Finally!! Another Fun School Friday!!

Whew! Had to take a few weeks off from FSF's there! But, we're back on track with them now, and had a great time yesterday!

This week's FSF had a Nature theme. We have a large backyard and as we are headed into the Winter season, we spent this week's FSF getting the yard ready to welcome our resident wildlife. And a little nature indoors project, as well.

Nature Project 1 - Wooden Bird Feeders - I purchased 2 wooden bird feeder kits from the local Dollar General store for a few dollars each. They came with everything but paint. The kids put them together with only a little help from dear old Mama. I had a few cans of outdoor paint left in the garage, so I got them out and we have two of the best-looking red, white and black bird feeders ever created!! LOL Mr. T's has a squirrel cut out on top, and Miss K's has a maple leaf cut out on top. She accidently nailed the leaf cut out on upside down, but has decided it makes it "unique." Let's hope the birds find them appealing! We'll hang one from a shepherd's hook and the other will hang from a branch of our maple.

Nature Project 2 - Soda Bottle Bird Feeder - I also bought a $3 kit from Rainbow Resource. (I needed just a little something to get the shipping down another bracket. You know what I mean, right?) We had to bum a 2 litre bottle from our neighbor because we don't drink soda pop. After acquiring our neighbor's empty Mt. Dew bottle, I follwed the directions with the kit and in a few minutes, we had another feeder to hang from our other shepherd's hook! Filling it will require taking it down every time, so I didn't want it in the tree.

Nature Project 3 - Table Bird Feeder - Not every little birdie likes to perch to eat, so we took some lumber scraps (specifically a 3 ft. X 3 ft. piece of 3/4 inch plywood, some 3 ft. lengths of 1 X 2's, and some 2 foot lengths of 2 X 4's) and built a table feeder. I nailed the 2 X 4's to the four corner of the plywood scrap and then nailed the 1 X 2's to the edgs of the plywood top to make a "lip" so the seed won't end up onthe ground. I had to trim the 1 X 2's a bit to make them fit, but otherwise, it was a fairly easy project. Now, I KNOW it should be sealed or painted or whatever to protect it, but I haven't got anything, so it'll probably only last this winter season and then we'll have to make another next year. Maybe we can get some stain or something on it before the really bad weather hits.....

Nature Project 4 - Squirrel Feeder - If you can't beat 'em, feed 'em!! LOL So, to assist the four legged creatures in staving off hunger this winter, we made a squirrel feeder. I took two pieces of 1 X 6 and nailed them together to make an "L". I drilled two small holes in the upright part of the "L" shape because I want to hang this on our chain-link fence. Then, I took a plastic milk jug and cut out two of the circles in the sides. (If your milk jugs don't have cirlces on their sides, just cut two circles out.) I used Liquid Nail and attached the jug's bottom to the board. I filled it with unshelled peanuts and hung it on the chain link fence with a zip tie threaded through the holes. It's so much fun to watch the squirrels do their tight rope act along the top of the fence to the feeder!

Nature Project 5 - I bought 4 herb lants at the produce market this week - an oregano, a sweet basil, a dill and a parsley. We repotted them into identical-sized square pots and then took some of our leftover 1 X 2's and created a stand to hold the pots. I cut four lengths of 3 ft. 1 X 2. I nailed 4 lengths the size I needed to hold my square pots to one end of the 3ft lengths to form a square with 3 ft. long legs. Then, about 1 1/2 ft. from the floor, I nailed another 4 lengths to the 1 X 2 "legs." This formed the center of my stand. I took four more lengths of 1 X 2 and cut them 2 ft. long. Using 8 smaller lengths, I created 2 more squares with 2 legs. I nailed the two corners of the squares to the 3 ft. long legs of the center portion. This gave me the two outer pot holders. The kids wanted to paint it, but since the family room is almost all natural wood furniture, I convinced them that staining it would be better......We did paint the names of the herbs on the respective holder squares, so I do hope the oregano is happy where it is, because he can't be moved now, can he?? LOL

Well, that's it for this week's FSF. If you don't have access to the Great Outdoors, or if it's the wrong season for bird feeding in your corner of the world, pot some herbs, plant some flowers, buy a potted fern. Grow a windowsill garden. Learn to keep a bonsai tree. Line a picture window with miniature roses or cacti. There are so many ways to add some nature to your life, to your world!

Make some green fun!

Fall is Here at Fun School Friday!

Fall has definitely made her early appearance here down in the Valley. If that is not the case in your little neck of the woods, feel free to adapt these ideas to whatever season has taken up residence where you live.

Art Challenge: Stained Glass Candle Holders

Materials:
Clear Votive candle cups
Tissue paper in fall colors (NOT metallic tissue)
School glue or PVC glue (Elmer's works well)
Wide tipped artist brushes
Votive or tea light candles

Directions: Tear the tissue paper into small pieces (not confetti, mind you.) Dip the brush into the glue and "paint" the tissue paper bits onto the outside of your votive cup. Cover the outside surface, overlapping the pieces of tissue paper to create interesting color effects. Allow the glue to dry. Insert candle and light it. The candlelight should create a "stained glass" effect when shining through your colored votive cup. (NOTE: NEVER EVER EVER leave your children alone with an open flame!!) You can use these in your window at night, or as a decoration for a table for dinner, or during prayer/devotional time.

Language Challenge: Read, and perhaps memorize or dramatize, some great seasonal poetry. Suggestions:
Robert Frost' s "After Apple Picking," "Gathering Leaves" or "Nothing Gold Can Stay"
John Keats's "Ode to Autumn"
Emily Dickinson's "Autumn"
Emily Brady's "Leaves"
John Updike's "September"

Nature Challenge: Get ready for autumn's natural bounty with an Autumn Watch Guide from Nature Detectives. (For those of you who don't get much Autumn, of for whom this time of year may be Spring, a quick search of the site may help you find nature activities more appropriate to your location and climate.)

Cooking Challenge: Get the whole family involved in making a big pot of your favorite chili, soup or stew. How about baking an apple pie? Or making apple butter or applesauce in the crock pot? If you haven't got any favorite fall-ish recipes, here's one of our family favorites:

Crock pot Cider

1 gallon apple cider or natural apple juice
1 quart cranberry juice
several pieces of cinnamon stick
whole cloves

Place everything in your crock pot. Cook on low until heated through. If needed, stir a little honey, maple syrup or brown sugar in your cider to sweeten it.

Musical Challenge: Listen to Vivaldi's "Autumn" from the Four Seasons. Or, if you prefer, Scott Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag." Classics for Kids has the music plus an activity sheet and info on Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag" for those of you who HAVE to make it schoolish.