What is it about kids and collecting things? Baseball cards, action figures, rocks. You name it, and they seem to collect it. Giving in to this natural drive to collect, I've let the kids start a small nature table in the family room. We started out with a shoe box, but delicate items like dried leaves and seed pods were getting crushed, so a table seemed to be a better solution.

We have a few rules. No more than 10 items each on the table at one time. If you collect an 11th, you have to take one of your other items back outside for someone else to find and treasure. Items larger than Dad's hand count as two. This system seemed fair to all, and the kids loved tracing his hand as the official measurement tool for our little museum.

Rocks, Leaves. Seed pods. A piece of bark. Pine cones. Simple things that are safe and easy to collect and have in the house. My daughter has made labels for each of the items, and a "Nature Museum" sign proudly hangs on the wall. They both delight in showing their friends what they have collected, and are always anxious to go out and find more "inventory."

A drawer in the table is now the home for our nature journal. We keep a couple of magnifying glasses and our binoculars and field guides there as well. It's become a one-stop-shop for all our nature discovery needs, and is fast becoming this mom's favorite part of the family room.

Hands-On Fun

No room for a Nature Table? No problem. You can make a nature shelf, tackle box, or even use a hanging cosmetic or shoe organizer to save space. Limit the size of your child's collectibles. Rotate out the inventory so it does not grow beyond your space.

Take advantage of nature tables and exchange programs available at zoos, nature centers, and natural history museums near you. You will be amazed what you can find out there!

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Recipes for the season

Thanksgiving is the ultimate food holiday. Before the big day, whip up one (or all) of these recipes with your kids.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

What you need:

• one sweet potato
• milk
• butter
• cinnamon
• nutmeg
• sugar or maple syrup
• marshmallow (optional)

What you do:

1. Wash and peel your sweet potato. Cut into thin slices. Put the slices in a medium sized pot. Cover with water. Cook the sweet potato until you the pieces break when you test with a fork. Drain off any excess water.
2. At this step, you can involve your toddler. Pour the cooked mashed potatoes into a large bowl. Cool it until it is just warm to the touch. Let your toddler mash with a potato masher. While he/she mashes, sprinkle in the cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar or maple syrup (to taste). Add a little milk if the potatoes look dry.
3. When you are ready to serve, warm up the potatoes again in the microwave or oven. You can even put some miniature marshmallows on top before you put them in. The marshmallows will melt and form a yummy topping for your dish.

Harvest Veggies and Dip

Serve up a fresh snack in a bright bell pepper.

What you need:

• 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• red bell pepper (or yellow or red if yellow isn't available), thoroughly washed
• washed fresh veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and grape tomatoes

What you do:

1. Combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, and curry powder in a small bowl. Stir until well blended.
2. Cut the raw veggies into bite-sized pieces, and cut the top off the bell pepper. Clean the seeds out of the pepper. Stuff a mix of the raw veggies inside the pepper and serve with the dip.
3. One medium-sized pepper holds enough veggies for two to three servings. This recipe makes 1/2 cup of dip.

Pumpkin Cookies

You'll bring a smile to your child's face -- and to several dozen cookies -- when you make this treat.

What you need:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 1 cup cooked or canned pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• box of raisins

(makes about three dozen cookies)

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and honey.
4. Beat in the egg, cooked or canned pumpkin, and vanilla.
5. Add the sifted ingredients.
6. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls, two inches apart, onto greased cookie sheets.
7. Bake for 15 minutes.
8. After you take the cookies out of the oven, press raisin eyes, a nose, and a smile on each warm cookie.

To bring a little bit of nature to the dining table this holiday season, try making decorations from natural items like seedpods, cones, berries, and dried leaves, flowers or grasses. They’ll be right at home with fall pumpkins, gourds, corn cobs and squashes.

Want to try making characters out of cornhusks? Ranger Rick’s got the scoop.

Exploring and enjoying the outdoors with your child is a wonderful way to spend time together. Ready to get started? The information and ideas collected here will help you find the best ways to make Green Hour work for you.

> Focus on Fun
> Engage Your Curiosity
> Model Active Participation
> Discover Together
> Guide the Exploration
> Stay Flexible
> Adapt for Age
> Adjust for Learning Styles
> Be Prepared
> Tame the Dangers
> Celebrate the Benefits

Focus on Fun

First and foremost, spending time outside should be fun -- for you and for your child. Are you looking at it as one more chore on a to-do list that's already too long, or one more duty you must fulfill to be a good parent? Don't! This is a chance to take a break from chores, duties, schedules, and stress. Give yourself permission just to play... and the many benefits of Green Hour will follow. (TOP)

Engage Your Curiosity

Any time of the day, at any time of the year, something amazing is happening outside your window. Step outside with an attitude of wonder and you'll find it. Begin by exploring with each of your senses. Encourage your child to look closer at a flower or a rock, listen to a bird song, sniff the rich damp earth, touch a fuzzy leaf or a tree's rough bark. Practice delighting in each discovery you make, and your sense of wonder will grow stronger and stronger. (TOP)

Model Active Participation

Twenty years from now, your child may not remember every piano lesson or soccer practice you took them to. But you can bet they'll remember climbing a tree with you! You have tremendous influence as a role model; if you are squeamish about worms or spiders or rain or mud, your child is likely to follow your example. On the other hand, if you're the first one to fall over and make a snow angel or wade bravely into the pond to catch a bug, your child will probably be eager to try it too. (TOP)

Discover Together

You absolutely do NOT need to be a nature expert to successfully enjoy nature with your child! Instead of the teacher with all the answers, be a partner in the game of discovery. You can observe and appreciate plants, birds, and bugs whether or not you know their names. If identification is important to you, take along a field guide or visit the library and look up answers to your questions together. Or make up your own names for the new friends you meet.

• "I don't know what kind of beetle that is. What do you think we should call it?" "It has spots and it runs fast. Let's call it Speedy Spotty Beetle." (TOP)

Guide the Exploration

Maybe you do have names or interesting facts about nature on the tip of your tongue. Knowledge can certainly add depth to your experience, but sometimes it's best to wait until your child asks before imparting it. Instead, notice what interests your child and try asking open-ended questions that will encourage him or her to think more deeply or investigate further.

• "Why do you think that bird has grass in its beak?"
• "Do you hear that sound? Let's see if we can find where it's coming from."
• "You found an animal track! Where do you think the animal was going? Did it have big feet or small ones? Was it walking or hopping? What do your tracks look like when you walk and when you hop?" (TOP)

Stay Flexible

Outdoor exploration doesn't lead down a straight road to a single outcome. Follow whatever path sparks your interest, and if you end up doing something entirely different from the activity you set out to do, that's quite all right. By staying open and flexible, you'll be ready to take advantage of whatever spontaneous "teachable moments" come along. Maybe you'd planned to collect fall leaves, but if an unexpected guest -- a bird, a squirrel, even a deer -- appears and looks right at you, then by all means stop and watch and whisper your wonder to each other! (TOP)

Adapt for Age

You'll want to choose outdoor activities appropriate to the age of your child. Imagine a map with your home in the center. Draw ever-widening circles around it, each representing a successively older child's realm of experience. For the youngest nature explorers, the backyard is the whole world. Keep it simple and fun, focusing on sensory explorations and joyful discovery. As children get older, they'll be ready to explore farther and farther afield. They'll want more strenuous physical challenges and new information to stretch their minds. Whenever possible, encourage some independent exploration as your child develops new skills and greater confidence. (TOP)

Adjust for Learning Styles

"Multiple intelligence theory" lends scientific credibility to something parents have always known: There are many ways to be smart, and every child has a unique set of strengths. You know best how your child learns and can tailor activities to his or her interests and preferences. At the same time, you can encourage your child to stretch his or her abilities by trying new things. The chart below lists the recognized "intelligences" and offers suggestions for activities that make use of each.

(TOP)

Be Prepared

A little advance planning will help to ensure successful adventures. Often you won't need any special equipment, but you and your child might enjoy putting together a backpack of supplies to hang beside the door so that you're ready to head outside at a moment's notice. See the box below for some ideas about items to include.

You might also want to gather up seasonally-appropriate clothing and keep it handy near the door: coats, hats, mittens, boots for winter; rain jacket and mud boots in the spring and fall; sun hat, sunglasses, and sneakers for summer.

Another thing to gather is information about local community resources. Where are the nearby parks and trails? How about nature centers with family-friendly programming? Share this information with teachers or day care providers, too, and let them know how important it is for children to go outside.

(TOP)

Tame the Dangers

Mosquitoes, ticks, poison ivy, frostbite, sunburn... the outdoors might seem scary if you dwell on the dangers. The truth is, there's no reason any of these should keep you inside. Know the facts so nothing gets in the way of your fun!

Bee, Wasp and Insect Stings
Most people have only mild reactions to bee, wasp and insect stings. Those who are allergic to certain venoms can have severe reactions that require emergency treatment. If you know you or your child is allergic, carry a bee sting kit.

Tips to avoid getting stung:

• Wear shoes and long pants and sleeves
• Cover food at picnics.
• Don't swat -- stay calm and move slowly or stand still.

Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and Poison Sumac
These three common plants can cause a painful, itchy rash.

Tips for avoiding them:

• Learn to recognize poisonous plants that grow in your region.
• Wear long pants and sleeves.
• If you think you have been exposed, wash the area with warm water. Don't scrub.

West Nile Virus
This virus is spread by mosquitoes and can be transmitted to birds, animals and people. The risk from a single bite is extremely low (less than 1% of people bitten and infected become severely ill). The best way to avoid the virus is to prevent mosquito bites.

Tips to avoid bites:

• Wear long pants and sleeves.
• Apply insect repellant to clothing.
• Regularly change the water in bird baths, pet dishes, flower pots and other objects in your yard that collect water.
• Keep gutters and downspouts clear of wet leaves and standing water.

Snakes
Venomous snakebites are rare, and they are rarely fatal to humans. However, it is wise to learn to recognize the snakes of your region. For any snakebite, seek medical care as soon as possible.

Tips to avoid snakebites:

• Wear boots and loose fitting pants.
• Leave snakes alone.
• Stay on trails and watch where you place your hands and feet.

Bird Flu
Although avian influenza (bird flu) viruses do not usually infect humans, rare cases have been reported. Most cases are thought to have resulted from direct contact with infected poultry or contaminated surfaces.

Important things to know about bird flu:

• The most dangerous strain has not been found in wild birds in North America.
• People who feed birds are not at high risk from birds in their yards.

Ticks
Tick bites can spread Lyme disease and other diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever. If you or your child is bitten by a tick, watch for symptoms and seek medical attention if they develop. Most cases can be treated successfully with antibiotics.

Tips to prevent tick-borne diseases:

• Wear long pants and sleeves.
• Tuck pants legs into your socks.
• Apply repellant to clothing.
• Conduct a body check upon return from tick-infested areas.
• Properly remove attached ticks.

Weather Extremes -- Heat
The most serious concern in a hot environment is heat stroke. Heat exhaustion and fainting are less severe, but can also occur.

Tips to prevent a heat-related illness:

• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Wear appropriate clothing (light colored and loose fitting) and sunscreen.
• In very hot weather, limit outdoor activity to morning and evening hours.
• Never leave children or pets in a parked car.

Weather Extremes -- Cold
In very cold temperatures the most serious concern is hypothermia. Frostbite is another serious effect of cold exposure.

Tips to stay safe in cold weather:

• Dress warmly (layers, hat, scarf, mittens, etc).
• Stay dry or get out of wet clothes immediately.

Outdoor Allergies
When allergens such as pollen and mold spores are inhaled, they may cause allergic reactions.

Tips for outdoor allergy relief:

• Be aware of the pollen count and mold spore count.
• Avoid fresh cut grass.
• Upon returning indoors, take a shower and change clothes.

(TOP)

Celebrate the Benefits

The benefits of getting outside with your child far outweigh the risks as long as you use your common sense. You'll enjoy spending time together doing wholesome activities you remember from your own childhood. You'll engage your child's curiosity and sharpen observation skills. You'll foster respect for the natural world. You'll also be healthier for it! Outdoor activities promote physical fitness and well-being, and spending time in a natural setting can reduce stress and improve concentration. So what are you waiting for? Go on out and play! (TOP)

MAGAZINES

• Ranger Rick -- ages 7 & up
• Your Big Backyard -- ages 3-7
• Wild Animal Baby -- ages 1-4

FIND NATURE NEARBY™

• NatureFind™ - Search by Location or Zip Code

BOOKS FOR PARENTS

• Last Child in the Woods
  by Richard Louv
  ISBN:1565125223
  
• Secret Spaces of Childhood
  by Elizabeth N. Goodenough (Editor)
  ISBN: 0472068458
  
• Sharing Nature with Children
  by Joseph Cornell
  ISBN: 0916124142
  
• Children and Nature: Psychological, Sociocultural, and Evolutionary Investigations
  by Peter H., Jr. Kahn (Editor)
  & Stephen R. Kellert (Editor)
  ISBN: 0262611759
  
• The Sense of Wonder
  by Rachel Carson
  ISBN: 0060914505
  
• The Geography of Childhood
  by Gary Paul Nabhan and Stephen Trimble
  ISBN: 0807085251
  
• Beyond Ecophobia
  by David Sobel
  ISBN: 0913098507
• I Love Dirt!
  by Jennifer Ward
  ISBN: 1590305353

GARDENING

• Attracting Birds, Butterflies and Other Backyard Wildlife
  by David Mizejewski
  ISBN: 1580111505
  
• Roots, Shoots, Buckets, and Boots: Gardening Together with Children
  by Sharon Lovejoy
  ISBN: 0761110569
  
• Noah's Garden: Restoring the Ecology of Our Own Backyards
  by Sara Stein
  ISBN: 0395709407

FIELD GUIDES

• Peterson's First Field Guide Series
  (Over 55 titles covering North America. Published by Houghton Mifflin.)
  
• The Audubon Society Nature Guides
  (Published by Alfred A. Knopf.)
  
• Fun with Nature (Take-Along Guides)
  by Mel Boring et al
  ISBN: 1559717955

RECOMMENDED RETAILERS

Wild Birds Unlimited Help children rediscover the wonder of nature with National Wildlife Federation® (NWF) and Wild Birds Unlimited!

ORGANIZATIONS OF INTEREST

The Children & Nature Network
http://www.cnaturenet.org/

Association of Children's Museums
(The Good to Grow program)
http://www.goodtogrow.org/

Check out these great downloads to enhance your family's outdoor time!

Wildlife Observation Hike Checklist (PDF/1.9M)

Nature Scavenger Hunt (PDF/97K)

Read outside with Green Hour bookmarks (PDF/2.5M) and bookplates (PDF/644K).

Ranger Rick® Nature Notebook writing (PDF/79K)and drawing (PDF/279K) pages

Reading With Ranger Rick (PDF/97K)

Taking photos of -- and with -- your child is a great way save and share your outdoor fun. Here are some tried-and-true tips for photographers of all ages.

1. Fit the SHAPE

Think of your camera's viewfinder as a picture frame. Try to match the frame to the shape of your subject.

If you have an up-and-down subject, don't hold the camera in the "normal" way (below left). Turn your camera side-ways to fit the shape of your subject (below right).

2. Get the LIGHT RIGHT

If you shoot toward the sun, your subject may come out too dark (below left).

Shoot with the sun behind you or to the side and the subject will come out just right (below right).

If you shoot in bright, midday sun, your photo may have lots of glare and dark shadows (below left).

Wait for a cloud to come along, or shoot early or late in the day. That will "soften" the glare and shadows for a more pleasing photo (below right).

3. Fill the FRAME

Small things can "disappear" if you shoot from too far away (below left).

"Supersize" your subject by using your camera's zoom or by moving closer (below right).

4. Cut the CLUTTER

Check all parts of your frame before you shoot. Watch for stuff that doesn't belong -- and takes attention away from your subject (below left).

Move your subject (or yourself) or zoom in to get a simpler, uncluttered background (below right).

5. Go LOW

Got a subject at ground level? Aiming down (lower left) might be OK, but . . .

. . . it's usually better to get down on your knees or even your belly and go eye to eye (lower right).

6. Catch the MOMENT

Think you have a good shot lined up? Go ahead and shoot (lower left). But then wait a moment.

With patience, you may turn a good shot into a great one (lower right). Try to catch that magical moment!

- Photographs by J.H. Pete Carmichael