Rainy Day Nature Study

Rain, rain, go away!

It has been raining here for about three days straight! An interesting and ever-changing mixture of torrential downpour and mind-numbing drizzle. On days like these hibernation mode kicks in at Lapaz Farm. What is a nature lover to do?

Well, how about we just go with the “flow” so to speak and do a little rainy day nature study!

Start off curled up under a blanket with the littles for a read aloud picture book. Olders just may want to listen in as well! Good rain-themed choices are:

The Umbrella by Jan Brett. One of our all-time favorite authors explores wildlife in a cloud forest in this funny tale of misadventure.

Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain by Verna Aardema. A classic of rhythmic language for littles.

The Water Hole by Graeme Base. Like any of Base’s books, the illustrations reveal more and more the closer you look.

After your cuddle, you are going to want something warm in your tummy. Tea or hot cocoa will sure hit the spot. While you make it, why not do a little experiment? Use the steaming tea kettle to discuss the water cycle. It’s easy to visualize evaporation (in a fast-forward kind of way!) using the kettle’s steam. Put a metal skillet lid high above it to collect some of the steam and demonstrate condensation. Collect enough,and once it begins to drip you’ll have precipitation ! SAFETY ALERT!!! Let them watch the water form a distance, as steam is quite hot.
As you drink your tea, pull out this nifty coloring sheet for the littles, and for the olders, this nice diagram with terms to fill in. If you need background info, here is a wonderful resource:USGS Water Cycle
Now that we have warm bellies and our brains in gear, why don’t we find out just how much rain we are actually getting. Use this activity to build your own rain guage! Put on your slickers cause we are not through! Once you set up your rain guage why not collect some rain water for a pH test? All you need is a clean cup, some rain water, and some pH strips like these:pH strips and while we’re at it, why not test the pH of other liquids around the house. Good ones to try are vinegar, lemon juice, tomato, bleach, ammonia, milk,cola or anything else you like!

For a little background on acid rain go here.

If kiddos are interested, set up an experiment where you plant seeds and water some with fresh water and some with water and vinegar or lemon. See if you can detect a difference in germination rate or growth. Radish seeds are great to use as are alfalfa. They sprout and grow quickly for fast results.

For a little art project, why not visit my favorite art site:Art Attack and try the project titled “Fluffy Clouds” or “Salt water pictures” (all projects are arranged alphabetically) or any other Art Attack that suits your fancy!

Now that we’ve had some action, lets wind down our rainy day with a little more reading:

Middles can read independantly or aloud to littles: Afternoon in the Amazon by Mary Pope Osborne is a Magic Tree House book all about the wettest place of all, the Amazon rain forests.

And for the independant readers, why not hand them a copy of the newest book by Carl Hiasson (author of Hoot) called Flush. Water quality isues never seemed so fun!

To finish up, why not settle back in for a reading of Noah’s Ark-the ultimate rain story! Read it straight from your Bible (Genesis 6-9) , or try Jan Brett’s colorful version, On Noah’s Ark. Her website even includes downloads of all the animals and characters to make a Noah’s Ark Mural! and other activities, too, like a T-Shirt transfer, open the doors Ark, and email post cards. This site alone could keep the kiddos busy for, say, forty days and forty nights!!LOL!
That’s it for our rainy day nature study! Hope you enjoyed it! All books are linked in my new sidebar category “Rainy Day Nature Study”

Go with the Flow!!!!