A Wonderful Wonder Bugs Family Day!

Leaves were our topic for the day based on the book Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert. Would you believe that we found Leaf Man four times in the woods? He even looked like a fish one time! A leaf man has got to go where the wind blows. 

Leaf man’s trail led us to the sugar maple where we piled up leaves and jumped in them. We had a blast!  With masking tape bracelets we collected a variety of leaves and seeds and made our own leaf men back inside.

Do you know why leaves change colors in the fall? Can all trees make red leaves? What does weather have to do with leaf color? Click here to find out more!

 Or, ask a wonder bug friend who came to the family day!

Snack is back on track this fall! Leaf-shaped sesame seed crackers (made right in the ALNC kitchen) were a hit. See below for the recipe.

Leaf-ing you until next time,

Miss Tara

Thin Wheat Crackers
Pg. 170 The King Arthur Flour Bakers Companion: the All-Purpose Baking Cookbook

1 cup (4 ¼ oz) unbleached pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup (5 oz) whole wheat flour or white whole wheat flour
¼ cup (1 ¼ oz) sesame seeds
¼ cup (1 ¾ oz) granulated sugar (I only use about ¾ oz)
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons ( ½  stick,  2 oz) butter
Scant ½ cup ( 3 ¾ oz) milk
Coarse salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, sesame seeds, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter, then stir in the milk, adding just enough milk to form a workable dough.

Divide the dough into 3 pieces and roll in out ultra-thin, one piece at a time- 1/16 inch, if you can manage it. Sprinkle with a bit of coarse salt, if desired, and use the rolling pin to press the salt into the dough.

Cut the dough in to 1x2 inch rectangles. Transfer the crackers to baking sheets and bake for 20-25 minutes, until they begin to brown. Cool on a rack.  Makes about 8 dozen.

Next Wonder Bugs Session:

Tails at Night
9:30-10:45 am
Tuesday, October 4 & Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Registration Deadline: Friday, September 23, 2011

Opossum tails aren’t tall but they sure are good for hanging. Learn all about this shy night-loving animal and have fun hanging around.Click here to register!

Single session: ALNC Members: $6/child; Non-Members: $7/child
Package option: All 7 sessions: $38.50/members; $45.50/non-members

 

Goosey Goosey Gander!

Honk! Honk! We spent our time learning about Canada geese since we usually see them at the nature center. However, there are different kinds of geese. Some of them look like the stuffed tundra swan. Click here for an online puzzle of a white goose!

It is about that time of year when we will see geese and other birds heading south for the winter (migrating). It is a fascinating occurrence that humans have been studying for many, many years. Geese can fly on cloudy nights (without the sun or stars for guidance) partly because they have tiny magnets (called magnetite) in their heads. That’s right; birds might have a built-in magnetic compass! 

On the Wing: American Birds in Migration by Carol Lerner is loaded with facts, pictures and maps about bird migration. 

Brush up on your bird calls and click here for a description of the Identiflyer- the fun gadget we had that made bird sounds at the touch of a button. The wonder bugs loved this!

While checking the sky and fields for geese, sing the Goosey Song by Miss Tara Von Dollen:

(Tune: I’m a Little Teapot)
I’m a great big goosey, look at me.
Here is my dark bill. Here are my wings.
When I get all angered up, I flap and hiss,
Scaring off the bad guys just like this. (flap and hiss again)

Honk honk,
Miss Tara