Late Spring 2022
Springtime Through The Senses
Springtime in Michigan means many things; the sun is finally out, the snow pants and mittens can (hopefully) be put back in storage, wildlife (and people) comes out of hiding, flowers start blooming and summer is just around the corner. For the toddlers, Springtime brought new adventures of discovering nature from our nose to our toes. Follow along to experience the forest from the perspective of a nature-exploring toddler.
Look Closely…
Exploring nature through your eyes can involve getting low to closely inspect what lives in every nook and cranny of a log. Notice some bugs stick to the log while others are in the dirt. What will you find if you slowly scan the surface of the water? Does being high up help you see what a bird sees?
Did you hear that?
Drip…drip…drip… Who knew water dripping from a roof could create a musical beat. Putting a bucket under that dripping water changes to sound to thud…thud…thud, like a drum. As the bucket fills, the thud gets softer and softer. Did you hear that? Another beat. Water dripping into a puddle sounds more like a soft bell.
Good morning dear Earth
Good morning dear Sun
Good morning to the trees
and the flowers, everyone.
Good morning to the bees,
and the birds in the trees
Good morning to you,
and good morning to me!
Sometimes the sounds we hear in nature are ones we make ourselves! Singing our “Good Morning” song gives us a moment to recognize who we share our environment with in a beautifully sounding way.
This feels….
Soft! Rocket the Jersey Wooly Rabbit (from Bowers School Farm) made a special appearance at the nature center. His soft fur keeps him warm and his small wet nose helped him to smell the veggie treats we shared.
There are so many things to touch and feel in a garden: The soft fluffy soil that turns gooey with water, delicate seeds with hard outer layers, and the various textures of herbs and other plants. Creating this garden required a lot of work with our hands! Everyone worked together to shovel soil into the bed, spread it evenly with rakes, dug holes to transfer the plants, and used every ounce of muscle to pump up water to shower each plant with. Stop by our tot garden next to the Log Cabin to see our Marigold, Basil, Sage, Rosemary, and what is left of the lettuce and strawberries (thanks deer..)
Mess is the best! One of the favorite sensory experiences for this group: MUD KITCHEN! Feel the squishy mud through your fingers and the cool pond water used to rinse it off. The Mud Kitchen menu consisted of mud meatballs, mud tea, mud brownies and so much more. Mud (and finger paint) is also perfect for creating beautifully messy art.
Not all smells are stinky!
The smells we explored in our garden are ones you would also smell in your kitchen! The strong sweet smell of basil might remind you of pizza or spaghetti! While the earthy smell of lettuce might remind you of your favorite salad or sandwich. Which is your favorite scent?
