N is for Nature Walks

Take children on nature walks to look for bugs. Tell them to observe only and not touch (a child might touch an insect that could sting). Together talk about how some bugs crawl and other fly. Ask the children to pretend to be an insect and move like the bugs they see. Sing songs like “Eensy Weensy Spider” or “Bringing Home A Baby Bumblebee"

At home, plan a "bug hunting exploration" by hiding several plastic toy bugs around the house and invite the children to find them. Another variation is to fill a dishpan with clean sand, hiding the toy bugs inside. Children can catch the toy bugs by using a tweezer or tongs to pull the insects out.

Make a Bug Hotel

In order to observe insects closely, try capturing a few placing them in a well-confined temporary home. With a little “bug hotel”, children can invite friendly insects inside to spend a day or night studying them through its many windows. Youngsters can use poster paint to decorate the outside of an oatmeal container. Paint or draw the windows, then use scissors or a craft knife (adults only) to cut them open.

Placing insect stickers on the container would be fun too. Take a piece of window screening and roll it so it rests snugly around the inside of the container. Trim so the top edge fits beneath the lid and leave a one-inch overlap where the sides meet. Place the lid on top. Glue a hotel sign on the container – let the kids choose the name.

After the insects have been captured, take time together to look at the bugs closely either with the naked eye or use a magnifying glass. Count the legs, wings, antennae and look at the colors and patterns of the insect. Be kind to the guests – provide some nature food and water (a filled plastic water cap) while they are visiting. When observation is over, just unfasten the lid and let the insects fly out.

Photos courtesy of Tania Cowling, all rights reserved

Olivia's Garden -- New Book Release for Children

Beautifully written by Diane Seufert Tait, Olivia’s Garden fuses factual information about plants and the natural world with a lovable cast comprising humans, plants, insects, and a faerie. Harking back to that magical bygone era of true children’s storybooks, Tait’s creation will stir the boundless imaginations of young readers while inspiring them to get out and embrace the natural world around them. Okay…over to Grandmother Sage and her wisdom!

Synopsis:

In Olivia's Garden, an intuitive gardener meets a bold little faerie during an emergency in the magical garden they both tend. Written in three chapters with an easy-to-read font. Sounds wonderful read aloud by an adult and will be a fun read for an older child.

Characters are human, plant, animal, and faerie. Although all the details about the garden and the animals and plants in it are factual and true to life, the use of plants as actual characters, such as Grandmother Sage and Cally Calendula; Mira the cat; and Olivia, the ever-present faerie, make this a delightful book both fanciful and accurate. It gently teaches children about a garden, herbs, and all the inhabitants of such a place, while engaging their imaginations in the possible interactions of the characters.

There is an exciting crisis near the end with a surprising result that should please every reader. Grandmother Sage has the last word and deftly leaves the door open to the possibility of a sequel.

“The whole goal of the book is to make children sit up and realize that the natural world contains limitless opportunities for exploration, empowerment, and discovery,” explains the author, a self-confessed passionate gardener keen on helping today’s young generation find their own green fingers. “To that end, the story and stunning illustrations are complemented by an expansive glossary that reprints and names the individual herbs throughout the book, with child-friendly information and the page number where they can find it within the story.”

Continuing, “I hope the book makes its way into homes and schools across the country, so children will be encouraged to get their fingers dirty and explore everything from their own backyards to city parks and beyond.”

But of course, to grab the often short attention of young readers, Tait knew her characters had to be more than unconventional.

“I decided to do something extremely rare; to have the story play out through the lives of plant characters so children can learn how they interact with each other and the natural world around them. I also hope I can prove to children, once and for all, that faeries do exist…at least in our imaginations, anyway!”

About the Author:

Diane Seufert Tait enjoyed a 40-year career as a classical violinist, most recently as assistant concertmaster of the Canadian Opera Company orchestra. Diane became a Registered Herbalist with the Ontario Herbalists Association in 1997. In 2012 she published her first book, Letters from Italy,still available as an ebook at Amazon, or in paperback from the author at dianeseuf@rogers.com or www.greenwoodpress.ca.

This book is available in soft cover and a Kindle edition you can purchase here.

Note: This review is via a press release and book was provided gratis.