Nature Study, Outdoor Hour Challenge #3 . . .

Now is the Time to Draw:

What a great week for a new challenge! We decided to take advantage of the first day of Fall (Autumn) on Tuesday and get out to see all the changes of the season. We went to a local nature area armed with the wagon, snacks, paper, crayons, camera, and an excitement to see everything around us.

The first thing the kids noticed was the colors of the leaves changing from green to yellows, reds, and browns. They also commented on the amount that had already fallen to the ground and were now, crunchy beneath us. They worried that the crunching of the leaves would scare away any potential wildlife in the area. We saw a lot of new flowers that we have not seen before. We also saw three different kinds of berries that we will be looking up. I think the most curious thing was a plant that had HUGE leaves. It was much bigger than our hands, and tucked nicely under the shady trees and bushes.

The girls had fun watching leaves and sticks float down the stream from a small bridge, and having them disappear beneath the water or overhanging trees.

C9, C8, and C4 collected leaves that were on the ground throughout the walk and when on our way back, we found a nice meadow area with a picnic table and sat down to do some leaf rubbings. Some of the leaves proved difficult to do, but they did a great job nonetheless.

C9 doing some leaf rubbings

When we were loading into the car, C8 noticed a small praying mantis on the walk and we spent a few minutes observing it. It was a little skittish, every time one of us got within a few feet of it, it would take off quickly. On the drive home, we passed a home that had two deer in the yard eating the grass. We thought this was a perfect end to the day.