Green Hour
I came to Barb’s challenge via Dana, over at School for Us. And upon further research I knew that I had found something that GB would really have an interest in. Barb has created a series of challenges for kids and adults to follow. The idea for her challenges came from a combination of two sources.
The first is the National Wildlife Federation’s Green Hour. They recommend that parents give their kids a “Green Hour” every day, a time for unstructured play and interaction with the natural world. This can take place in a garden, a backyard, the park down the street, or any place that provides safe and accessible green spaces where children can learn and play.
The second source is right in our very own backyard. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation has implemented a program called No Child Left Inside. Here are some quotes from their web site:
“We were driven by the recognition that America’s young people are growing increasingly disconnected from nature spending more time inside and not outside playing, exploring and learning. This is a disturbing trend that is contributing to a host of problems, including childhood obesity and attention-deficit disorder. Even outdoor recess is in jeopardy according to the National PTA.”
“Kids who get caught up in the wonders of nature will also be far more engaged when it comes time to learn about science in school.”
Barb’s challenge is fairly simple. Each week she posts a specific challenge that encourages adults and kids to get outside and observe nature. Then take those observations and expand upon them in different ways to LEARN more about those observations. We need to create a link between what we’ve observed and what we know.
She also encourages us to start a nature journal. Now, I’ve always been fascinated by the idea when I see other moms who already do this. And I’ve thought about it for GB before. So, with Dana’s lead, and Barb’s easy steps, I think we’ll give it a try.***Note to self: I need to find a suitable book.
In keeping with the ‘No Child Left Inside’ theme, we ventured out today to look for bugs. Especially, since GB had his class on Tuesday and is raring to find more bugs. We spent about an hour outside, but alas, we had no luck. That won’t stop us, though. Because I feel like we are a bit early in the season to be looking for bugs. We had a tough time on Tuesday, too. But it sure has been nice to be out in such gorgeous weather.
