| Author | |
Taffy
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 05 2005
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1567
|
| Posted: Nov 28 2006 at 10:21am | IP Logged
|
 |
|
This morning it is snowing, and windy. According to the Weather Network, the temperature is
-19C but the windchill makes it -31C. (That's about 0F with the windchill making it -20F). And it's supposed to be colder tomorrow!
I've been trying to get the boys outside everyday which can be hard when the weather is bad and everyone is suffering a cold. But on a day like today, is it right to bundle everyone up and get outside?
Opinions? Suggestions for getting the "outside time" quota in? 
__________________
Susan
Mom to 5 on earth and 1 in heaven
Susan's Soliloquy
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
~Rachel~
Forum All-Star
Joined: March 29 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 677
|
| Posted: Nov 28 2006 at 1:03pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Two suggestions:
1. You can still take a brisk walk... the fresh air is still good, just bundle up. Make it a 'track finding' walk in the snow... take a look at the various tracks and follow some 
However:
2. NATURE study can be done from the nearest window... stick a bird feeder there and watch it... record the birds, try different seeds, put out suet and record your findings.
I would be the first to tell you that CM's findings don't always work with the weather on this side of the Atlantic... you have to adjust them some. Sometimes it is better to stay in... if you are all sick, then by all means, sit by the fire, drink mulled 'cider' and read a few nature stories.
When you are not sick though, try the walk 
ETA: I also should mention there are many Nature Shows on TV that you might try watching when the weather is in impossible conditions or little ones are ill.
__________________
~Rachel~
Wife to William
Mum to James 13, Lenore 8
Lighting a Fire
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Taffy
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 05 2005
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1567
|
| Posted: Nov 28 2006 at 1:48pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Well, as it turns out, I have to head into town for groceries. I'm hoping that the roads are OK - all reports so far have said that they are...
Thanks for the hints, Rachel. We've done plenty of "track finding" walks - they're pretty impossible today though as the wind is blowing the snow everywhere. Normally, I'd have no trouble outside on a day like today. I've had jobs that meant being outside daily feeding horses and what not. But, the barn was never too far away and there were plenty of shelters and windbreaks. Where we live now, though, there is a LOT of wide open space (think soccer field space) and the wind is NOT fun to deal with. I guess I'm just looking for an excuse to stay in.
It's been pretty interesting watching the birds at the feeders today. We mostly get sparrows and are they ever puffed up right now trying to keep warm. Their feathers make them all look like little pillows. 
Well, I want to get back before dark so I'd better go. BLECH
__________________
Susan
Mom to 5 on earth and 1 in heaven
Susan's Soliloquy
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
~Rachel~
Forum All-Star
Joined: March 29 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 677
|
| Posted: Nov 28 2006 at 2:34pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Get the kids to draw the puffed up sparrows
And on other windy days, perhaps you could all find a sheltered spot, or where the snow is deepest
__________________
~Rachel~
Wife to William
Mum to James 13, Lenore 8
Lighting a Fire
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
MacBeth
Forum All-Star
Probably at the beach...
Joined: Jan 27 2005
Location: New York
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2518
|
| Posted: Nov 28 2006 at 4:24pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Taffy, never fear! Though our weather rarely gets too cold to head out, I have lived in colder climes! Here's a list from my Winter Page:
Hike a beach, lakeshore, or river bank (carefully!).
Visit the forest right after a snow.
Be the first to hike a field after a snow.
Make snow angels.
Look for tracks near water sources.
Try Nordic skiing.
Go bird-watching early in the morning.
Take an evening hike.
Star-gaze.
Take a "listening" hike--what do you hear?
Examine snow flakes (take your microscope outside so the flakes stay frozen).
Look for the "skeletons" of last summer's plants.
Dig for tubers and roots (if the ground is frozen, wait for warmer days...):
Jerusalem artichokes
wild carrot (caution! must be positively identified)
leeks
evening primrose
wild potato
chicory
onions
field garlic
ground nuts
anise root
sassafras
wild ginger
curly dock
Taste fresh snow.
Winter orienteering is a challenge! Try it!
Play "fox and geese," a game like "tag," on a circular, spoked track in the snow (directions in A Prairie Boy's Winter).
Make snow-shoes, and walk with them!
Look for winter berries--who eats them? Which berries are eaten last?
Look for last summer's nests
Cook outside and eat there too!
Learn fire building (read London's To Build a Fire)
Step outside during a blizzard (step inside quickly!)
Identify local trees by bark alone
Turn over your compost pile
Take the temperature of your yard--near the house, away from the house, the soil surface, under the soil, in the compost pile...
Hang different bird-seed types in different places--who likes what?
Hang suet for birds, too!
Provide shelter from elements for wildlife--bird houses, bat houses, brush piles, old logs, etc.
Keep a record of the weather
Tap maple trees in late winter--boil the watery sap into thick sugary syrup, ad pour it on ice cream, pancakes, or even snow!
There are more activities and books galore listed on that Winter Page, too. Hope this helps!
__________________
God Bless!
MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
MacBeth's Blog 
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Taffy
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 05 2005
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1567
|
| Posted: Nov 28 2006 at 5:46pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Thanks, MacBeth! All of these sound great but the wind today makes a lot of them pretty impractical. Seriously, the winds are going about 50 to 60 km an hour right now. When it's already -20C it really makes things cold.
But we were outside for a while today anyways. I'm thinking that maybe I need to invest in skidoo suits and ski goggles. That's the worst part of these winds for me - my eyes simply can't take it well anymore. And the older I get, the less eager I am to drag the kids outside so they can freeze and have colds the next day.
But rest assured, MacBeth, I WILL be trying these ideas out and checking out that link! Thanks again!
__________________
Susan
Mom to 5 on earth and 1 in heaven
Susan's Soliloquy
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Sarah
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 17 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1624
|
| Posted: Nov 28 2006 at 7:01pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Taffy-
We often have dangerous windchills here, too. Tonight and tomorrow we will be -12 to -20 windchill. Going outside is really impossible with babies and toddlers.
And I can hardly blame the boys when they are just too darn cold. So, we must find indoor alternatives.
The wind rarely stops blowing here and it puts a damper on a lot of winter fun.
I grew up in Salt Lake City--we were always outside. Although it was cold, it was not a bone-chilling raw cold as we have here in the Great Plains.
I sympathsize. Winter is very hard for me here.
__________________
Six boys ages 16, 14, 11, 7, 5, 2 and one girl age 9
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Taffy
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 05 2005
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1567
|
| Posted: Nov 28 2006 at 8:07pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I can SO relate, Sarah! I grew up in the mountains of British Columbia and was always outside too. It's darn depressing dealing with prairie weather at times! Incredibly hot summers and really cold winters. Even this I could handle but the winds just suck the life right out of me.
What I'd really like to have is a big barn or garage to use as a retreat. We could do quick forays outside and be able to retreat into the shelter or use it to do things that are normally outdoor activities. Maybe put up a rope swing ala "Charlotte's Web"?
__________________
Susan
Mom to 5 on earth and 1 in heaven
Susan's Soliloquy
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JuliaT
Forum All-Star
Joined: June 25 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 563
|
| Posted: Nov 28 2006 at 8:41pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Taffy,
I, too, struggle with this. I hate going outside in the winter. Those prairie winds take your breath away. If it wasn't for the wind, then I think we would get out more. We did go out yesterday but it was only
-16C. We were out for an hour. The kids had so much fun following the animal tracks around the farm. They wanted to go out again today but Daddy intervened and said it was too cold.
I just wanted to let you know that I understand and I think it's okay for you to stay inside until it gets a bit warmer. Tomorrow it's supposed to be -41C. Yikes! I think bird watching would be a good substitute.
Blessings,
Julia
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Juliainsk
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Taffy
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 05 2005
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1567
|
| Posted: Nov 29 2006 at 6:56am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Julia,
Unfortunately, we have to be out and about today anyway as two of the boys have a dental appointment in town. At least the roads are clear enough.
Sometimes, when it's really cold like this, we'll go for a "nature drive" and view nature from the comfort of our vehicle. But, today and yesterday there was so much blowing snow and fog that we couldn't really see anything. So, bird and weather watching is it for us until this weather clears.
Thanks for commiserating with me.
__________________
Susan
Mom to 5 on earth and 1 in heaven
Susan's Soliloquy
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
TracyQ
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: New York
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1323
|
| Posted: Nov 29 2006 at 7:53am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Maybe getting out on the better days are possible. And then for those that are just impossible (we live in Buffalo, NY where weather can sometimes be an issue as well), we have learned a LOT for our nature study from nature books.
Crinkleroot Books by Jim Arnosky are some of our favorites.
Jim Arnosky has many, many other great nature books as well.
The Kid's Nature Book has Indoor/Outdoor activities you can do, and then your kids could do some nature journaling/sketching from those activities.
Pets in a Jar might be a neat book to look at. We just saw the most amazing (and HUGE  ) spider last night crawling on our couch (and yes, Sarah and I screamed and made daddy get it OUT!) But if we'd caught it, we could have definitely studied it, journaled it, and sketched it.
You can study the weather, recording temperatures, and weather statistics and chart them for your nature notebook. You can keep track of cloud types, temperatures, weather type, etc. etc. as part of your nature study.
Making Nature crafts might be fun. Sometimes you can find some natural craft supplies at craft stores, and/or you can collect some when the weather is better to make nature crafts on the days where going out isn't possible.
And I found these websites that may give you some ideas as well:
Indoor Nature Study
Winter Nature Study
More Indoor Nature Studies
Hope this helps!!!
__________________
Blessings and Peace,
Tracy Q.
wife of Marty for 20 years, mom of 3 wonderful children (1 homeschool graduate, 1 12th grader, and a 9th grader),
 homeschooling in 15th year in Buffalo, NY
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
TracyQ
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: New York
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1323
|
| Posted: Nov 29 2006 at 8:15am | IP Logged
|
|
|
MacBeth,
What a GREAT winter page! I need to read it more carefully, and put some of it into practice here.
__________________
Blessings and Peace,
Tracy Q.
wife of Marty for 20 years, mom of 3 wonderful children (1 homeschool graduate, 1 12th grader, and a 9th grader),
homeschooling in 15th year in Buffalo, NY
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
MacBeth
Forum All-Star
Probably at the beach...
Joined: Jan 27 2005
Location: New York
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2518
|
| Posted: Nov 29 2006 at 11:11am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Oh, Tracy just reminded me that one of the best (worst?? ) winters we ever had, when everyone was sick, we had a huge 20 gallon terrarium, and bread snails, watched things decompose, and hatched a fleet of mantids.
Also, since you mentioned him, Jim Arnosky has a new book (well, it was released last year, but I just got it) that is brilliant, especially for those looking into fishing books for kids. It's called Hook, Line and Seeker. It focuses on fishing and boating with kids. This is the kind of book I like in the winter...sort of an appetizer for the spring to come.
Taffy, I did not realize how bad the weather is currently in the western provinces. I hear you might have broken a cold-weather record. Having been in -50 wind chill weather only once, I would surely not wish it upon anyone!
__________________
God Bless!
MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
MacBeth's Blog
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Taffy
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 05 2005
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1567
|
| Posted: Nov 29 2006 at 4:14pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I jsut wanted to thank everyone for letting me whine and for the great ideas for nature study in winter!
And I'll try and put up a braver front about the weather.
__________________
Susan
Mom to 5 on earth and 1 in heaven
Susan's Soliloquy
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Becky Parker
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 23 2005
Location: Michigan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2582
|
| Posted: Nov 30 2006 at 8:12pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Just another winter suggestion. One year, my son made a "bird blind". He used a large box from something which I can't remember, but it was big enough for him to sit in. He cut sets of peep holes on all sides and the top then he set the box out by our birdfeeder for 2-3 days. We made sure we put some bird seed around and on top of the box. After the birds got used to it, he went out side with a pillow and sat in the box. The birds came and went as usual. It was especially cool when one sat on the box and he could look up through the hole and see it looking at him! He made a list of all the birds he saw. It was a great idea because it was also a very cold winter, but he said that in the box it really wasn't too bad as it acted as a wind break.
I love it when my kids use their creativity!
__________________
Becky
Wife to Wes, Mom to 6 wonderful kids on Earth and 4 in Heaven!
Academy Of The Good Shepherd
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
MacBeth
Forum All-Star
Probably at the beach...
Joined: Jan 27 2005
Location: New York
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2518
|
| Posted: Nov 30 2006 at 8:26pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Becky Parker wrote:
| Just another winter suggestion. One year, my son made a "bird blind". |
|
|
That's a great idea, especially if it cuts the wind! And don't forget, many birds can be hand-tamed, for a real close-up view  .
__________________
God Bless!
MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
MacBeth's Blog
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Becky Parker
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 23 2005
Location: Michigan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2582
|
| Posted: Dec 01 2006 at 6:09am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I think this was his ultimate goal Macbeth. He had read about having chickadees eat out of a person's hand and had hoped to eventually achieve that. He never did but we learned some neat things about the birds that came. This year, we have a stray cat that has adopted us. She had kittens so I have too much compassion to shoo her away, but her "nest" is write by the bird feeders. No birds this year! I'm hoping to find a better place to set up feeders where we can still watch out the window, but the cat took the premium spot. Oh well. We're also learning a lot about momma cats and kittens "in the wild". Life is rough for the little guys!
Becky
__________________
Becky
Wife to Wes, Mom to 6 wonderful kids on Earth and 4 in Heaven!
Academy Of The Good Shepherd
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Taffy
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 05 2005
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1567
|
| Posted: Dec 01 2006 at 7:42am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I LOVE this idea Becky! Thanks! We'll be trying this one soon! 
__________________
Susan
Mom to 5 on earth and 1 in heaven
Susan's Soliloquy
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: When the weather outside is frightful...
