Materials: cardboard paper towel rolls, string, hole punch, wide packaging tape, markers, crayons
Directions:
1. Cut the cardboard rollers into 4” sections and tape together to make binoculars. Punch a hole in each side and tie on a piece of string that can easily go over children's heads.
3. Go on a nature walk and encourage children to observe through their binoculars. What do you see when you look up? What do you see when you look down?
4. When you return to the classroom give each child a sheet of paper with two large circles. Ask them to draw their favorite thing they saw through their binoculars in the circles.
5. Older children can write descriptive sentences about what they saw.
Younger children can dictate this sentence:
(Child’s name) saw (what they saw).
(Child’s name) saw (what they saw).
Encourage each child to read over the sentence with you as you point to the words.
6. Make a cover for the book that says “Look! Look!”
Add a page that says “Authors and Illustrators” where children sign their names. Put their pictures together, bind, and you’ll have a wonderful class book that all your students will want to read.
Tree Identification
Get a book on trees from your school library. Take a nature walk and challenge the children to identify the trees on the school grounds. How does the bark on trees vary? Do all trees have blossoms in the spring? How are the leaves different?
*Hint! Give children a clipboard and let them draw their favorite tree. Encourage them to write sentences describing their tree.
Petal Bookmark
Go outside and collect petals and leaves that have fallen to the ground. (It's very important to remind child to never pull things off plants because it might hurt them!) Lay out a 7" strip of clear packaging tape for each child. They arrange their leaves and petals and then place another piece of tape on top. Seal, trim the ends, and you'll have a spring bookmark.
Add a page that says “Authors and Illustrators” where children sign their names. Put their pictures together, bind, and you’ll have a wonderful class book that all your students will want to read.
Tree Identification
Get a book on trees from your school library. Take a nature walk and challenge the children to identify the trees on the school grounds. How does the bark on trees vary? Do all trees have blossoms in the spring? How are the leaves different?
*Hint! Give children a clipboard and let them draw their favorite tree. Encourage them to write sentences describing their tree.
Petal Bookmark
Go outside and collect petals and leaves that have fallen to the ground. (It's very important to remind child to never pull things off plants because it might hurt them!) Lay out a 7" strip of clear packaging tape for each child. They arrange their leaves and petals and then place another piece of tape on top. Seal, trim the ends, and you'll have a spring bookmark.