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Learning In A Winter WonderlandLearning In A Winter Wonderland

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5 Tools for Your Fall Discovery Table

Are you excited about the fall? Cooler weather, changing colors, and leaves and seeds on the ground make for a great time to get outside and explore nature. Bring a nature inside and set up a discovery table. Today I’m sharing five tools for your fall discovery table. These items will help your little scientists make observations and use real science tools in the process.

5 Tools to Add:

1. Sensory Tubes: Sensory Tubes are a fantastic way to let children observe things through sight and/or smell. They are especially handy for items that you don’t necessarily want the children to touch (sticky pine cones, for example). I added different nature items to the sensory tubes and then also placed items on the tray that can be touched and explored. The focus in this particular discovery table is comparing seeds and leaves. I chose a seed pod, leaves, pine cones, and pine needles. 

Questions to ask:

  • What do you notice about the different leaves? (colors, shape, size) 
  • What time of year do trees like sycamore and maple lose all of their leaves? (fall/autumn) 
  • Pine cones and pine needles come from evergreen trees. They lose their needles a little at a time; not all at once. Compare the green pine needles to the brown ones. What do you think the difference is? (time – the green needles fell more recently than the brown needles, the brown needles are older/drier) 

2. Magnifying Glass: A magnifying glass is perfect for looking at objects more closely. Lay a magnifying glass next to a few nature objects and encourage your child to explore. Here I’ve used walnuts, bark, and pine cones.  

Observations to make: 

  • What do you notice about the different kinds of bark? (color, texture, etc.) 
  • Look at the inside of the walnut. Compare it to the outside. 
  • How is the small pine cone similar to the large pine cone? (look at the cone scales, or seed scales) 

3. Tweezers: Tweezers are a tool worth using for multiple reasons. Your child can take things apart like these sycamore seeds to observe the insides more closely. (Combine the tweezers with the magnifying glass.) Tweezers also work on fine motor skills and hand strengthening. Encourage your child to pick things up with the tweezers. Move things from one side of the tray to the next.  

4. Tape Measure or Ruler

Measuring is a science and math skill that is important to practice. Once you’ve taught your child how to use a ruler or tape measure properly, set them off to compare the sizes of different nature items. We used the tape measure and ruler. My kids love finding the objects on the card and then measuring them. Taking the tape measure outside on your next nature walk would also be fun. Measure the distance between trees or the length of a large rock. The possibilities are endless. 

5. Balance: My favorite addition to the fall discovery table is a balance. We used the Three Bear Family® Beginner's Balance Set (similar item shown). The set comes with caterpillars and leaves in different sizes and weights. I placed the leaves next to the balance and added in some nature items (pinecone, walnuts, acorns, etc.). Encourage your child to explore the balance. Talk to her about how the scale works. When the items on each side weighh the same, the balance will be in the middle. The heavier side will be lower than the lighter side. 

Questions to ask: 

  • How many leaves will it take to balance a walnut? 
  • Which is heavier: a pine cone or an acorn? 
  • Which weighs less: a hickory nut or three orange leaves? 

Final Tips for your Fall Discovery Table

Setting up a fall discovery table is excellent for various age groups. The goal is to let children make observations and explore the nature items. It’s a good idea to show your child how to use the tools first and then let them explore freely. They can ask questions to you and learn more about the items through books or additional resources you provide. What’s your favorite part about fall? 

5 Tools for Your Fall Discovery Table

Are you excited about the fall? Cooler weather, changing colors, and leaves and seeds on the ground make for a great time to get outside and explore nature. Bring a nature inside and set up a discovery table. Today I’m sharing five tools for your fall discovery table. These items will help your little scientists make observations and use real science tools in the process.

5 Tools to Add:

1. Sensory Tubes: Sensory Tubes are a fantastic way to let children observe things through sight and/or smell. They are especially handy for items that you don’t necessarily want the children to touch (sticky pine cones, for example). I added different nature items to the sensory tubes and then also placed items on the tray that can be touched and explored. The focus in this particular discovery table is comparing seeds and leaves. I chose a seed pod, leaves, pine cones, and pine needles. 

Questions to ask:

  • What do you notice about the different leaves? (colors, shape, size) 
  • What time of year do trees like sycamore and maple lose all of their leaves? (fall/autumn) 
  • Pine cones and pine needles come from evergreen trees. They lose their needles a little at a time; not all at once. Compare the green pine needles to the brown ones. What do you think the difference is? (time – the green needles fell more recently than the brown needles, the brown needles are older/drier) 

2. Magnifying Glass: A magnifying glass is perfect for looking at objects more closely. Lay a magnifying glass next to a few nature objects and encourage your child to explore. Here I’ve used walnuts, bark, and pine cones.  

Observations to make: 

  • What do you notice about the different kinds of bark? (color, texture, etc.) 
  • Look at the inside of the walnut. Compare it to the outside. 
  • How is the small pine cone similar to the large pine cone? (look at the cone scales, or seed scales) 

3. Tweezers: Tweezers are a tool worth using for multiple reasons. Your child can take things apart like these sycamore seeds to observe the insides more closely. (Combine the tweezers with the magnifying glass.) Tweezers also work on fine motor skills and hand strengthening. Encourage your child to pick things up with the tweezers. Move things from one side of the tray to the next.  

4. Tape Measure or Ruler

Measuring is a science and math skill that is important to practice. Once you’ve taught your child how to use a ruler or tape measure properly, set them off to compare the sizes of different nature items. We used the tape measure and ruler. My kids love finding the objects on the card and then measuring them. Taking the tape measure outside on your next nature walk would also be fun. Measure the distance between trees or the length of a large rock. The possibilities are endless. 

5. Balance: My favorite addition to the fall discovery table is a balance. We used the Three Bear Family® Beginner's Balance Set (similar item shown). The set comes with caterpillars and leaves in different sizes and weights. I placed the leaves next to the balance and added in some nature items (pinecone, walnuts, acorns, etc.). Encourage your child to explore the balance. Talk to her about how the scale works. When the items on each side weighh the same, the balance will be in the middle. The heavier side will be lower than the lighter side. 

Questions to ask: 

  • How many leaves will it take to balance a walnut? 
  • Which is heavier: a pine cone or an acorn? 
  • Which weighs less: a hickory nut or three orange leaves? 

Final Tips for your Fall Discovery Table

Setting up a fall discovery table is excellent for various age groups. The goal is to let children make observations and explore the nature items. It’s a good idea to show your child how to use the tools first and then let them explore freely. They can ask questions to you and learn more about the items through books or additional resources you provide. What’s your favorite part about fall? 

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DIY Colorful Autumn Leaves!
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Awesome and Educational Apple Activities
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Exploring Fall

Fall officially started on September 22. Look outside and think about what changes have made? Its colder outside, the leaves have started changing color and are falling. It is also starting to get darker outside earlier in the evening. I have an activity that will help kick off Fall, with talking about all the wonderful fall objects and other fun, fall activities.   

What you will need:

  • Discovery Acorns (or something similar to put your objects in)   
  • Apple (I used an apple-shaped counter)   
  • Pumpkin object (I used pumpkin erasers)   
  • Cinnamon object (I used a cinnamon stick)   
  • Hot Chocolate (I used chocolate chips)   
  • Leaves (I used some fake leaves)   
  • Bon Fire/Smores (I used marshmallows)   
  • Halloween (I used a bunch of fake spiders)    
  • Fall Walks (I used a pinecone)   
  • Thanksgiving (I used a felt Turkey)   
  • List - What are you thankful for?   

Once you have filled your acorns you can share with your children. Have them talk to you about why these items remind them of Fall and what they think of. You can extend this activity for little ones and have them draw the fall item and write the name of it, and, for older kids, you can have them write down a sentence or two about the contents of the Acorn.

Exploring Fall

Fall officially started on September 22. Look outside and think about what changes have made? Its colder outside, the leaves have started changing color and are falling. It is also starting to get darker outside earlier in the evening. I have an activity that will help kick off Fall, with talking about all the wonderful fall objects and other fun, fall activities.   

What you will need:

  • Discovery Acorns (or something similar to put your objects in)   
  • Apple (I used an apple-shaped counter)   
  • Pumpkin object (I used pumpkin erasers)   
  • Cinnamon object (I used a cinnamon stick)   
  • Hot Chocolate (I used chocolate chips)   
  • Leaves (I used some fake leaves)   
  • Bon Fire/Smores (I used marshmallows)   
  • Halloween (I used a bunch of fake spiders)    
  • Fall Walks (I used a pinecone)   
  • Thanksgiving (I used a felt Turkey)   
  • List - What are you thankful for?   

Once you have filled your acorns you can share with your children. Have them talk to you about why these items remind them of Fall and what they think of. You can extend this activity for little ones and have them draw the fall item and write the name of it, and, for older kids, you can have them write down a sentence or two about the contents of the Acorn.

 READ MORE

The How’s and Why’s of Daylight Savings Time

On Sunday, November 5, you should wake feeling slightly better rested than usual, as you’ll have gained an hour of sleep due to daylight savings time. Messing with our bedside clocks (not to mention our internal clocks) may seem strange, but there is a good reason. 

Why do we change our clocks an hour back? 

To understand why we move our clocks forward and back in the spring and fall, we need to understand why we have seasons in the first place. You see, the Earth does not stand perfectly straight as it rotates around the Sun. Rather, it rotates at a tilt. This means that the part of our planet that’s tilted toward the Sun has warmer, lighter days for half of the year and colder, then darker days for the other half, as the Earth makes its full, year-long rotation. Most of us live for those warm summer days when our part of the world is tilted toward the Sun. Those days – and Benjamin Franklin – are the reason for daylight savings time. Franklin was the first to publicly observe that most of the world was sleeping through those glorious, bright, warm, early morning summer hours, essentially wasting them. A British builder named William Willet was the next to push for a shift in time, to push the bright sunny summer hours from morning to evening, when people could enjoy them rather than sleep through them. Willet proposed shifting the time gradually, say 20 minutes a Sunday for four consecutive weeks. His plan was adopted first by Germany, then by Britain, who called the program Sun Time. Other countries followed suit, including the U.S., in 1918. 


Tips & Tricks for getting and keeping your kids in bed 

And yes, daylight savings time gives us nice, long summer hours. And yes, research indicates that it also saves energy (more time playing at the park in the evening means fewer lights on and dishwashers running) and decreases evening traffic accidents. But daylight savings time can be brutal for those of us with kids. Have you ever tried to put your kids down for the night while the Sun was still shining bright? Or to wake them up an hour early in the morning? Good luck! But there is hope. Willet had the right idea in terms of gradually introducing this change. Beginning about a week before the time changes this fall, start pushing bedtime by about 15 minutes each day (your kids are going to love this!). Then, try to keep them in bed an hour later on Saturday and until the equivalent of their regular wake-up time on Sunday. The goal is that they’ll be just tired enough by Sunday night to go to bed at their regular but now adjusted time. As always, avoid electronics, sugar, and crazy, active play in the hour before they climb into bed. Ah, daylight savings time. We relish that extra hour of sleep in the fall and loathe the loss of an hour in the spring, but, to quote Danny Zuko, “Oh, those summer nights! 

The How’s and Why’s of Daylight Savings Time

On Sunday, November 5, you should wake feeling slightly better rested than usual, as you’ll have gained an hour of sleep due to daylight savings time. Messing with our bedside clocks (not to mention our internal clocks) may seem strange, but there is a good reason. 

Why do we change our clocks an hour back? 

To understand why we move our clocks forward and back in the spring and fall, we need to understand why we have seasons in the first place. You see, the Earth does not stand perfectly straight as it rotates around the Sun. Rather, it rotates at a tilt. This means that the part of our planet that’s tilted toward the Sun has warmer, lighter days for half of the year and colder, then darker days for the other half, as the Earth makes its full, year-long rotation. Most of us live for those warm summer days when our part of the world is tilted toward the Sun. Those days – and Benjamin Franklin – are the reason for daylight savings time. Franklin was the first to publicly observe that most of the world was sleeping through those glorious, bright, warm, early morning summer hours, essentially wasting them. A British builder named William Willet was the next to push for a shift in time, to push the bright sunny summer hours from morning to evening, when people could enjoy them rather than sleep through them. Willet proposed shifting the time gradually, say 20 minutes a Sunday for four consecutive weeks. His plan was adopted first by Germany, then by Britain, who called the program Sun Time. Other countries followed suit, including the U.S., in 1918. 


Tips & Tricks for getting and keeping your kids in bed 

And yes, daylight savings time gives us nice, long summer hours. And yes, research indicates that it also saves energy (more time playing at the park in the evening means fewer lights on and dishwashers running) and decreases evening traffic accidents. But daylight savings time can be brutal for those of us with kids. Have you ever tried to put your kids down for the night while the Sun was still shining bright? Or to wake them up an hour early in the morning? Good luck! But there is hope. Willet had the right idea in terms of gradually introducing this change. Beginning about a week before the time changes this fall, start pushing bedtime by about 15 minutes each day (your kids are going to love this!). Then, try to keep them in bed an hour later on Saturday and until the equivalent of their regular wake-up time on Sunday. The goal is that they’ll be just tired enough by Sunday night to go to bed at their regular but now adjusted time. As always, avoid electronics, sugar, and crazy, active play in the hour before they climb into bed. Ah, daylight savings time. We relish that extra hour of sleep in the fall and loathe the loss of an hour in the spring, but, to quote Danny Zuko, “Oh, those summer nights! 

 READ MORE
nuts-about-acorns

Nuts About Acorns!

Besides the sound of crunching leaves, the pitter-patter of acorns falling onto the sidewalk is another iconic autumn rhythm. We see squirrels run off with them, but what else do we know about this “fruit of the oak tree”? With a bit of help from Learning Resources’ Alphabet Acorns Activity Set, let’s explore the acorn and its many layers. 

What is an acorn?  

The acorn is indeed a nut and is the fruit of the oak tree. Only oak trees produce acorns. One acorn contains a single seed enclosed in a tough, almost leathery shell. Depending on the species of the oak tree, it can take six to 24 months to mature and drop. There are 90 species of oaks in North America alone.  

Why does it fall from the tree?

Oak trees have “boom” and “bust” years in their acorn drop. In a bust year, oak trees produce just enough acorns for wildlife to eat, but it doesn’t allow for any new baby trees. Boom years are called masting, which can happen every three, five, or six years. This is when the oak trees drop a lot more nuts – more than the animals can eat – hoping to make more trees.   

Who eats acorns?

Acorns: not just for squirrels. Acorns are some of the most important sustenance for wildlife out there. Deer, chipmunks, wild turkeys, crows, rabbits, opossums, blue jays, quail, raccoons, and wood ducks are all acorn eaters. Can you believe more than 100 vertebrate species feast on that nutty treat? 

But keep acorns away from horses – they have been proven toxic!  

Can you eat an acorn?

Acorns are high in fats and carbohydrates. They are very bitter and taste woody and earthy. They contain lots of tannins, which can make your insides go haywire or even turn toxic. In a nutshell, it's probably not a great idea to eat acorns all around. But as an interesting side note, there is no scientific evidence that those with a tree nut allergy can react to an acorn by simply holding it!  

Fun fall acorn activity  

Gather a few acorns as you are out strolling. What color is the outside? Green? Brown? Gently tap a hammer (adults only) to crack one open. What do you see inside? What does it smell like? After exploring a real acorn, it was time to break open Learning Resources’ Alphabet Acorn Activity Set! 
Awesome! First, we spill out the little objects and identify what they are. Mission number one is to match the things with the letter sound on the outside of the acorn. Surprise! The acorns themselves open, and you can pop the objects inside. The colors correspond with the letters. Great color and letter recognition activity! Also, on the top of each acorn is the letter in lowercase, which this little one immediately noticed. The next hour was spent opening and closing the Alphabet Acorns, quizzing Mom, and even creating some words.  

Happy fall and happy acorn hunting! 

nuts-about-acorns
Nuts About Acorns!

Besides the sound of crunching leaves, the pitter-patter of acorns falling onto the sidewalk is another iconic autumn rhythm. We see squirrels run off with them, but what else do we know about this “fruit of the oak tree”? With a bit of help from Learning Resources’ Alphabet Acorns Activity Set, let’s explore the acorn and its many layers. 

What is an acorn?  

The acorn is indeed a nut and is the fruit of the oak tree. Only oak trees produce acorns. One acorn contains a single seed enclosed in a tough, almost leathery shell. Depending on the species of the oak tree, it can take six to 24 months to mature and drop. There are 90 species of oaks in North America alone.  

Why does it fall from the tree?

Oak trees have “boom” and “bust” years in their acorn drop. In a bust year, oak trees produce just enough acorns for wildlife to eat, but it doesn’t allow for any new baby trees. Boom years are called masting, which can happen every three, five, or six years. This is when the oak trees drop a lot more nuts – more than the animals can eat – hoping to make more trees.   

Who eats acorns?

Acorns: not just for squirrels. Acorns are some of the most important sustenance for wildlife out there. Deer, chipmunks, wild turkeys, crows, rabbits, opossums, blue jays, quail, raccoons, and wood ducks are all acorn eaters. Can you believe more than 100 vertebrate species feast on that nutty treat? 

But keep acorns away from horses – they have been proven toxic!  

Can you eat an acorn?

Acorns are high in fats and carbohydrates. They are very bitter and taste woody and earthy. They contain lots of tannins, which can make your insides go haywire or even turn toxic. In a nutshell, it's probably not a great idea to eat acorns all around. But as an interesting side note, there is no scientific evidence that those with a tree nut allergy can react to an acorn by simply holding it!  

Fun fall acorn activity  

Gather a few acorns as you are out strolling. What color is the outside? Green? Brown? Gently tap a hammer (adults only) to crack one open. What do you see inside? What does it smell like? After exploring a real acorn, it was time to break open Learning Resources’ Alphabet Acorn Activity Set! 
Awesome! First, we spill out the little objects and identify what they are. Mission number one is to match the things with the letter sound on the outside of the acorn. Surprise! The acorns themselves open, and you can pop the objects inside. The colors correspond with the letters. Great color and letter recognition activity! Also, on the top of each acorn is the letter in lowercase, which this little one immediately noticed. The next hour was spent opening and closing the Alphabet Acorns, quizzing Mom, and even creating some words.  

Happy fall and happy acorn hunting! 

 READ MORE
Fun & Easy Fall Leaf Activities!
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