel, cellophane or aluminum foil; these can be choking hazards or cause internal blockage.

3. Create a Wild Bee Sanctuary

For a detailed outline visit this link at the David Suzuki Organization 

  • Fill your yard with flowers
  • Plant native
  • Go organic
  • Add water  
 

b. Make a Bee Bath

Use a shallow plate and place it at the ground level where you’ve noticed bee activity. Place a few flat stones in the plate to create landing pads or islands and safe places to crawl out should they fall in. Add fresh water but don’t submerge the stones. Birds and butterflies will use it, too. Replace the water every few days to eliminate mosquito larvae… more here

Make a bee home

Honeybees and bumblebees live in social colonies, but most wild bee species are solitary. About two-thirds of solitary nesting bees use tunnels in the ground to lay their eggs. About one-third use hollowed-out plant stems or tunnels in dead trees or fallen logs… Want to discover the best homemade housing you can make for bees in your backyard? Read more here

4. Plant a Pollinators Garden 

Check out this amazing resource from Bee City Canada on how to create a habitat. and Follow it up with the Planting for Pollinators blog from Kidsgardening.org 


5. Create a Spring Checklist 

With your kids, make a checklist of things that make you think of spring. Go on a hike in the forest, check off all of the things that you see and feel on your list. Try to ensure that the list is multi-sensory, so things like feeling the warmth of the sun and different smells of the seasons are also on the list. Feel free to add to the lists as you are walking and noticing more things.

6. Colours of Spring

Pick up some paint chips from a hardware store. On your outdoor adventure, hand them out to your kids and see if they can find matches to many different colours. They may think it’s impossible, but this gets them to really look at items to find a match. Remember to look up, blues often match the sky!

If paint chips are not available to you, crayons will work too.

7. Meet a Tree in your Neighbourhood

Have your kids pick a tree that you really get to know over time. They can get to know it in so many different ways (draw, take bark rubbings, look with a magnifier, or use a camera). In the spring, they will be looking for the buds starting to explode into leaves. Most people think that buds form in the spring, but with careful observation, you will see that buds are actually on the tree all winter!

8. Disc Golf

Get your family involved in this fun, active, burgeoning sport. Peterborough has three easily accessible, free courses for you to enjoy. The courses are at the north end of the Riverview Park and Zoo, TASS, and Hamilton Park just south of Jackson Park. In outlying areas of Peterborough, there is one at Mount Julian Viamede and Ennismore Waterfront Park. Or, you can make your own course anywhere you would like by simply identifying objects as your targets. All you need is a frisbee, or a disc, and a good arm! www.peterboroughdiscgolf.ca

9. Take a Hike

Three Activities for Earth Day

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Three Activities for Earth Day

Here are three wonderful activities from our Outdoor Activity Consultant, Nature Nancy, to celebrate Earth Day. Enjoy making a ‘Sense Poem’, capture ‘Nature through the Window’, and find out ‘Who Lives Nearby’. Don’t forget to report your Landmark to get points on the Pathway Individual and Group Leaderboards and be entered into the monthly prize draw.

1. SENSE POEM (GR. 3-8)- USING ALL YOUR SENSES TO CREATE A POEM

How many words can you think of to describe the smell of a flower? How many words can you think of to describe the movement of a cat?

Take a sheet of paper and a pencil and find a comfortable place to sit outside. Sit there for several minutes and use all of your senses (likely not taste unless you brought out a snack). Ask yourself all of these questions.

What do I feel?

What do I smell?

What do I see?

What do I hear?

What do I taste (this can be imagined)?

Answer each question with some words that fit with your experience.

For example, I see….bright yellow flowers, fluffy clouds, windy trees, busy ant.

In order to create your sense poem, take away each of the questions and just use the answers that you wrote next to the question. Try your own sense poems and compare on different days/time of day.

Here is my example:

Monday Morning by Nature Nancy 

Cool wind, tickling grass, warm sun
Oats roasting, fresh-cut grass, sweet lilac waft
Bright yellow flowers, fluffy clouds, windy trees, busy ant
Honk, vroom, screech, caw, buzz, whoosh, chirp chirp Chocolate…Mmmmmm!

 2. Nature Through the Window (Gr. 3-8)- Creating a Frame in a window to observe and draw the out of doors

You will be looking at nature from inside and out. Follow these steps:

1. Make a frame using a piece of construction paper (or plain white paper) by cutting out a rectangle from the middle.

2. Find a window in your home and place the frame on it. You may be looking at a combination of things in nature and human-made items outside. Move your frame around the window and see if it changes what you see. What do you see? Birds, trees, weather, insects, flowers….roads, buildings? How did your scene change when you moved the frame?

3. Compare the smells, sounds, and feeling you detect when you are inside and compare that to when you go outside.

4. Leave your construction paper frame on a part of your window and sketch what you see through the frame.

 3. Who Lives Nearby? (Gr. 1-6) Creating a map of your neighbourhood and finding evidence of other creatures sharing our habitat.

  1. With paper and pencil in hand, walk around your neighbourhood and observe
    examples of creatures living in this habitat.
  2. In order to do this, you will need to make a map of the area that you are
    observing. When you find evidence of different creatures that you recognize then
    record it on your map. See the example to the left.
  3. For example, you may see a robin’s nest in a tree and will mark that on your map where it was found in your neighbourhood. Enjoy!

Winter Bingo

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Winter Bingo

 

Looking for a fun winter activity for all ages? Here is a free winter Bingo game cards from the Pathway!

Visit a special place, explore your senses, discover winter-themed words, and most of all, have fun!

This winter bingo helps with Landmarks 1,3,4 and 7.

Landmark 1. Explore outdoors together for at least an hour a week.

Landmark 3. Exercise the senses daily.

Landmark 4: Visit a favourite outdoor place each week throughout all seasons.

Landmark 7: Share a nature-based picture book, song, poem or game each week.

 

Download your Bingo Card Here!

 

 

Winter Wonderland: The Night Sky

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Winter Wonderland: The Night Sky

Winter is a perfect season for an often overlooked family activity – exploring the sky at night.  With winter’s early darkness and often crisp, clear weather, the stars take on a special brightness that is nothing short of breathtaking.

Night scene with the Milky Way in the background

 

January and February are perfect months to view one of the most striking and unforgettable of all the constellations – Orion, the Hunter.  Rising in the southeastern sky in early evening, Orion travels (like the sun) from east to west across the winter sky as the earth turns and night progresses, to finally set in the west before morning.  Orion is easy to find, by facing south and looking for the three stars in a row that make up his belt.  His shoulder and knee are two of our brightest stars, Betelgeuse and Rigel.  Just below and beside him is Sirius, the dog star – Orion’s faithful friend.

 

Indigenous storytellers also saw a human-like figure in this unique combination of stars.  The Ojibwe know him as Biboonkeonini – the Wintermaker.  Wintermaker stretches out his long arms to beckon the cold and winds of winter.  He also ushers in the traditional storytelling season of winter.

Early on a crisp, cloudless winter night, pack up the family, bring a thermos of hot chocolate and go out stargazing.  Turn out the house and yard lights for better viewing, or travel to a park or open area with few lights. Look for patterns in the stars and make your own stories.  If you’re lucky, you may even see a shooting star!  What an awesome reminder of the wonders around us every day.

Star watching connects with Landmarks 1, 3, 6, 11, 14, 17, 25.

Summer Report Highlights

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Summer Report Highlights

We’ve had some super ideas from families and other groups this summer.  Some of our favourites include:

  • The James family learned how to geocache with their 10-year old boys
  • The Nature Ninjas tried lots of new outdoor activities!  They built an obstacle course in their backyard, and the kids challenged the parents to see who was fastest completing the course; they tried making paints using soil and crushed plants, and made pictures with all-natural materials
  • Babbling Brook Daycare visited Jackson Park, and in one day, they saw a monarch butterfly, a grasshopper, a cardinal, as well as fish and geese in the pond and creek;  they also made beautiful corn husk dolls when the corn was ripe
  • The Warrens visit their favourite donkey on weekends, and feed her delicious treats
  • The Chickadees researched edible plants in their own yard and created their own field guide; they also created clothes made from flower petals to dress up sketches of people

So many great ideas!  Why not send us yours?

Fall Fun!

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Squirrel Nest Game

Eastern Grey Squirrels are the common tree squirrels found in many areas of southern Ontario, and are more often black than grey.  What do they do in winter?  They need to construct a well-insulated nest in tree branches or tree cavities for protection from the harsh weather.

Can you build a nest that will keep a tiny squirrel warm?  This game is a great fall activity for families or school groups.

Getting Started…

For this game, every player will need a small container with lid that will be their ‘squirrel.’  Pill bottles, old film canisters or baby food jars are all ideal.  Just be sure that every player’s container is the same size (kids can work in teams for larger groups).  Everyone can decorate their ‘squirrel’ if they like – just make sure you can still remove and reseal the lid.  You will also need a small thermometer and some warm water – set all these aside while you prepare your nest.

 

  1. Take all the players outside to find natural materials for building a nest.  These could be leaves, branches, shreds of bark or paper, ‘fluff’ from seeds like milkweed, or anything you can find that you think would make a good home for your squirrel.
  2. Each player builds their squirrel nest in a protected place that they can find again.
  3. A teacher or parent heats a pot of water to body temperature (warm water from the tap is fine too). Tip for teachers:  having warm water ready in a thermos can be handy for larger groups.
  4. Everyone checks the temperature of the water in the pot (or thermos). Write down or remember the starting temperature!
  5. Find your own squirrel and bring it to the pot of water. Quickly fill your ‘squirrel’ with the warm water, put the lid on snugly, and take the squirrel to the nest you have built.  Carefully place it in the nest, and snuggle the nest materials around it.
  6. Leave your ‘squirrel’ in its nest for 30 minutes.  This is a good time for a nature walk, or an autumn scavenger hunt, while you’re waiting for your ‘squirrel’ to settle in its nest.
  7. After 30 minutes, come back to each nest with the thermometer.  Carefully remove each lid, and take the temperature of the water inside.  Whose squirrel stayed the warmest?  Which cooled down the most?  What kinds of materials were best for keeping the squirrels warm?
  8. You can play this game as often as you like, trying different decorations on your ‘squirrels’, making the most creative nest, and using different materials to keep the squirrel warm.

Hope you stay warm this winter too!  Staying cozy outdoors in cold weather depends on having several layers of insulation and a good windbreak.  Squirrels use the same tricks!

Everybody Outdoors! at St. Joseph’s, Douro

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Everybody Outdoors! at St. Joseph’s, Douro

On a crisp, cold March morning, fun was brewing at St. Joseph’s Elementary School in Douro!  Grades 1-4 classes brimmed with excitement for a special morning of community guests and outdoor play.

Principal Julie Selby organized the day around four rotating activity centres.  Mrs. Selby led one centre herself, with a class set of snowshoes; students had a grand time traversing the large schoolyard, and wending their way through the evergreen forest on-site.  There were many pink cheeks and smiling faces of busy explorers!

A second station featured Jacob Rodenburg of Camp Kawartha for animal games and dramatic play.  Students tried ‘stalking’ like foxes to capture the ever-vigilant Jacob-Rabbit, and following animal tracks in the snow.  The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) game ‘Snow Snakes’ was a big hit, with students testing how far their waxed wooden ‘snakes’ could slide over the snow.

Pathway Coordinator Cathy Dueck focused on forest-related fun with an evergreen tree identification relay that had everyone warming up with running, sorting and laughing!  Then, a forest scavenger hunt sent student detectives to find treasures in the forest and store them in egg cartons to show the class.

Puppeteer and musician extraordinaire Glen Caradus led the fourth activity centre, where students were treated to his ‘Plugging into Nature’ puppet show, showcasing the adventures that await us when we turn off the screens and go outside!  Glen also worked his musical magic and had everyone enthusiastically joining in with his rollicking songs.

All in all, a great morning for everyone!

And for their own pre-March Break adventure, the Grade 7 and 8 students spent a day at Kawartha Nordic, learning how to cross-country ski, exploring the trails and building memories.  So exciting to see the Pathway project in action.  Many thanks to principal Julie Selby and all the wonderful staff at St. Joseph’s.

Frozen Sun Catchers

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Frozen Sun Catchers

A recipe for easy mid-winter magic

January 23, 2019

Ingredients

  • Found nature objects – Twigs, leaves, berries, pine cones
  • Container to freeze the water in – aluminum pie plates are perfect!
  • Water
  • Something to hang them: twine, yarn, ribbon
  • Freezing temperatures

Steps

  1. Lay out your nature objects in the base of your container for freezing
  2. Lay the twine amidst the nature objects with a large loop or two loose ends hanging out – this will be your hang or tie 
  3. Place your creations on a flat outdoor surface where they can freeze undisturbed (window sill, picnic table, etc.)
  4. Slowly pour in water until the container is full and ensure your twine/ribbon are still submerged
  5. Set the outdoor temperature to below freezing 😉 **freeze overnight for best results

Hang this ice art from a tree branch in a sunny spot where the sun will shine through and slowly melt it away, transforming your creation throughout the day.

Tips

  • play with colours, textures, patterns… Eating oranges?  Add visual a-peel with pieces of rind or slices interspersed 
  • Make minis in ice cube trays
  • Fancy a rainbow catcher? Add food coloring
  • Use bundt pans for a frozen wreath

 

Warning: This recipe will quickly become a staple on your nature crafting menu!

 

Stories in the Soft Snow

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Stories in the Soft Snow

A lesson in animal tracking with Jacob Rodenburg

“We humans often think we’re the only ones who write stories, but in truth animals write stories in the soft snow every winter, and we can follow them and learn what they were doing…It’s just nice for us to know that animals have a life – they’re looking for food, they’re finding shelter.  It’s great to get out in the cold winter with your family and follow tracks.” 

Jacob Rodenburg, Executive Director, Camp Kawartha and co-author of The Big Book of Nature Activities: A Year-Round Guide to Outdoor Learning

January 23, 2019 – Some animals hibernate but you don’t need to!  In this lovely video lesson in Animal Tracking, Jacob Rodenburg, Executive Director at Camp Kawartha shares the joy and rich learning that arise when a fresh blanket of snow reveals the oft-hidden lives of animals all around us, through their tracks in the snow.  All we need to do is venture out and follow along.

VIDEO: A Lesson in Animal Tracking with Jacob Rodenburg

Watch as Jacob introduces us to animal tracking in the snow, demonstrating a great winter tracking activity we can all try with the children in our lives, as well as what to look for as we venture out and onto a fresh blanket of snow.  This clip is both a playful demonstration and chalk full of fun facts and important naturalist insights.

Ready to try?  Jacob shares two great steps for getting started:

Step 1 – When you look at an animal track, try to figure out what direction it was going in?  Often when animals walk they have a scuff mark at the heal which is a good hint which way it was going.

Step 2 – How was it moving? Walking? Stride is close together.  Why is this stride so long?  Was the animal running?

As you follow its trail, what was the animal doing? Look for: was it running, was it walking, was it eating?

Look alongside the sidewalks or the trails you travel.  Have you seen the tracks Jacob stamped in the snow?

Thanks to Jacob for sharing the stories of animals in the snow!

Follow an animal Pathway – where will it lead?

Want more info?  Enjoy these articles: Take it Outside: Enjoying the Gifts of Winter, by Jacob Rodenburg and How to be a Winter Wildlife Detective, by David Bree of Ontario Parks.

 

Cold, Wet, Muddy and Fun

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Cold, Wet, Muddy and Fun

January 23, 2019 – Our Cold, Wet, Muddy and Fun! workshop with Sue Ferren was so true to name!  Not only did we experience first-hand all of the chilly temps, rain, mud and snow within the span of our Saturday morning together, but we enjoyed a rich morning of learning, sharing and FUN.  Sue revealed the magic that can be found when we courageously bundle our wee ones and venture out, whatever the weather! 

All 15 folks who attended, including 2 wee ones, were led on a clear pathway to providing the invitation, clothing and materials necessary for children to explore, create and engage in any weather.  Sue shared her wealth of knowledge, beautifully curated resources, an enviable nature-themed library, and a treasure trove of hands-on activities – both indoor and out – for us to explore.  She also shared the challenges and barriers we know can keep the most intrepid explorers from venturing out, and ways to make that challenge more manageable and more fun.


In the warmth of the Camp Kawartha Environment Centre we brainstormed Barrier Breakers, models of how to bring nature in, loose parts of every description, and shared stories of mishaps and magic-making with wee ones in all weather.  Then we were invited outdoors on a beautiful story walk with the laminated pages of In the Snow – Who’s Been Here.  The story trail wove us through the cedar grove and opened to a clearing lovingly spread with activity centres showcasing simple and powerful activities to spark early years engagement.  Mud kitchens, rain-filled tube mazes, tarp painting, and making nature-found masterpieces within empty ornate frames – all ready for hours of exploration.  The wee ones who had been enjoying the morning under the watchful care of Jumping Mouse’s Martine Cleary, joined us to explore these centres.  It was immediately obvious that with a few thoughtful materials, comfortable all-weather clothing, and adults willing to venture out, cold, wet and muddy are Fun!

Want Inspirations and Ideas for venturing out this Winter? Join us Saturday February 9th for Wonder-Full Winter:  Your Toolkit for Nature Crafting and Outdoor Play with Children.