Walk on the Wild Side

Posted by Jenny

Last Friday night, April 13th, Cantigny hosted its first Walk on the Wild Side program for this year! We had Jim Nesci with Cold Blooded Creatures come out for a facinating presentation!

The presentation was very educational, focusing on conserving and protecting reptiles.  Jim's animals were all rescue animals and it was interesting to hear the stories of how Jim saved them.  Jim has a special bond with all his animals and his passion for his work was really obvious! The audience had a great time learning about the animals and also having some close-encounters! Children and adults got to hold and touch the animals, and a few lucky kids got to ride Bubba the Alligator!

In addition to the star of the show, Bubba, we also got to meet Tank (African Spurred Tortoise), Lucky (North American Alligator), Blondie (Albino Burmese Python), and Godzilla (Black Throat Monitor Lizard).

If you missed this Walk on the Wild Side, mark your calendars for Thursday, October 18th at 6:30pm, as we learn about owls with the Willowbrook Wildlife Center!

Here are some pictures from the event!

Tank the African Spurred Tortoise

Lucky the North American Alligator

Bubba and Jim

My new pal, Bubba! :)

Luck of the Irish

Posted by Jenny


It's hard to believe St. Patrick's Day is this Saturday! It feels more like June instead of March! I hope that you have been able to take advantage of the warm temperatures we are having and soak up some sunshine! Here are some fun ideas to make your St. Patrick's Day extra special this year!


Build a leprechaun trap! You can repurpose household items for this such as used paper, toilet paper rolls, toothpicks, scraps of yarn or ribbon, rubber bands, baby food containers, or whatever you can find! You can also take a walk in your backyard or around your block and find some fun natural items such as twigs, grass, leaves, bark, or rocks.

Let your children's imaginations run wild as they build their traps.  There is no right or wrong way to do this which is the best part! Just talk about what they think a leprechaun might be attracted to and let them build a little trap! Let your children scout out the areas in your home where they think Leprechauns might hang out and let the magic happen! When your children aren't looking, hide a little prize in the trap for them. You can put in a sticker, small piece of candy or a gold coin!

Another fun idea that I will be trying out this St. Patrick's Day is rainbow cupcakes! Here is the recipe!

And speaking of food, if your children are not big fans of corned beef and cabbage, you can always use green food coloring to turn other types of food into yummy St. Patrick's Day treats! It works especialy well with milk or mashed potatoes!

If you are in the mood for some art, here is a fun and simple craft to make--A Shamrock Man.  All you need is green and white paper, glue, and a marker!

Since the weather will be so nice, you can always celebrate your St. Patrick's Day here at Cantigny Park! Bring the family out for a nice walk, and you might even find a four-leaf clover!

Nature Journals

Posted by Jill

Without examining results of scientific studies, I think most would agree that time spent outdoors has lasting benefits. There are opportunities for new discoveries and learning adventures when one connects with nature.


Incorporating the use of a nature journal is one way to encourage observation, appreciation, connection, and exploration of the natural world with your child.

What are nature journals, you ask? A nature journal is a dedicated space to record experiences within the natural world. That’s the extent of the definition. Nature journals aren’t just for kids either! In fact, you are the best model for child; why not start a nature journal of your own? How you choose to record observations, express ideas, questions, or feelings is completely up to you! There are no rules when journaling. Use words to describe observations, or maybe a sketch works best! Perhaps a fallen leaf, flower petal, or seed may be the perfect addition to a page. Watching a worm wiggle under a rock may spawn a list of questions, while a flock of geese flying overhead might inspire a poem.

Before you begin, decide on a format that works best. Purchase a notebook and decorate the cover however you wish. Prefer separate sheets of paper? No problem, find or create a binder or folder to house your entries. You might also want to consider finding a special pouch to hold pens, pencils, colored pencils, and/or crayons.

Spending quality time outdoors doesn’t have to mean visiting a national park or even traveling to your local forest preserve to hike. Nature explorations can simply be done right in your backyard. When you plan to spend time outside, take your journal with you. You never know when you’ll be inspired to write (or draw)!

Here are a couple of websites that can provide you with additional information on nature journals:

http://www.sierraclub.org/education/nature_journal.asp

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Nature-Journal

http://www.nwf.org/Kids/Ranger-Rick/Activities/Outdoors/Observing-Wildlife/Create-Your-Own-Nature-Journal.aspx

Fun February Classes!

Posted by Jenny

Hello everyone! We hope you are staying warm and enjoying your winter! We have been busy here at Cantigny planning and preparing for all our classes and events for 2012! Lots of paperwork and computer work!

Needless to say, we are excited to get back into the classroom and see all our students again soon!

This year we are offering two one-time classes in February.  They are sure to be a great time, we hope you can make it!

Here is all the information:



Snow Man Party!

Friday, February 3rd, 10:00-11:00am, ages 3-5 with parent, $10

Snowmen can be “snow” much fun! Join us for stories, crafts, and songs all about snowmen! If there is snow on the ground we will go outside and build a few snowmen too. After all the fun, we will share a treat of cookies and hot chocolate!

Love Bugs!

Friday, February 10th, 10:00-11:00am, ages 3-5 with parent, $10

Love is in the air! Come get ready for Valentine’s Day with your little love bug! We will read stories, make a craft, and have all the supplies ready for you to create special Valentine’s Day cards! When all the crafting is complete we will share a special treat!

Registration for both these programs is availiable online at http://www.cantigny.org/, or you can call 630-260-8162 to register by phone. 

Hope to see you there!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Wait!!! Where's all the Snow?!

Posted by Jenny.

We have spent the past month learning all about snow in our Sprouts, Wiggleworms, and Doodlebugs classes. We learned about where snow comes from, what snowflakes look like, what animals do in the snow, and we talked about all the fun things we can do when it snows outside.  But, each week, our students would wonder where all the snow was!


By this time of year, most children dream of spending their days bundled up in snow gear and happily building snowmen, sledding, having snowball fights, and catching snowflakes on their tongues before heading inside to warm up with a nice up of hot chocolate and marshmallows.


Sadly, that may take a bit longer then usual this year! I checked the forecast today, and it doesn't seem like any significant snow is headed our way, at least for the next ten days.


So.......here are a few suggestions of ways you can play with "snow" inside...that is, until we get enough snow outside to bundle up and go play!


These cottonball snowmen are simple and adorable! We made them in our Sprouts class:
http://www.allkidsnetwork.com/crafts/winter/cotton-ball-snowman.asp

Grow your own snowflakes! Kids love this easy science experiment!
http://www.sciencefairadventure.com/ProjectDetail.aspx?ProjectID=152

Make snowflakes out of coffee filters! Each will be unique and beautiful, just like real snowflakes! You can hang them in your windows! The kids in our Doodlebugs class could have made these all day!
http://www.smartcenter.org/ovpm/december-07.htm

Cuddle up with that yummy hot chocolate, and read some great books about snow.

 A few of our favorites are:
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
The Mitten by Jan Brett
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
The Secret Life of a Snowflake by Kenneth Libbrecht

Talkin' Turkey

Posted by Jenny

With the Thanksgiving holiday coming up next week, turkey has been on everyone's mind! Most people are thinking about the turkey they are going to eat for dinner (and all the yummy sides too)! But did you know that there is a group of wild turkeys that make their home here at Cantigny? These interesting birds can be seen all over the park, but do have a preference for the area in the back of the park near our Administrative Building.  Sometimes they like to block cars making it a challenge for employees to go home at night!

Wild turkeys live in the woods.  They need large trees to provide food and shelter.  At night, the turkeys will roost in the lower branches of trees.  Yes, wild turkeys can fly!  Turkeys will eat whatever they can find, but really enjoy insects, berries, seeds, grains, and nuts.  Male wild turkeys are called "toms" or "gobblers" and can weigh up to 21 pounds.  Females are called "hens" and weigh about 10 pounds.

Next time you visit Cantigny see if you can find our wild turkey friends and tell them, "Gobble Gobble!"

As you and your family get ready for the holiday, here are a few fun turkey crafts to try at home:

Leaf Turkey
http://www.holiday-kids-crafts.com/thanksgiving-crafts-fall-leaf-turkey.html

This is a fun fall project to work on together.  Go outside, collect some leaves, get your glue and paper out, and you are ready to make a cute turkey!

Here's a few more ideas for great Thanksgiving/turkey crafts:
http://www.preschool-learning-and-crafts.com/preschool-thanksgiving-crafts.html

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Perfect Pumpkins

Posted by Jill

October is a great month to be a teacher! It’s chalk-full of fun topics: spiders, changing leaves, scarecrows, and PUMPKINS! I’ve always been a fan of pumpkins, from searching high and low for the perfect pumpkin in a large patch to sipping a pumpkin spiced latte from Starbucks, they are quite a treat!

Jenny and I both teach a series of nature-based classes at Cantigny Park. Last week, the topic was pumpkins. For our littlest friends, we simply explored the shape, color, and size of pumpkins. For our slightly older friends (3-5 yr. olds), we were able to get a little more in depth. Children not only explored the shape, color, and size of various pumpkins, but also learned how a pumpkin grows.

We gave the children a chance to investigate the inside of a pumpkin. We were both surprised how many children did not want to touch the inside of the pumpkin. I guess the slimy pumpkin guts and slippery seeds didn’t have any appeal. Who knew? The children noticed that the inside of the large orange pumpkin we cut into was also orange. Then the question arose, what color would the inside of a white pumpkin be? 

I had never carved a white pumpkin, so this called for an experiment. I happened to have a small white pumpkin in the Education Center, so  after cutting a lid, I carefully lifted it, and low and behold, the white skinned pumpkin still was orange inside, just a bit lighter than the inside of our orange-skinned pumpkin. 

I turned to the web for an explanation and learned that most pumpkins are orange in color due to high amounts of lutein, alpha- and beta- carotene. That said, our white skinned pumpkin must have had lower amounts of these vitamins.
(Source: http://www.sensationalcolor.com/color-for-your-home-garden/outdoor-living/the-many-colors-of-pumpkins.html)

We had fun in our classes investigating pumpkins, but I thought I’d put together a list of some of my favorite pumpkin activities to try at home with your family:

CRAFTS:

Pumpkin Seed Mosaics

http://www.allkidsnetwork.com/crafts/fall/pumpkin-seed-pumpkin.asp

I found this craft on the All Kids Network website.  We didn’t do this mosaic with our classes due to the large number of seeds we’d need, but it seems like the perfect project to do at home.  If you don’t want to paint the pumpkin seeds, I imagine you could put them in a plastic baggie with some food coloring and a small amount of rubbing alcohol. (This is how we dye our rice and noodles for other craft projects, and it works great.) After the seeds have their desired color, lay them out on newspaper or a paper towel to dry.

ACTIVITIES:

Pumpkin Playdough!
I’ll be honest, I haven’t actually tried this recipe, but it seems like so much fun! The recipe is on the website: http://www.preschooleducation.com/.  Let me know how it works!

(NOT FOR EATING)
5 ½ cups flour
2 cups salt
8 teaspoons cream of tartar
¾ cup oil
1.12 ounce container of pumpkin pie spice
Orange food coloring (2 parts yellow, 1 part red)
4 cups water

Mix all of the ingredients together. Cook and stir over medium heat until all the lumps disappear. Knead the dough on a floured surface until it is smooth. Store in an airtight container.

Count and Compare Pumpkin Seeds
Count how many seeds inside a couple different sized pumpkins. Is the size of the pumpkin indicative to how many seeds it will contain?

Order Pumpkins
If you have a collection of various sized pumpkins, have your child put them in order from smallest to largest.

Sink or Float
Perform your own sink or float science experiment. Fill a baby pool, sink, or bath tub with water. Have a few pumpkins of various sizes on hand. You might want to include other fruits such as an apple, orange, or green pepper. Make a prediction on whether each will sink or float, then test them out.

SONGS/BOOKS:

Have You Ever Seen A Pumpkin? (author unknown)
(Tune: “Have you ever seen a lassie?”)
Have you ever seen a pumpkin, a pumpkin, a pumpkin,
Have you ever seen a pumpkin, that grows on a vine?
A round one, a tall one, a bumpy one, a squashed one.
Have you ever seen a pumpkin, that grows on a vine?
(You can add your own adjectives to describe it)

Pumpkin, Pumpkin (author unknown)
(Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”)
Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground
How'd you get so big and round?
Planted as a seed so small
Now you’re like a great big ball!
Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground
How'd you get so big and round?

Pumpkins by Ken Robbins
Pumpkin, Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington

There are many more wonderful learning opportunities using pumpkins.  If you have any favorites to share, please do so!

Spider Craft

Posted by Jenny

I can't believe it's already October! The leaves are changing, scarecrows are up all over Cantigny, Halloween is coming soon, and there is a chill in the air! We are busy creating lessons and finding crafts for our fall classes.  I came across this awesome spider craft that is simple to make with many items that you probably already have at home!  We will be making this craft in our Sprouts class later this month and I wanted to share it with you! Happy crafting!

I found the idea for this craft on one of my favorite websites, The Crafty Crow! Thanks!

http://www.thecraftycrow.net/2009/10/spooky-spider-crafts.html

What you will need:

one paper lunch bag

markers

glue
glitter
newspaper or scrap paper
small amount of yarn
8 small twigs
hot glue gun
tape

First, color the bag with markers.  Be sure to color all parts of the bag including the back and the sides. 

Next stuff a small amount of newspaper into the bag for the head.  Gather the bag around the head shape and tie yarn around to hold in place.  Continue stuffing bag to desired size and tape bottom of bag closed when finished. You spider now has two body parts, just like a real spider! The head and the abdomen.



Now it's time to decorate! Add some designs with glue on one side of the spider.  The shake some glitter on to cover the glue.  

The next thing to do is to hot glue the twigs on for legs.  You will want to glue four twigs on each side of the body.  Just use a large blob of hot glue and the twigs should stick well. 

Yeah!!! Your spider is complete!  There are a few optional things you can do to make your spider even more fun! I used a hole punch to make a small hole in the bottom of mine and added a piece of yarn so my spider can hang off things.  You can also make an extra large spider web out of yarn on your wall for your spider to climb on!







The Quest for Pinecones!

Posted by Jenny

Is it just me or did the weather go from summer to fall overnight?! This chill in the air has got me thinking about all things fall...pumpkins, scarecrows, leaves, hot chocolate, sweaters, and PINECONES! A few weeks ago I had the idea to make pinecone birdfeeders for our craft project at the upcoming Cantigny Green Fair which meant that I needed to find a few hundred pinecones. No problem, I work at Cantigny! There are beautiful trees everywhere, plenty of conifers, I would be sure to find that many pinecones! Much to my surprise, the beautiful trees here at Cantigny were not ready to drop their cones.  I spoke to our forester about my predicament and he let me know that it can depend on the weather and the type of tree, but we typically see the majority on the ground in October. 

I was not willing to accept defeat and decided it would be my personal mission to somehow find enough pinecones for this craft project! I took a walk around my neighborhood later that evening...no pinecones. Jill thought there was a tree with lots of pinecones near her mother's house.  Turns out, that tree doesn't exist anymore! Yikes! At this point, I was pretty sure that I was in trouble. 

Then, while out at Target shopping for supplies for our Sprouts and Doodlebugs classes, I decided to take a different route out of the lot and stumbled upon lots of pine trees with TONS of pinecones!!!!  So, I went back with a large box, parked my car a little down the street and started collecting.  I am sure that I looked a bit crazy to others driving by the busy street as I crawled around on the ground under these trees throwing pinecones into a large box.  But, that's ok, I knew my effort would pay off. 

At one point during my collection I did fear that I was about to be attacked by a group of geese.  They were hanging out at a park across the street from me, and once I was spotted they all came to the side of the road and proceeded to honk ferociously at me until I decided to leave!

So, now I proudly have over 200 pinecones sitting in my office just waiting to be turned into beautiful bird feeders at the Green Fair.  Why don't you come out and make one?

Our Green Fair is on Saturday September 24th from 10am-4pm and if free with the $5.00 parking fee.  Besides these fabulous birdfeeder crafts there will be plenty more exciting and earth friendly activities! Check out our event page for all the details!

http://www.cantigny.org/Special_Events/signature_events/green_fair.aspx





My collection!



For the Love of Trees

Posted by Jill

I’m officially a blogger. Yikes! I will face my fear of writer’s block head on! Blank screen...you’ve got nothing on me! I have loads of material to share with my readers...or at least that’s what I’ll tell myself! So as I look out the window, contemplating ideas for a riveting post, there it is staring right back at me...TREES! I shall blog about trees! Perfect timing because our theme this month for our Wiggleworms and Sprout classes is trees. That said, I’ve been brainstorming and researching all things trees! It’s amazing...I see trees everyday, but certainly don’t appreciate their existence on a daily basis. Not only are trees a beautiful sight in every season, but think about how much we rely on them for our own existence!

You likely have a childhood memory of climbing a backyard tree--finding a way to get to the top, swinging from a tire swing, picking apples, or jumping in a pile of leaves on a crisp fall day. Why not nurture your child’s appreciation and love of trees with some fun ideas the whole family can enjoy? So without further adieu, here’s a list of some fun, yet simple, activities that you and your children can do for the love of trees!


-Hug a tree.  Is the tree trunk too big?...Hold hands and see how many family members or friends it takes to wrap around the tree!

-Go on a treasure hunt and collect items that have fallen from the trees such as acorns, leaves, and pinecones.  Make a collage, sort, or compare your findings!

-Tie colorful ribbons or streamers on the tree branches to catch the wind.

-Looks for nests in trees and other animals, besides birds, that live in trees.

-Take a hike and notice the different kinds of trees you see along the way.  (Cantigny Park has a 2.5 mile hiking trail around the perimeter of the park.  You can even pick up a free children's Tree Identification Activity Booklet at the Visitors Center Kiosk desk to use along the way!)

-Find some shade under a tree, relax, and read a book!

-Hang a birdfeeder from a tree branch and watch the birds munch!

-Make a stylish leaf crown!  (This idea is from the book Nature's Playground by Fiona Danks and Jo Schofield.  We've done this activity in some of our children's programs and they just love it!  Parents also get a kick out of their child's very vogue creation!)  Materials needed: Thick cardboard (cereal boxes work great) cut into strips about 2.5 inches by 20 inches with double-sided sticky tape attached along one side of each strip, and a stapler to secure any heavier (or drooping) items.  Have fun and remember to take lots of pictures!  Hail to the King and Queen of the Forest!

This list can go on and on, so don’t waste anymore time...make a playdate with nature and enjoy the beauty of trees!

We're Back! Did You Miss Us? :)

Wow! It's been a L-O-N-G time since we updated this blog! There have been some cha-cha-cha-changes here at Cantigny that we need to catch you up on. The original blogger, Jennifer, has moved on to a new teaching position and while we miss her, we are excited for her new opportunity! The Education Department of Cantigny now consists of the dynamic duo of Jill and Jenny! Together we teach and coordinate children and adult classes, programs, and special events.

Jill has been with Cantigny for three years and is the Education and Volunteer Coordinator.  She has a degree in Elementary Education from Miami University (Ohio).  When she's not teaching, Jill is busy training for the triathlons that she regularly participates in.  She also likes cooking and makes a famous chocolate chip banana bread! Yum!

Jenny just started at Cantigny in June and is the Education Program Assistant.  She has a degree in Elementary Education from Northern Illinois University (go Huskies! ). When she's not teaching, Jenny loves to knit and is always working on a project! She learned how to knit in a class at Cantigny- sign up today! :)

We both enjoy getting to know the wonderful families that we meet in our classes.  We enjoy teaching classes that peak curiosity and appreciation of the natural world, and what better place to hold class then on the beautiful grounds of Cantigny! We are lucky to come here everyday!

So, now that you know us a little better we hope that you will follow us and tell your friends about us! We promise to update frequently!

Build a Snowman- Indoors!

With feet of snow on the ground, it's hard not to think about all things snow--- sledding, skiing, snow-shoeing, snow angels and snowballs....and of course SNOWMEN!

Prior to Snowapalooza, my neighborhood had a few of these friendly Frostys standing proud in various front yards. It's always such fun to see how creative children can get with their snow-people. Most donned the tried and true hat and scarf combo and a few had mittens or gloves on the ends of their skinny stick arms. I remember a winter growing up when my sister and I dressed our snowman in a Hawaiian shirt and our snow lady in a nightgown- what a well dressed couple they were, waving to the passersby!

I'm not too sure our odd couple would have been as easy to make this past week. While the four foot drifts made for excellent snow forts and climbing hills, the heavy snowfall made actual snowman building a challenge. BUT, that doesn't mean you and your children can't build a snowman...just do it inside!

Here are a few simple steps- with simple supplies- to make your own melt-free, mess-free snowman!

What you need:
liquid white glue (like Elmer's), non-menthol shaving cream (inexpensive works best!), mixing bowl, spoons, construction paper or cardstock and scissors


What you do:

Cut out a few small snowman accessories from the construction paper or cardstock- a hat, scarf, little black circles for coal, a carrot nose etc- be creative, maybe your snowman will have hair or wear a necklace! Also, consider looking for a few small sticks for arms- or cut them out of paper. Set these aside.

In a bowl, mix equal parts liquid white glue and shaving cream. Mix until soft peaks form and all the glue (be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl) is well mixed in.





With a spoon, make the first -and largest- ball of the snowman's body by scooping up a generous heap of the mixture and "plopping" it onto the construction paper or cardstock- dark colored paper works best. Use the spoon to push the mixture into a round circle- add more as needed. Do this twice more to add the other circles- completing the snowman's body.



While the mixture is still wet, gently add the accessories by setting them in place and gently pushing them onto the mixture. No glue is needed because the glue is IN the mix!


Embellish your picture by adding snow on the "ground", or using your fingertip to add snowflakes.



When finished, lay your picture flat somewhere where it won't be bothered for a few hours- preferably overnight. When your picture is dry there will be no dark wetness marks on the back of the paper and if you gently touch the "snow" it will spring back when you lift your finger. AND- the best part is, when your picture is dry, it will still be PUFFY! Your snowman will be 3D! How cool is that?
Enjoy making a family of these fluffy, puffy snowmen. (pssst...also makes great sheep and ghosts...)

Snow Cool!

Who said snow has to be white?? (ok, ok... please hold your yellow snow comments...)

Snow can be a rainbow of colors! Fill up a few squirt bottles with water dyed with food coloring or liquid watercolor paint (be sure it is non-toxic!) and send your children out to liven up your yard!

Squirters can write their names in the snow, make a painting on snowplow mounds or add colorful details to a snowman. What fun!

Makin' a Stink!

During a recent "nature treasure hunt" with preschoolers here at Cantigny, the youngsters scampered around the prairie and trees surrounding our beautiful new Education Center, happily picking up leaves, bark, nuts and petals to fill their bags. They ran up and down the paths around the building- darting in to the grass when something caught their eye. They covered most of the ground around the building, all the while giving a wide berth to the row of ginkgo trees.

While intrigued by the cool fan shaped leaves and the height of these great trees, they all acknowledged the same fact..."These trees STINK!", and avoided them like the plague.

"It smells like puke over here!", "Peeew!" and "UGH! What is THAT smell?" were shouted as the treasure hunters passed the ginkgoes.

The short, 4 year old friendly, answer is "The smell comes from the seeds of the ginkgo tree. They have a strong smell don't they? (smile)"

These seeds, affectionately called "stink balls" or "puke balls", are not only scattered outside the Education Center, put also across a staff parking lot in the park. I have to laugh as I look out my window and see that NO cars are parked in the three spots nearest the ginkgo tree. It only takes driving over the seeds once, and getting them stuck in your tire treads- or heaven forbid, stepping on them- and driving home with the smell of vomit in your car to realize you shouldn't park near the tree in October!

BUT, each fall, I also observe park visitors gathering up these horridly stinky seeds! WHY??!! I couldn't image why anyone would want a bag full of stink, so I did some investigation. Knowledge is power.

Ginkgo seeds contain butanoic acid (also known as butyric acid) which is also found in butter, Parmesan cheese and well...puke. Who's hungry! :} The smell really lets loose once the seeds have fallen...and especially when they have been run over by novice parkers.

Okay...so now we know why they smell. WHY do people want them??

The seeds are actually a traditional Chinese food. (Ginkgo is the national tree of China!) Ginkgo nuts (the hard part inside the stinky seed coat) are used in many dishes, and are often served at special occasions. In Chinese culture, they are believed to have health benefits, and even aphrodisiac qualities. (ugh.) The fleshly seed coat is not recommended for eating due to ginkgotoxins which can cause seizures. Yikes!

I know I had heard of ginkgo being used as a memory enhancer- you've seen those ginkgo biloba pills in health food stores etc right? Well, those attributes mainly come from extracts from the LEAVES- not the seeds. There is a LOT of info out there about ginkgoes being used for medicinal purposes, so I have included this fact sheet from the Department of Health to give you the basics.

So, stinky story short....yep, it DOES smell like puke by this tree. But, stand upwind and just appreciate the tree for it's natural beauty. And, if you are so inclined, pull on some gloves (please), pick up a few seeds and explore them yourself.

September 22

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. ~George Eliot

Happy First Day of Autumn!

Float Your Boat

All the rain we've had this summer left plenty of puddles.....which I find are good for a handful of things.

A. Stomping in. Obviously.

B. Stomping in hard enough to splash your brother, sister, mom, or dad.

C. Heroically saving a drowning worms life. You'll feel good about yourself all day if you fish those guys out and drop them safely in the grass- I guarantee it.

D. Floating handmade boats.

This summer I somewhat mastered the art of paper boat making during Cantigny's Wild Wednesday program. And when I say mastered, I mean I can make three basic kinds of boats, I am not an origami guru by any means. Please don't ask to see an intricate flower, or crane, or gorilla.

But these three boats, look out- I've got them down!

My favorite- the canoe- is illustrated step by step below. By the time you scroll to the last picture you too will be a nautically themed origami wizard....at least when it comes to little paper canoes. And with a little patience (on your part) and a little practice (on their part) your children will be folding and sailing boats by bath time!

So, grab a square of colored paper- the bigger the better for your first try ( I recommend using actual origami paper that is colored on one side) and start to scroll...

Start with your paper colored side up.


Fold it in half.


Fold it in half again, to create a square.


Unfold the entire paper so that you have a windowpane of creases.


Fold in one side to meet the center line. Repeat on the other side.




Fold up each corner to meet the middle line.



Fold each edge up to the middle line to form shallow a triangle. It is okay if they overlap in the middle.



Fold the top and bottom points in to the middle line.



Pinch the boat in half so that you see the colored paper through the center line.


Carefully turn the boat inside out so that the color is on the outside. Slowly shape the folds into the general boat shape.



To make the folds crisper and to help your boat stand up, refold the colored edges back down and press the boat flat. At this point, your children can also add some details- crayons work best as they will not run when wet.



Pop your boat back up, shape it and take it sailing! (I advise adding a tow line in case your little boat sails out of arms reach.) Don't leave your canoe in the water too long or the water will soak through the paper and capsize your vessel.



It's also fun to craft little boats out of natural materials. Collect nutshells, pinecones, sticks, leaves and flowers with your children then piece together a fleet of rafts, sailboats and cruisers. Half the fun is the sink or float test when you first set them in the water!

As Mark Twain put it, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

So go, grab your kids and set sail.