Winter Mission Possible

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December 13, 2010

Winter Mission- Winter Games; Make your own sled!

Posted by denisegdias under Free Play, Nature, Outdoor Games, Uncategorized, Winter Mission Possible
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Your mission should you choose to accept it is to make your own snow sled.  The snow may not be drifting yet, but it isn’t too early to start to think about going outside to ride a sled down a hill.  In Kansas, even though we tend to think it to be mostly flat, there are some great places to go sleigh riding!  As you ride around town or in the country,  be on the look out for a nice steep slope.  You may want to even make a list, so when the snow flies, you will know where to go.

Of course you can use a sled or saucer to go sleigh riding, but I challenge you to make your own sled out of cardboard!

You will need:

Cardboard – a box works well

Tape

Pencil or markers

Bar soap

  • You can break the box down or leave it whole it works either way. The whole box works better if you have someone to push you and the broken down box you do better when you can get a running start.
  • Take the bar of soap and run the corner up and down left to right coating the bottom of the box with a waxy layer of soap.
  • Climb in the box and get a push from a friend down the hill. You can also back up with a flat piece of cardboard and get a running start. If you hold it by one of the flaps you are able to pull up with your knees into the flap and control your new cardboard ride.
  • Post a photo or two of your sled!
  • Easy clean up! Throw the cardboard away when you are done. If the box slows after a few runs then cover the bottom in soap again.

    • Mission Report: Make Your Own Sled

    1.  Does the shape of your sled influence the speed of the sled?

    2. How does soap make the sled slide?

     

    November 15, 2010

    Winter Mission Trees: Meet a Tree

    Posted by Tonya under Free Play, g2g Outside Events, Nature, Outdoor Games, Uncategorized, Winter Mission Possible
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    Your Mission should you choose to accept it is to find a friend and play the Meet a Tree Game.

    Step one is to find a spot in a backyard or a park with a number of trees.  Pair up with a friend or family member.  One will be blindfolded and the other will be the leader.  (Remind children to be gentle and careful with the blindfolded partner.)

    The leader will carefully lead the blindfolded partner to a tree.  The blindfolded child will explore his/her tree to feel its uniqueness.  Adults can give children suggestions like: “rub your cheek on the bark,” “can you put your arms around it?” “can you feel branches,” “is the bark smooth or rough?” “are plants growing around it?”

    When the blindfolded child is finished exploring, the leader takes them back to where they began.  But, they can take the “long way around.”  Remove the blindfold and let the child try to find his/her tree with their eyes open.

    This helps children see individual trees and use their senses other than sight.

    MISSION REPORT:  1)  How did you know which tree was ”your tree”.  2)  Draw or take a picture of you and your tree.  Send your mission report to us at g2goutside@gmail.com

     

     

    November 8, 2010

    Winter Mission: Leaves and Bark Rubbing

    Posted by Liz Brunscheen under Nature, Winter Mission Possible | Tags: , , , , , , |
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    One of the most exciting things of Fall for most people are the changing of color on the leaves. It looks like a nature canvas in action: strikes of red, brown, orange, yellow colors. The tress like nature easels displaying all that beauty… It is a perfect time to join that festivity of colors just waiting outside for us. So why not go for a nature walk and enjoy all that fresh “painting”, and absorb the fresh smell Fall scenery brings  to us.

    Your mission should you choose to accept is to collect different kind of leaves; look at their shapes, texture and beauty. Are they the same, are they different? Why some of them are fuzzy and others not? How do you think the fuzzines on a leaf affects its ability to hold water? Why leaves are pointed like a needle and other flat like paper? Are all the leaves in one tree the same? Why are they different? What are the colors in one of the leaf? Check out the veins on a leaf!!!!!!

    Your mission should you choose to accept is to observe and touch the different kind of tree barks around you. Is the texture rough or smooth? Is it dry or can you feel some moisture on it? is it flaky or more compacted?….

    One exciting activity you can do while in your nature adventure is the leaf and bark rubbing. It’s like magic!!!

    You will need:

    • Crayons, chalk, pastel, charcoal are ideal. You will want a good selections of colors. Ask an adult to spray the
      picture with hair spray to keep the chalk from smearing.

      "This is magic!!!!!"

    • Paper- Not too thick that the impression doesn’t show, not too thin strong rubbing will tear the paper. Tracing paper is good for older kids but toddlers are better off with standard computer paper.
    • A flat surface like a table or a clipboard
    • Paper clip to keep the in place during leaf rubbing
    How to make leaf rubbing?
    1. Collect a range of large and small leaves of different shapes. Look for dry leaves with good veins that will lay flat. If the leaves are too wet, the paper will absorb the moisture and may tear; too dry and the leaf may crumble.  *Avoid spiky leaves such as holy or pine, which will not only puncture the paper but also your skin.*
    2. Place the  leaf veins up on the board, pin the paper with the clips and hold it flat. Tight over the leaf to prevent from slipping.
    3. Peel the paper from a large crayon and lay it flat on the paper.Rub gently but firmly over the leaf to create the outline, working from top to bottom in a slightly diagonal motion, making sure to rub over the edges of the leaf  to expose the outline.

    How to make bark rubbing?

    1. Peel the paper from a large crayon.
    2. Press and hold the paperagainst the trunk of a tree.Gently rub the side of the crayon on the paper until the pattern of the bark shows.

      "Where's the turkey? I'm ready for Thanksgiving dinner..."

    Holiday Craft: Thanksgiving Place Mat – Tape or glue the paper with the leaves rubbings on a construction paper bigger than your paper. Laminate it and VIOLA!!!  There’s your Thanksgiving place mat and ready for  the turkey…

     Mission Report
    • Show us your favorite leaf and tell us why you like it.
    • If you made the place mat, tell us how you did it and send us a picture.
     

    November 1, 2010

    Winter Mission Trees: Leaf Hike

    Posted by Rebecca under Free Play, g2g Outside Events, Nature, Winter Mission Possible | Tags: , , |
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    Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to go on a hike around your neighborhood or a local park to find interesting leaves.

    Of course, trees have interesting leaves all year, but in the fall it can be especially fun to go out and look for leaves because many of the leaves are turning colors other than green!

    Here are some things to look for when you go on your hike:

    - Trees with leaves that are needles rather than flat leaves.

    - Trees that still have green leaves.

    - Trees that have dark purple leaves.

    - Trees that have more than one color on their leaves.

    - Trees that have very small leaves.

    - Trees that have very large leaves.

    - Leaves that feel very thick and leathery.

    - Leaves that feel soft or fuzzy on either the top or the bottom.

    - Trees with very strangely shaped leaves.

    - Trees that have more interesting things on them than just the leaves (like acorns or fruit).

    Here is a link for a more structured “Leaf Hunt” activity.

    Fall is a great time to walk around looking at leaves for a lot of reasons. Of course, with leaves all over the ground, it is a lot of fun to run through them and crunch them up! Dry leaves can be folded along the veins to explore the symmetry of the leaves.

    You can also collect leaves that are on the ground or gently take colored leaves off a tree to take home. If you put the leaves between sheets of newspaper, then on a rainy day you can take the leaves out and use them for an activity. It is really easy to glue a dry leaf to paper to make a card or use several leaves to make a collage. Older kids can collect a variety of leaves and identify them to start a leaf collection.

    If you get your leaves home and want to try to identify the trees they came from, here are three websites that can help you out:

    What Tree Is It?

    I’ve Got My Leaf, Let’s Get Started

    Leaf Tree ID Key

    Mission Report: Leaf Hike

    Email your mission report to us at g2goutside@gmail.com.  Your mission report should include the answers to the following 2 questions and a picture of you doing the mission.

    1. How many different leaf shapes and colors did you find?

    2. Tell us about (or show a picture) of your favorite leaf. Using a book or a computer, tell us what kind of tree that leaf came from.


     

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