Get Out and Play
the Benefits of Children Spending Time in Nature
Butterfly Nets
Kites and Flying Toys
Playsilks
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What on Earth is Outside?
An adventure through the trees, seeing the waves break, finding critters in the grass, and watching the stars fall out of the sky are just a few of the amazing benefits from playing outside.
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I'm crawling on my hands and knees through seemingly endless tunnels carved into the vegetation. I must get to the inner cave to rescue my fellow explorer who has been captured and is being held captive. Is this a scene from a movie? Continue Reading...
Educational Games and Family Recreation
The importance of play and the types of games our children choose.
Play is an integral part of being human. As children we learn a great deal about life and the world through play. We explore the boundaries of what is possible with our mind and bodies as well as learning about our roles in society. Different means of play also have different lessons to teach. Playing with toys can be a great aid in learning, but is a very free-form activity that can lead to many possible lessons. Continue Reading...
Don't put red dye in hummingbird nectar!
Controversy, myths and facts.
Hummingbirds are some of natures most exciting and interesting creatures. Their unique mode of transportation, their tiny size and their jewel-like plumage have made them one of Americas' if not the western hemispheres favorite backyard birds. The ready availability of many different kinds of commercially produced feeders has made it easy for anyone to attract these amazing creatures to their yard and enjoy watching their buzzing aerobatics.
Continue Reading...
National pollinator week debuts
as bee colonies continue to collapse.
Bee colonies across North America are continuing to decline due to the mysterious "Colony Collapse Disorder". CCD is unlike anything entomologists and apiarists have see before. It is characterized by a curious disappearance of adult worker bees from the hive. These worker bees have the crucial job of bringing food and pollen back to the hive to feed the young brood of the hive as well as the queen. Often the queen is found wandering conspicuously about the hive, surrounded by only a few young adults. Continue Reading...
Birdhouses and Nesting Boxes.
Choosing the right birdhouse and attracting the right birds.
There are few things in life more rewarding than watching the emergence of a
new life into this world. If you are lucky the birdhouse or nesting box you
put up this winter has given birth to a downy little face peeking forth from
the entrance, a tiny beak and two beady eyes peering out into the world for
the first time. It shakes a little, and moves awkwardly before leaping out
and spreading it's newly fledged wings to flutter off into the sky.
Congratulations! Your efforts have paid off, and a family of birds has
grown, if only a little, thanks to luck and your vigilant nurturing. Continue Reading...
Green Toys Galore!
Hope
for the future rides in this year with a
gaggle of "green" gifts.
Take the time to reflect on the problems of the world
today and what we are doing to tackle them and you will see that one of the best
things we can do in our everyday lives is to buy "green"
consumer products. Sure, they are a little more expensive, but
the cost we pay now saves the future from bearing that burden.
"Green" products are
more than just recycled plastic and environmentally friendly
materials, they are a way of embracing an idea.
The idea that every little thing we do, whether recycling a
soda can, using a refillable coffee cup, or just buying a product
produced by an environmentally friendly company, we are slowly
taking steps toward solving our problems.
Continue
reading...
Choosing and Using Developmental and Educational Toys
Much has been said through the years about the value of educational or developmental toys for children, but how often have we seen it that after the child opens an expensive toy they play with it for a little while and then proceed to become enraptured with the box it came in, or it's wrapping paper for hours. Is the toy to blame for not being a good toy? Did the parent choose a toy that was too complex or uninteresting? What makes an educational or developmental toy worth having? Continue reading...
Niger Seed Feeders
The popular finch seed Niger ( Guizotia abyssinica ) is native to the highlands of Ethiopia. Niger is in the composite (sunflower) family and is quite closely related to the popular garden plants Cosmos (genus Coreopsis). It has yellow Cosmos-like flowers and grows up to 6 feet tall. The seeds contain up to 40% oil and in Ethiopia, India and Myanmar (Burma) it is an important oilseed crop. Ethiopian immigrants possibly introduced the seed to India around 3000 B.C along with other important food plants such as millet. Niger supplies 50% of the vegetable oil used in Ethiopia and 3% in India. It is also heated and made into a paste and eaten directly. The meal left after oil extraction is used as a livestock food. It is a useful crop in the tropics because it is relatively pest free and can be grown in clay and waterlogged soils. Continue reading...
Hummingbirds and Hummingbird Feeders
Our Hummingbird Feeders
Our Hummingbird Feeder Accessories
Hummingbirds are almost a magical presence in the garden, like the famous pixie Tinkerbell from Peter Pan. The unusual humming sound of their wings, as they beat up to 200 times per second signals their presence. Often you only catch a glimpse of them as they flash from one area of the yard to the other. If you are one of the many who have not experienced the magic of a hummingbird, don’t worry, hummingbirds can easily be attracted to your yard by providing their basic habitat needs. Variety is the key word. By offering more choices, you increase the chances that a hummingbird will find your yard attractive and will come visit. Continue reading... |
