Observing nature

"Will you teach me the names of the trees, Mama?" ... She taught me the names of the trees, the shapes of their leaves and trunks and crowns. In a week I was able to distinguish the different kinds of spruce and pines that grew near the cottage. I learned the pyramidal shape of the larch, the scraggly divided shape of the walnut, the drooping shape of the willow, the spreading bushy shape of the dogwood.

(Chaim Potok, In the Beginning, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1975.)

Going for walks is an especially beneficial activity to share with your children. Make the most of these walks by helping your children to observe things. There is no end to the lessons that can be learned.

Sometimes we go on a scavenger hike with a brown bag, to gather objects for collages. Each leaf can be handled. Every seedpod described. The different colors of flowers can be enjoyed. You can look for heart-shapes, or round ones. You can look for a particular number (four or five) and challenge your child to find as many objects with that number as they can: flowers with four petals, or leaves with five sections.

With all the collected objects, a little glue, and some paper, you and your child can make wonderful collages. Be creative. Make a heart-shaped picture out of the heart-shaped objects, or the shape of a tree out of bark and leaves.

Name the plants you see, or the shapes of rocks. When you're tired, find a clearing, and lie on the grass, looking up at the clouds, with a child lying on top of you. Point out what you see in the clouds, and ask them to do the same.

Through exercises like this, the child learns the skill of careful observation, comparing objects, finding similarities and patterns. You both get some fresh air and a good time. Making an art project afterwards helps aid the child's memory, motor skills, and creativity.