Nature And Science

Spring is showery, flowery, bowery; Summer: hoppy, croppy, poppy; Autumn: wheezy, sneezy, freezy; Winter: slippy, drippy, nippy.

-Mother Goose

A child learns through his senses by watching, listening, tasting, smelling and touching. These direct experiences are stored away for now, but will serve as touchstones to new knowledge later on.

The world, to a child, is like a foreign land is to us-filled with strange sights and curiosities. To explain the New, in context with the Familiar, is often a hard task for an adult It's easier and more fun to have firsthand experience with nature and science in experiments and exploring.

You don't need to go far away to discover unexplored territory. A vacant lot is a jungle; a gutter, after the rain, is a fascinating body of water. Strange creatures hide under pieces of broken sidewalk, and you can usually find a spider web even in the tidiest of houses.

If you are going exploring, tie a big handkerchief with a snack in it on the child's belt This way, he will have both hands free, and can later use this handkerchief to bring home the treasures. Coffee cans, paper bags and cardboard boxes also hold treasures. He may bring home leaves, cones, rocks, bugs and wild flowers; or he may bring rusty bolts, a piece of an old tire, a shoe, or a chunk of cement

Special Excursions

Special excursions may be spontaneous, or well-planned adventures.

The firehouse: If your child is particularly interested in fire engines and playing fireman, he will appreciate the trip to the fire station. Most firemen are used to small children and will let them sit in the engine, try on their hats, and sound the siren.

A farm: A trip to a small farm where there are a few of the many kinds of farm animals is wonderful. You can see a farmer milk his cow at 5:30 or 6 in the evening, or 5:30 or 6 in the morning, if you get up early.

A train trip: A short train trip on a local train is very exciting, and children under five get to ride free I

Watching a new house grow: Bulldozing, laying bricks, pouring cement, hammering and pounding-all have a fascination for a child, particularly when what is being built is something as familiar as a house. If it is a wood house, you can talk about that " First we grow the tree, then when it is very old we cut it down, send it to the lumber mill, etc."

A pet shop: Most pet shop owners are patient people who understand children and animals. A good shop to visit would be one that has a variety of monkeys, parrots and wild birds, and small animals. Seeing these animals and birds at close range is often better for small children than a trip to the zoo.

The five-minute car wash: It is much more exciting if you get to ride through the system inside the car instead of watching from the outside. The washing and drying has such force that it is like being in a violent storm.

Machinery: Automobile and farm-machinery show rooms or factories where a familiar product is made, such as ice cream or candy, are of particular interest

Workmen at your house: Draw a chalk line on the floor or a string across the door, and let the child watch the plumber or paper hanger from this "spectator's box."

Children love to drive by the old house where you used to live, or see the church where you got married, or the hospital where they were born, or the school you used to go to, or the school they will go to when they are old enough.

And they like to go up on the roof with Daddy when he adjusts the antenna or cleans out the drain pipe, and they can yell at people down on the sidewalk and yell down the chimney. Roof Day isn't a very good activity for the roof and isn't too safe for children; it depends a lot on the roof, the daddy, and the child. Climbing up steep stairs into the attic can be Attic Day and down steep stairs into the cellar, Cellar Day. Places where you go only occasionally, and only if you must be very careful, are big events for children.

The Weather

Weather is just as important to a child as it is to an adult

Rain: When a child has to stay indoors on a rainy day, it helps to explain why it rains and why we need rain. In explaining, start with clouds. Clouds are hundreds and hundreds of races the air. When clouds get too heavy to float in the air down and that is rain. The sun is still up in the sky a shining, but we can't see it

Sit by the window and watch the raindrops race each other down the pane. And when the rain is over, put on rain clothes and splash in puddles, sail boats in gutters, and watch for the rainbow.

See how bright and clean the garden looks after rain. And how fresh it smells.

See how much water is in the tin can you put out before the rain started to fall.

(See Things To Do and Making Things.)

Wind: Wind is air going fast. Without air, we couldn't breathe, birds couldn't fly. Without wind we couldn't fly kites or watch the trees bend. And the wind bell wouldn't tinkle. (See Things To Save for wind bell making.)

Wet your finger and hold it up in the air to see which way the wind is blowing.

Snow: Snow is the same as rain coming down. Only the air is colder and the raindrops turn to snowflakes. Snow is the time for snowmen and snow houses and snow balls. And for making angels in the snow bank by lying flat on your back and moving your arms from above your head down to your sides.