Early birds

March 20 may be the official start of spring, but some early birds are already gearing up for egg-laying season. Bluebirds are among the first to build neat, cup-like nests of fine grass and pine needles for their powder-blue eggs. Different species of birds build different types of nests: for example, house sparrow nests are a jumble of odds and ends (I can relate), made up of coarse grass, cloth, white feathers, and twigs. Their speckled eggs are creamy, white, or gray. Black-capped chickadees build downy nests of soft plant fibers, moss, and fur where they will lay white eggs with brown speckles.

Children can help birds gather nest materials by hanging colored yarn, ribbon, or even hair cuttings from low tree branches. It's always fun to spy a personalized nest in the backyard. Children can also try to build their own nests from grass and twigs; doing so provides instant insight into why robins line their nests with sticky mud.

For a different spin on Easter egg dyeing, mix up a batch of natural hues. Onion skins produce a lovely orange, and pomegranate juice a purple-scarlet hue. Click here for directions on how to brew natural dyes.

What to do when your child finds a baby bird on the ground? Make sure the family dog (or cat) is safely inside, and then let nature be. Mother birds are likely nearby and will continue to care for fallen fledglings.

Chocolate bird nests are an annual spring treat for the Arboretum's preschoolers. To make your own, mix two cups of either unsweetened shredded wheat cereal or chow mein noodles with one cup of melted butterscotch chips and one cup of melted chocolate chips. Let children shape the gooey mixture into nests (plastic gloves advised!) and fill cooled nests with a few malted eggs.

And finally, since birds and worms go hand in hand, be sure to hand your child a shovel on the next warm day. There's nothing like a little worm digging to get one in the spring spirit. 

Registration is now open for Adkins Arboretum's spring preschool and homeschool classes, as well as for summer nature camps. Click here for more information.

by Jenny Houghton

Youth Program Coordinator

Nature in focus

On a nature walk today, a fourth grade homeschool student stopped to examine beads of water clinging to a bare winter branch. "That's so cool," he said. "I've only seen that in photos before, never in real life."

In a recent presentation, I shared this quote from Randy White of the White Hutchinson Leisure and Learning Group: "As virtual is replacing the real, TV documentaries are conditioning children to think that nature is exotic...in faraway places that they will never experience. Children are losing the understanding that nature exists in their own backyards, which further disconnects them from knowledge and appreciation of the natural world."

Thank goodness for places like Adkins Arboretum, where the natural world continues to amaze.

by Jenny Houghton
Youth Program Coordinator

photo by Michelle Dolan Lawrence

The winter workout

Why people pay good money to belong to a gym is a mystery to me. Parenting provides all the aerobic exercise I can handle. Take my recent snowy "vacation" morning:

8 a.m.: Chase dog down main street after youngest child leaves the gate unlatched (again).

8:45 a.m.: Struggle through Olympic effort to clothe children in snowsuits, mittens, hats, scarves, coats, and boots.

9:15 a.m.: Walk to sledding hill, pulling sled and pushing stroller (everyone on the block knows I'm Nature Girl—can't be seen increasing carbon footprint by driving 3/4 mile).

10:45 a.m.: Hurtle downhill into marsh on purple sled with toddler. Climb up big hill. Repeat 100 times.

11:30 a.m.: Walk home, uphill all the way, pushing stroller and pulling sled with frostbitten kindergartner on board. Distance seems to have doubled.

Noon: Collapse in sodden heap by door, covering ears to the plaintive cry of "What's for lunch?"

See what I mean about aerobic exercise? And thanks to winter's chilly temperatures, outdoor play means calories are burned at breakneck speed. No gym membership required. There are so many fun ways to explore nature in winter. You and your child can draw snowy pictures with a stick, look for birds' nests among bare branches, search for animal tracks in slushy mud, or use a camera to capture icicles and cool winter light. Running will keep little ones warm, and huddling near a thicket will demonstrate how animals shelter from the cold.

Even if braving cold weather is not your style, it's still possible to engage your children in wintry play. A bowl of ice cubes provides much entertainment and a science lesson: Why is the ice getting wet? Can you see through ice? Does ice have a smell? A taste? What color is ice? Freezing chunks of fruit in ice cubes provides insight into what it's like for animals to find food in winter. Frozen berries are more difficult to smell than fresh, have less taste, and are difficult to eat. This is one reason squirrels bury nuts in the fall: buried nuts taste better than ice-glazed nuts.

Need a discliplined approach to getting outside? Sign up your preschooler or homeschooler for a winter nature class at the Arboretum. Programs begin the first week of February. Click here for more information and to register. Fresh air and exercise are guaranteed, with nary a sweaty rowing machine in sight.

By Jenny Houghton

Youth Program Coordinator