Autumn Series 2010 #10 - Autumn World

 Outdoor Hour Challenge - Autumn Series #10 - Familiar Spot

We are running behind with the Autumn Series challenges, but are still trying to complete them even though our area has definitely taken a turn into Winter!

We decided to visit a local park that we have often used in past challenges, but have never visited in the winter.  Most recently we visited the park for the Autumn Series Challenge #5 - Seasonal Tree - you can visit this post to see some pictures of how the park looks in Autumn.  We felt very much like the speaker of this quote found in the challenge on the Handbook of Nature Study blog:

“Yet, with all my familiarity with this brook, I did not know it in the winter. Its pathway up into the winter woods was as unexplored as the arctic regions. Somehow, it was not a brook in the winter time. It was merely a dreary waste, as cold and as forbidding as death. The winter was only a season of waiting, and spring was always late.”
The Nature Study Idea, L.H. Bailey, contemporary of Anna Botsford Comstock.  

Usually I am (partially) directing our explorations to focus on the current challenge we are learning more about.  However, during this visit I really challenged myself to keep my mouth closed and let the kids guide me. 

The gulley which we have usually seen as dry, or a muddy mess, now has a small, partially frozen stream traveling through it.  A and N ofcourse had to get close to investigate. 

One of the things the kids were excited about were all the things they were able to see that we weren't able to see in past visitis when the trees and plants were full and providing shelter and cover.    In the picture below the kids were investigating a bunch of boards and sticks someone had used to build a fort - something we'd never have guessed was there! 

In this picture the kids are watching a deer in the upper right corner.  While we have seen deer at this park before, it was much easier to watch on this day. 

 The kids also spotted this large bird's nest. 

 We stopped to visit our friends in the pond. 

 The pond is frozen so they spent a lot of time throwing snow balls on the ice - exploring and learning from their experimentation!

We really enjoyed expanding our experience with this favorite park by visiting in the Winter!

Autumn Series 2010 - Queen Anne's Lace or Weeds

Outdoor Hour Challenge - Autumn Series #6 - Queen Anne's Lace or other Autumn Weed

A and N spent time out in the beautiful Autumn weather sketching the flowers they chose for their year-long observations.  You can see their summer pictures here:  Summer Series:  Queen Anne's Lace

N chose to observe a Delphinum plant:

 A chose to observe a Burgundy Gaillardia plant.

We also spent time looking at "weeds" and seeing how different they are now they are dead and dry.  We tried to find plants that we had looked at during the summer so we could compare them. 

Sunflowers

 Sweet gum . . . something or another.  I forget the full name, but this plant makes your hands horribly sticky, has little ball shaped yellow flowers, and millions of seeds!

 Mullein - this young plant will winter over and then bloom in the spring. 

This is a full-grown mullein

 A variety of the ever-popular tumbleweeds, or umbrellas for little girls :)

Rabbitbrush - late-bloom is the yellow on the right and end-of-bloom on the left 

 And because of the wonderfully, unseasonally warm autumn weather there were plenty of late bloomers for us to discover as well!!



Autumn Series 2010 - #5 Seasonal Tree Observations

Outdoor Hour Challenge - Autumn Series - #5 Seasonal Tree Observations

 For our outdoor time our family headed to a nearby park that has a path through a small forest of oak trees.  We were able to observe (chase?) more deer during this time as well.  In the above picture there are several deer in the grassy area near the middle of the picture.  You can also see the burn area of last month's fire on the mountains.   

 

 We brought home lots of "treasures" to look at more closely. 

 We decided to compare the oak leaves with leaves from our maple trees.  We read the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out science book Why Do Leaves Change Color? and learned about the how and why of leaves changing color, but also why Maples (red pigments=red colors) and Oaks (tannin=brown color) are different colors.  We also looked at the pages suggested in the  Colorado State Extension guide (pgs.3-5). 

For our journals:

 A decided to do leaf rubbings-

 I sketched mine by tracing the outside and adding veins.  I hope to add in the colors at some point. 

 N also traced the leaves, colored them, and created a story about a boy who shrinks to the same size and has to survive the rain and comes face-to-face with a centipede. 

Another EXCELLENT challenge!

Autumn Series 2010 #3 - Mammal Study: Horses

 Outdoor Hour Challenge - Autumn Series #3 - Mammal Study: Horses

Today we went to Farm Country for their Halloween activities.  In addition to the face painting, carnival games, and making green goo, we spent some time with the horses too. 

 Pony Rides are a favorite! We also did the wagon ride and were able to talk about how useful horses are, and "Mom, can't we please one?"  When horses can do laundry we'll make room in the basement!

One of my favorite signs here is on the horse fences and says-

 "Please don't feed your fingers to the horses."   

 At home we used the suggested Notebook Page to compare horses to our on hand dog, Dade, who was very pleased with the extra attention even if it did involve a little poking and prodding.  He also doesn't help with laundry, but is a little more compact :). 

Autumn Series 2010 #4 - Apples

 Outdoor Hour Challenge - Autumn Series #4 - Apples

We had a lot of fun with this challenge! I happened to read this challenge the day before going grocery shopping and was able to grab a bunch of apples.  We ended up with 7 different varieties:  5 that we have tried before- Gala, Granny Smith, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Fuji,  and a couple unfamiliar varieties- Honey Crisp and Sweet Tango. 

 Then it was time for tasting!!

 N's favorite was the Gala, and she didn't like the Granny Smith or Red Delicious. 

A's favorite was the Granny Smith, and he didn't like the Red Delicious or Fuji. 

My favorite was the Honey Crisp, but I liked them all. 

My younger girls stuck with the one we usually buy, the Gala. 

Yum! Yum! Yum!

Autumn Series 2010 #2 - Bird Study: Geese

Outdoor Hour Challenges - Autumn Series #2 - Bird Study: Geese

At home I gave A and N notebook pages for a goose and a duck from Enchanted Learning.  I spent a few minutes reading some of the differences and similarities of these two birds from the Handbook of Nature Study.  We also listened to geese and duck calls from our copy of The Backyard Birdsong Guide: Western North America. 

Then we headed to a nearby park to see if we could find any geese or ducks. 

There were 4 ducks and 1 goose.  We had lots of fun throwing them popped popcorn while we talked about the differences and similarities we could see. 

Goose on the left, duck on the right.  When we came home we tried to identify the goose.  I have almost, somewhat, possibly, maybe decided it is a Chinese Goose, but you can tell how sure I am. 

Then we went for a nature walk through the woods in search of more interesting things.

N was excited to see some Rabbitbrush blooming.  She is reading the American Girls: Josephina series and in one book the characters use rabbitbrush to make a yellow dye. 

Lots of acorns . . . at least there is plenty of evidence the squirrels and other animals are enjoying the acorns. 

And we were all excited to see TONS of deer. 

There were several groups close to the walking trail.  After our walk we went for a fall drive and saw many other groups feeding close to the road.  Its that time of year!!