…s practice! Online Tree and Bird Identification Tools and Tips The Cornell Lab online birding guide with Instant ID help Audubon’s easy ways to get kids birding (includes instructions for making DIY cardboard binoculars) NC Tree Identification Tool from North Carolina Cooperative Extension Arbor Day What Tree Is That? online identification field guide Lesson Plans This week we’re recommending the following Growing Minds lesson plan: Root Explorati…
…get a taste of a locally grown product each month in the school cafeteria. Last year kids were clamoring for kale chips, strawberry salsa, and white bean spinach dip. In addition to these taste tests, Buncombe County Schools also highlight and promote the local item(s) on their menus, and are always looking for ways to purchase and promote locally grown food. Over in Haywood County, local produce comes to the schools (in addition to purchasing loc…
…nents, including school gardens, farm field trips, and local food cooking classes. The impact of these programs has become a popular research topic, with noted benefits ranging from increased fruit and vegetable consumption to quantifiable economic impact. Farm to School is place-based strategy to benefit children’s health and education, while simultaneously providing market opportunities for local farms and economic benefits for communities. Impa…
…ca at soils4kids.org. Click here for a list of muddy arts and crafts and play-based activities geared toward preschoolers. While International Mud Day (yes that’s a thing!) is officially celebrated on June 29, playing in the mud is fun every day. Activity of the Day for Thursday, 4/2: Mud Painting! Mud Painting is an outside activity. Give each child a large piece of paper and have them finger paint with mud. Can they find multiple colors of mu…
…crisp, produce like winter squash, apples, onions, and leafy greens showcase the seasons best flavors. Fruity desserts, warm soups, and savory sides can compliment warm and cozy memories with your friends and family. Let these fresh autumn recipes kickstart your fall menu planning for this season and dig in! Autumn Glow Salad This plant-powered salad includes arugula, feta cheese, and nutrient-dense lentils. Also in the salad is the seasonal loca…
…es, like the excavator, dump truck, and bulldozer, will have the vehicle-obsessed of all ages singing along! — Plants Feed Me By Lizzy Rockwell Recommended Level: Preschool, Kindergarten “It’s easy to forget where everyday food comes from, but this gentle, colorful picture book explains, simply and accurately, how food gets from the garden and farm onto the dining-room tables.” -Booklist — Sheila Says We’re Weird (but we’re just green) Written by…
…hey learn about their relationship to the natural world around them. Early sense of trust is not limited to having basic needs met, but also feeling safe in a variety of environments. As a caregiver, you have the opportunity to help infants form positive relationships with both humans and the natural world. Creating safe outdoor learning environments that offer infants and toddlers the opportunity to explore and experiment with the natural world…