Go All Out
by Pat Lansmann

Springtime in our home refers not as much as to the season but as to the indoor bouncing children, as drizzling days of April barrel into May. I don’t know if your kids are anything like mine, but add a little warm weather with longer days and spending an afternoon indoors is just not possible, much less survivable. With that extra hour of sunlight, why not burn off some of that energy by heading outdoors? There are many great ways you can direct their interest in spring’s bustling activity into eager and memorable learning activities.

Bats and Bugs
Who likes mosquitoes? Not us, but the bats sure do! Bats consume enormous amounts of insects. If you are handy, download plans to build a bat house. A free plan is available from Noble Knights. If you are like me, purchasing a kit worked better for my younger crowd who could not wait so long to see the finished project. Just type in “Bat Houses” and you will find several venders offering everything from basic bat houses to elaborate models. Build and place near poor drainage or a garden. The plans or kit you get will give additional information on placement to aid in successful roosting. This project can enhance learning on several levels - reading, measuring, observation and even an appreciation for nature’s wonder (as well as an appreciation on our part of a significant reduction in mosquitoes).

Let Your Kids Bug You
Creepy crawlies are everywhere. My kids bring them in for more than just cat entertainment. All you need are bug nets, bug jugs and an identification guide. You can find the first two items this time of year at those dollar type stores. A bug identification guide is a great addition to any home library, as it encourages spontaneous year round “let’s look it up” excitement. Choose a guide specific to your region to keep the kids interest with successful identification. Create a log of creatures found and include the date and a drawing and encourage the catalogers in your brood to arrange their finds into appropriate groups, winged, soft-bodied, butterflies, beetles, etc.

Frog or Toad
The call of the frogs in our yard is like the Pied Piper to our children. A flashlight, the decent of evening, and those bug jugs pull double duty. Around them swirls the world of the hunters, using the tools of camouflage and the dark to lure, deceive and locate their prey. A reptilian field guide lets the kids know who is singing and informs us which particular bug may become tomorrow’s dinner. If the kids have trouble parting with their catch, or for prolonged study, check out Pets in a Jar by Seymour Simon. This book provides information on how to care responsibly for frogs, toads and other types of creatures in a mini habitat. You probably already have everything that you need to capture and care for your little visitors in your home or backyard.

Fond of Ponds and Fronds?
You can create a tranquil place for yourself and create a living observation nook for the kids. We’re talking washtub gardens. You don’t have to sink anything in the ground, just use a washtub or even a child’s wading pool. Place 6 inches of soil mixed with fertilizer in the bottom of the vessel and water heavily. Now, take a trip to one of those large, pet-supply stores or a plant nursery and choose aquatic plants suitable to your outdoor climate. Once home, plant your selections at an angle about 2 inches down, add a 1-inch layer of sand and fill with water until the leaves float. Wait a few days to let the plants take root and then add goldfish or tadpoles. Don’t add tadpoles in with a large goldfish, or they are likely to become a meal. I like to surround my pond with potted plants to give a more natural look, leaving one side open for the children to observe the action with ease. You might be concerned about standing water producing mosquito larva. The beauty of this pond is that the fish or tadpoles will gladly eat them for you while you are a sitting back in a lawn chair sipping on iced tea. This pond will attract birds, dragonflies and other visitors, even more to stimulate the kids’ sense of wonder and fascination. Periodically add some water due to evaporation and seepage. If your critters are still with you come late fall, just add an immersion heater. But one cautionary note: if you plant this lovely garden and have small children, always supervise them around your watery creation. But you will all want to be together anyway, enjoying the sunshine, the spontaneous observations and the chance to relax near the fruits of your labor.

Pat Lansmann, Writer & SuperMom
Pat graduated from college with a B.A. in English and a restless creative spirit. She left the workforce after fourteen years to raise her first of three children. She and her husband educate their children at home, through activities such as gardening, arts and crafts, woodworking, cooking and pet care to personalize, enhance and extend the children’s academic experiences.