Does the number change each night? What time do they begin coming out? What time was it when you saw the last fire fly?

A good place to start looking is on the bark of trees or on ground near trees. If you're not sure what a cicada looks like, do a little research.

What did you see-birds, bugs, squirrels, etc? What plants are in bloom? Do you think that you would have seen different animals and insects depending on the time of the day? What about a different place? While on your nature walk take a moment to close your eyes. What did you hear and smell?

What did you find? Was there anything growing on the log?

Find a place in your yard or use a large flower box to plant flowers that attract butterflies, Possible flowers to plant are chrysanthemum, sedum, marjoram, and heather.

Activity from 101 Nature Experiments by David Burnie

Tie a piece of yarn or string around a pine cone so you can hang it from a tree. Cover the pine cone with peanut butter and roll it in bird seeds. Watch your bird feeder to see which kinds of birds are stopping at your feeder.
You can even make several bird feeders using different kinds of seeds. Look to see if one bird feeder is used more and what kinds of birds prefer to feed at each bird feeder.
Activity from Nature for the Very Young by Marica Bowden

You will need some strong paper, masking tape, and wax crayons.Tape the paper onto the tree and rub the crayon across the paper. Do a couple of different trees. Then take a look at the beautiful bark patterns. Are the patterns of the bark different?
Activity from 101 Nature Experiments by David Burnie

Find tree leaves and identify them by matching their size and shape. Click here to obtain a printable worksheet with tree leave outlines.
Activity from Nature for the Very Young by Marica Bowden

Rub one side of a seashell back and forth against a piece of sandpaper. Be sure to keep your fingers out of the way. The sandpaper will wear a hole into the seashell. What do you see? Can you see the spiraled chamber?
Activity from 101 Nature Experiments by David Burnie

The recipe comes from the book Nature for the Very Young by Marcia Bowden.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups warm water 1 package dry yeast 4 cups flour
1 teaspoon sugar I teaspoon salt
1 egg. Lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water

In one bowl, mix the yeast and water together until the yeast is dissolved. In a second bowl mix the remaining dry ingredients together (flour, sugar, and salt). Slowly add the dry ingredients to your bowl containing the dissolved yeast mixture. After approximately three cups of the flour mixture have been added, begin kneading the dough. Continue to add the remaining flour mix as you knead. Next mold the dough into the shapes of toads and place them on a greased pan. Then lightly brush the egg-water mixture onto the toads before baking at 425°F for 25 minutes or until golden brown. The recipe makes about 25 toads.