Teaching Little Explorers - Creating Teachable Moments For Children

(Photo by Caleb Oquendo from Pexels)

My wife and I have raised three explorers, always on the lookout - whether driving or walking - for objets naturels curieux.  Now we're sharing those experiences with our grandchildren. We love our "nature walks", crushing and sniffing aromatic herbs, feeling the soft touch of Verbascum and Stachys leaves, marveling at flowers, spying upon insects, collecting nuts and rocks, and learning what not to touch. They always take home souvenirs to keep in their treasure boxes or line up in their bedroom window sills.

I'm always looking for great ideas to enhance our learning, and I found some to share with you. The National Gardening Association offers some printable downloads for Fall Nature Scavenger Hunts. There's one for younger children, and one for older kids. They're very colorful and the illustrations make them easy to follow.

Here's the link to download the list for younger children: 

Here's the link to download the list for older children: 

And while you're at it, join The National Gardening Association. There's lots of useful information for gardeners, a whole community of gardeners to join, and many opportunities for sharing.

 

(Image credit: National Gardening Association)