So what did we do for day #13 of the Challenge? We had a picnic in the yard!  We are all feeling under the weather from a cold my son caught while on vacation, which was promptly passed on to the whole family.  We didn't feel up to doing much of anything, but I knew being in the house all day would make us go stir crazy.



Look Up, Look Down, Look All Around
While munching on our lunches we did an activity recommended by Jennifer Ward in her book I Love Dirt!  I encouraged my Bean and Budder to look everywhere for signs of wildlife.  Here is a list of what we found.
1) a slug
2) a carpenter ant
3) cracked acorns the squirrels left behind
4) a Daddy Long Legs spider (is that even the correct name?)
5) a vulture flying above
6) a Swallowtail butterfly
7) rocks (a favorite of Budder's)
8) a seashell (wait a minute, how'd that get here?)
9) lots and lots of moss that feels so cool, soft and pleasant to touch
10) a chipmunk collecting sunflower seeds the kids had tossed on the ground

Stimulate Awareness of Their Environment
My kids are excellent little nature sleuths.  The power of observation in kids is so amazing.  Maybe it's because they are closer to the ground.  Or maybe, in their innocence, they are more aware of the surroundings adults take for granted.  Either way, they see, hear, smell and touch things that might go unnoticed by me.  It's fun to go exploring in the backyard with them!



Today I encourage you to look for signs of wildlife in your yard with your kids.  What did they find?  Bees pollinating flowers, animal tracks, a squirrel chewing a nut, a feather, a leaf that had been chewed by a caterpillar?