Plant a Tree – Celebrate Spring!
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Arbor Day is right around the corner – April 29, 2011, to be exact. You were probably first introduced to it, when you brought a seedling home from grade school – a tradition that’s still carried on today.
Those little seedlings can grow into gorgeous trees. Ours became a privacy screen, built year after year. The trees we helped our sons plant during grade school are now taller than the home they grew up in.
This year, why not celebrate Arbor Day as a family? The Arbor Day Foundation has a list of ideas to help you get started. For more information, visit their website at http://www.arborday.org/arborday/celebrate.cfm
Do Your Kids’ Summer Hobbies Include Reading?
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With schools all over the U.S. out for the summer, it’s time to think about educational summer hobbies for our kids. Jan Kristo, author and UMaine professor of literacy education, recommends keeping reading on children’s radar to help them maintain and strengthen the gains made in reading over the school year.
Although it’s easy to plop down in front of the TV or tune into the latest video game, time spent reading both fiction and non-fiction is time spent enriching the mind. Have you ever read a great novel, and later watched the same thing as a movie? Is the movie EVER as good as the book? I don’t know about you, but my imagination is richer than anything I’ve ever witnessed on screen. It’s an imagination finely developed by years of reading enjoyment.
Parents and grandparents can make reading meaningful and memorable for children by suggesting reading about topics that augment family trips, outdoor hobbies, exploring nature or gardening, Kristo says. Connect books to long or short family trips ahead of time and find books about the places they’ll visit – the ocean, other states or countries, for instance, she says.
“Link books to what children may study in the back yard, from ants to bees, to planting a garden, and visit your local library for great book suggestions that capitalize on your child’s interests,” Kristo adds. “Read together as a family, and read aloud.”
CDs of children’s books from the library also can make long rides in the car educational experiences, she says. Other ideas include having a lunch break with children to share children’s poetry, a book of jokes and riddles, or a book of facts. Planning a book party for friends, where each child brings a book to share, is another way to inspire reading. Adults can help children prepare a food that goes along with the book, and children can come to the party dressed as a character from the book.
Also, adds Kristo, “let your children catch you reading. It’s contagious.”
Kristo recommends the following 2009 titles.
Books for Very Young Children
- Read It, Don’t Eat It!
by Ian Schoenherr, a delightfully funny book about the proper way to treat a book;
- Wombat Walkabout
by Carol Diggory Shields, illustrations by Sophie Blackall, a fun counting poem, complete with a glossary of Australian words in the book;
- A Very Curious Bear
by Tony Mitton, illustrations by Paul Howard, a story of Big Bear and Little Bear taking a walk, with Little Bear’s never-ending questions about everything along the way.
Books for Young Children and Up to Age 9
- Posy
by Linda Newbery, illustrations by Catherine Rayner, about an adventurous day with Posy, a kitten;
- Once Upon a Saturday
by Leslie Lammle, about June, who wants to have adventures all day, but first must tend to all her chores, so she looks at her chores as adventures;
- The Underground Gators
by Tina Casey, illustrations by Lynn Munsinger, a hilarious story with illustrations about alligators in the sewers of New York City, complete with an author’s note about this urban legend;
- The Plot Chickens
Mary Jane and Herm Auch, about Henrietta, the star of Souperchicken, who entertains readers by sharing her enthusiasm for books and the “eggshilarating” experience of creating her own.
Books for Older Readers
- Waggit Again
by Peter Howe, a sequel to Waggit’s Tale, the story of Waggit, determined as ever to rejoin the team of dogs he considers his real family in Central Park after trusting a person and being taken far away;
- Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters
by Lenore Look, about a little boy who is afraid of everything, and now his dad is taking him camping;
- Wild River
by P.J. Peterson, about Ryan, a 12-year-old who’s more interested in video games then athletics, and experiences a frightening kayaking trip down the Boulder River;
- Faith, Hope, and Ivy June
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, about two seventh-grade girls from Kentucky who participate in a student exchange program and share their different homes and communities with one another;
- T-Minus: The Race to the Moon
by Jim Ottaviani, Zander Cannon and Kevin Cannon, a graphic novel and fascinating historical and fictional account of the countdown to send the first men to the moon.
Some suggested nonfiction titles:
- Cat
by Matthew Van Fleet, photographs by Brian Stanton, an over-sized interactive board book with flaps, pull tabs to showcase photographs of different breeds of cats in a variety of situations (For toddlers and young children);
- What Can You Do with an Old Red Shoe?: A Green Activity Book About Reuse
by Anna Alter teaches young children, assisted by adults, to create new things from throw-away household objects (Ages 4-7);
- Don’t Lick the Dog: Making Friends with Dogs
by Wendy Wahman, a delightfully illustrated picture book sharing important messages about what young children need to know about approaching new dogs (Ages 4-8);
- You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?!
by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Andre Carrilho, a visually graphic picture book biography depicting Sandy Koufax’s rise to fame as the greatest lefty baseball pitcher (Ages 4-9)
- A Young Dancer: The Life of an Ailey Student
by Valerie Gladstone, photographs by Jose Ivey, a beautifully photographed essay of a 13-year-old African-American girl, a gifted dancer training at the famous Ailey School in New York City (Age 7 and up);
- Mermaid Queen: The Spectacular True Story Of Annette Kellerman, Who Swam Her Way To Fame, Fortune & Swimsuit History!
by Shana Corey, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham, an excellent picture book biography of Australian Annette Kellerman, a frail child born in 1886, who became a record-setting swimmer, movie star, and even designed a bathing suit for women that broke with the style of the times (Ages 7-12);
- How Weird Is It?
A Freaky Book All About Strangeness by Ben Hillman, an over-sized book features two-page photographs of strange phenomena and descriptions. (Age 10 and up);
- Butterflies And Moths
by Nic Bishop, an exquisitely photographed collection of butterfly images and interesting text about them. Also see Bishop’s other titles, Spiders and Frogs (All ages);
- And Crocodile Safari
by nature writer Jim Arnosky, about a trip to the Everglades to research alligators; included is a DVD depicting Arnosky researching and sketching crocodiles (All ages).
This article is from The University of Maine, UMaine News.
Photo Credit: KOMUnews on flickr
How to Fly a Kite
By · CommentsRemember your first kite flying experience as a kid? Running down the open field with the kite bouncing along behind you? Maybe it took off; maybe it just bounced … and maybe that memory is keeping you from flying a kite as an adult. There is a better way! 
To begin with, start off with a delta – a basic triangular kite, available in an assortment of sizes and colors. With the right wind, you can fly just about anything, but until you get your bearings, go easy on yourself and avoid anything more complicated than the basic delta.
A suitable kite can be found for around $25 and will need very little, if any set up. Then pick a wide open space, well away from other kite flyers and stand with your back to the wind. When you feel a gust of wind, release your kite and begin to slowly let out the line. If you have a companion, let him or her hold the kite about 100 feet downwind, letting go as the wind lifts the kite, while you keep the string taut and slowly let it spool out.
Now, if you’ll excuse me … it’s a beautiful day and I’m off to fly a kite!
Photo Credit: markus941 on flickr
Messy Art for Kids – Unbridled Fun
By · CommentsSummer’s right around the corner. School’s out or nearly out in most parts of the USA. Somewhere between child care arrangements and summer sporting events, why not schedule a day for some good, old-fashioned, messy fun?
Sherene Silverberg, a homeschooling mother of twins and writer for www.examiner.com, gave her kids the ultimate messy art experience last summer. She not only lived to tell about it, but it sounds as though she had as much fun as her kids.
Silverberg writes, “It was incredibly good for my soul to do an activity with these children that was full of sheer, unbridled fun. No one was expected to learn a thing, this was just about feeling the paint and clay between your fingers, smooshing it all about and creating with all the exuberance we could muster.”
You can read all about her ooey, gooey, messy art experience with her children and their friends here.
Although this wasn’t conceived as an educational experience or even as an ongoing hobby, by encouraging artistic freedom and creativity, we help our kids learn to express themselves in a healthy, fun, productive way. Just keep the soap and water handy!
Are Hobbies for Men and Crafts for Women?
By · CommentsWhat’s the difference between a craft and a hobby? According to Webster’s Dictionary, a craft is a special skill, art, or dexterity. A craftsperson is a worker in a skilled trade, an artisan or an artist. A hobby is something that one likes to do or study in one’s spare time; a favorite pastime or avocation.
The crossover is unmistakable, yet we find that the hobby industry is particularly geared toward men, while the craft industry focuses on women. My husband is a scale model builder, and is by industry definition, a hobbyist. I believe his work says otherwise … it requires a special skill, artistic creativity, and a high amount of dexterity. Don’t make the mistake of referring to model building as a craft, however. Somehow these terms have morphed into gender specific activities.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not pushing the idea that every woman needs to get into scale modeling or that every man pick up knitting, but I am questioning the artificial separation of the two industries. Generally speaking, craft stores are for women; hobby stores are for men. If this was working for the retailer, I’d say great! But many craft stores and hobby stores are struggling to survive. Likewise, especially in our current economy, hobby and craft manufacturers are feeling the pinch.
Craft and hobby manufacturers and retail store owners would do well to take note of the other half of the population, giving serious thought as to how to reach across gender lines in product lines and marketing efforts. Hobby store owners, do your product line, store layout, and marketing materials appeal to both men and women? In many households, moms are responsible for the lion’s share of purchasing decisions. In single parent families, moms make all the purchasing decisions, and many would be highly interested in hobbies that offer educational value for their children.
Craft store owners, do your product line, store layout, and marketing materials exclude men?
So, what do you think? Are hobbies for men and crafts for women? Should the craft and hobby industries remain distinct and separate? Why or why not?
Use It or Lose It: Stay Sharp with Brain Puzzles
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Do you ever think about exercising your brain? Many scientists currently theorize that exercising your thinking processes can help delay or even avoid some of the problems that affect us as we grow older, such as memory loss and loss of coordination. Brain puzzles are a fun way to flex your mental muscles and keep your brain active and challenged.
Try different types of brain puzzles and pick the ones that interest you most. You may like logic puzzles, or word puzzles, or you may want to try riddles or mathematical games. Pick the ones you like and don’t worry about the others. The Internet is a brain puzzle smorgasbord. Give a few of the numerous brain puzzle websites a try.
Take it a step at a time. If you had just started jogging, you wouldn’t sign up for the Boston Marathon. The same is true in attempting a brain puzzle. If you start with puzzles that are too difficult, you may get frustrated and quickly lose interest. Start with the easier ones, and when you feel comfortable, move on.
Challenge yourself….then challenge others. Many of the brain puzzle websites let you keep score of you personal best and scores against other players. This is a good feature if you are the competitive type. Or, you can just keep track of your scores to see how far you’ve come from that first puzzle.
Have Fun!!! Brain puzzles are a form of adult play, something we all get far too little of. Have you tried a brain puzzle lately?
Image Credit: Mykl Roventine on flickr
Backyard Bird Watching: First Oriole of Spring
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We saw our first Baltimore Oriole this morning. He was unmistakable and beautiful – bright orange, black and white, a small bird – only about 7″ overall.
Our nectar feeder has been ready for nearly a month, and that was his first stop. In backyard bird watching, as in most hobbies, preparation pays off!
The Birds of Wisconsin Field Guide
Other helpful resources include The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds. We have both the western and eastern editions, and having lived in the western US, as well as the midwest – have put them both to good use. I find them a bit more difficult to navigate than the Wisconsin Field Guide, but they do cover more territory and would be invaluable for the traveling bird watcher.
Article continues below bird watching book recommendations.
Summer Bird Watching Adventures
We’ll be taking our field guides with us this summer when we camp in Wisconsin’s north woods. I’m hoping to spot my first Scarlet Tanager; the male is a bright scarlet red bird with jet black wings and tail, which I’ve learned prefers mature, unbroken woodlands, where it hunts for insects high in the tops of trees. I’m also hoping to find the secretive indigo bunting; the male being a vibrant blue and seen most often at woodland edges.
Please leave a comment and tell me what birds or other wildlife you’re hoping to see this summer.
Photo Credit: My first picture of a bird by carriecha on flickr
Simple Wood Carving Designs
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Wood carving can be a great hobby, and it’s easier than many people think. The key is to begin simply. Some basic tools are required, but it may not be necessary to purchase them outright. You may have the opportunity to share tools owned by your local school or wood working club. At Buzzle.com you can find good, basic, educational articles on beginning woodcarving.
The problem then becomes one of deciding what to carve. It may be difficult, especially for a beginner to come up with designs from the imagination. But there are any number of carving designs to use as a pattern, and many nice ones can be obtained for free, or at very low cost.
Chip carving is the easiest, creating geometric patterns. Small strips of wood are chipped out in straight lines. Slightly more difficult, simple flower or decorative carving designs such as shells or filigree are possible for most anyone to master.
Several web sites offer instruction in the basics of wood carving, and many of them supply free carving designs. The National Woodcarving School has several flowers and a chip pattern for a coaster. The Bone Studio offers Maori patters. Classic Carving Patterns supplies several flowers and architectural motifs, and one can order additional patterns from them at reasonable prices. Nora Hall carving designs are well known for their classic beauty, and these can be ordered at www.norahall.com.
After giving a few of these free wood carving design patterns a try, you may find that you’re hooked. As you gain skill and proficiency in this hobby, you’ll find many uses for your unique creations.
Photo Credit: hoyasmeg on flickr
Backyard Bird Watching
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We’re newcomers to the hobby of birdwatching. Although we’ve always enjoyed a diversity of birds in our backyard, it wasn’t until this past winter that we became interested in the details surrounding our winged and colorful visitors.
Now, with spring in full swing in Wisconsin, we’re finding it fascinating to observe our backyard and neighborhood bird population. For instance, last week we learned that Cedar Waxwings do everything in flocks. They arrive en masse, filling out the still bare branches of one or more of our backyard trees. One or two braves ones will venture down to the bird bath, then five or seven more quickly follow. A quick drink, then they’re off to the same tree tops – a pattern repeated about every half-hour all day long.
Our first Brown Headed Cowbird arrived last week also – a fairly nondescript bird at a distance, but pretty up close. Their call is interesting – it’s almost a squeak.
Have you ever watched the bright red male Cardinal court his female? They’re nearly inseparable this time of year. He feeds her. We’ve witnessed adult Cedar Waxwings feeding one another as well.
The Red Winged Blackbirds returned from their winter migration shortly after the Robins. Did you know that the male Red Wings perch high, throw out their chests, lift their wings and warble for all their worth while they’re seeking a mate?
We’ve watched the male Goldfinches exchange their drab winter feathers for bright yellow summer plumage.
Our backyard is also frequented by a variety of Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Blue Jays, Bluebirds, numerous House Finches, Sparrows and Doves. Each have distinct mannerisms and calls. It’s been fun learning to identify these few backyard birds by size, color, habits and call.
Do you have a favorite winged backyard visitor? What is it and why?
Gifting Tomato Plants For Mother’s Day
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Few things bring me as much joy as my organic vegetable garden. Right outside my kitchen window, I get an eyeful every time I look outside! It’s been a bigger investment of time than money, but will prove worth it soon.
I planted several varieties of tomatoes this year. Of the five in the ground, three are vines, and two are bushes. I also started 10 heirloom brandywines that are about three inches tall already. Around February I start them indoors in peat pots, and then take them outside to harden off once they show 3-4 sets of healthy leaves. I’ll keep a couple of them, but the rest are going into some inexpensive and beautiful glazed pottery from Big Lots. They’ll make great Mother’s Day gifts.
There are many Moms in my life, and many who, while they would like to try, for one reason or another haven’t gotten around to working on a garden. So many plants will fruit nicely without ever going into the ground. Along with tomatoes, all my Moms will be getting a pepper and basil, all in one pretty pot! Those three are good companion plants and will survive just fine next to a trellis in a sunny location. A brandywine is a vining tomato, and will need to be supported, so a trellis would be a pretty way to do it. (They won’t be large enough to need it when I gift them, though.)
These have all been grown organically. Its so important to realize that the value of our food supply is in danger, and we need to learn how to grow our own for both economical and health reasons. If that weren’t reason enough, the flavor of home grown vegetables is so much more flavorful.
If gifting plants sounds like a good idea for you but you haven’t started any yet, here’s a few tips you can use right now and still be ready in time:
- You can purchase plants already started at most nurseries. If organic is possible, choose those. Get them at least 6 inches tall.Grab a couple of bags of good organic potting soil. Avoid moisture retaining or those containing artificial fertilizer.
- Tomato, pepper, and basil grow well together and the basil will draw beneficial insects while deterring damaging pests.
- Dill, rosemary, and thyme also do well together.
- Get some pretty planters, but be wary of the eighty-eight cent plastic ones from Wal-Mart. Got those last year and they don’t drain real well.
- Plant the tomato deeply, and cover the bottom half of the plant with dirt. Plant the others equally distant from each other, but not as deep.
What Else Should You Remember When Gifting Tomatoes?
For about a dollar a piece, you can get some pretty good spray bottles from the dollar store. Make sure you send each of your plants with a spray bottle of water with one drop of dish soap and one tablespoon of vegetable oil, shaken well. It will keep separating so your recipient Mommy needs to know to always shake it first before spraying. After the direct sun leaves the plant, every couple of days or after rain they should be sprayed to assist the basil with keeping the pests at bay.
Good drainage and proper watering will keep the plants alive and producing for a very long time. Water every couple of days. Watering too frequently will cause the stem to grow fiercely while not producing much foliage or fruit.
Tomatoes, peppers, and basil will need a good fertilizer every couple of months to keep them healthy. Ask your local nursery what types of organic fertilizer you can suggest to your Moms.
Its nice to type up little care cards or use the inside of her Mother’s Day card to show her how she can easily take care of her new plants.
Are you gifting from your garden this year?
