Things You'll Need:
- A love of nature and a desire to mold kids into good stewards of the environment, rather than the TV
- Kids tools to be cool! (May include kiddie rakes or shovels, work boots, or even an apron for the cooking projects)
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Step 1
Have a appropriate sized rake,(You have to have the look, so buy an inexpensive small rake and work gloves). We rake the whole yard into a big pile..this year we had several big piles. Remember that Patience is a virtue, as you SO SLOWLY watch kids rake.
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Step 2
Lesson:
1. Talk about the seasons, and toddlers know that the weather is getting cold and no more swimming means something' s happening.
2. Look@ the different leaves, and talk about , pointy edges and smooth. Discuss how each leaf can be connected to the type of tree by it's shapes and colors
3. Then rake and rake til you have a "leave mountain".
4.Now, the funnest ever part. Your toddler jumps into the mountain and hides. My old Retriever finds my kid. In turn, he thinks she should enjoy the fun, and throws a tennis ball in the middle of the pile and laughs hysterically , as she tries to find it. -
Step 3
Ask your toddler "what are we going to do with all these leaves??" 1."Burn them??"
--air pollution
2. "Cover the plants" Well, some dry ones we can scruch up and place in the garden
3. "Take them to the dump" Nope TOO much @ the landfill now!
Kids are aware how cold it is now, and that it will get colder, so we decide that we should bag up the leaves in trash bags, and put them all around the house--up to the shingles. That should help with drafts!
