Activate Imaginations.

Hike.

Getting out into nature is one of the most necessary things we can do as humans. Every time we go out we observe and learn something new which fosters and appreciation for our Mother Earth.

Make a spore print.

Sporeprints are a fun activity to do with kids, especially after the fall rains.

Get a fresh gilled mushroom from a walk in the woods or your local grocery store (portabellas work great).

Cut the stem off of your mushroom and place (gill side down) on a piece of paper. Try not to damage the gills in that process.

Place a bowl or cup over the mushroom, so the mushroom won’t be disturbed while it gives a spore deposit.

Wait about an hour (sometimes more) and remove the bowl and carefully lift the mushroom off of the paper.

On the Forest Floor.

Kids are some of the best observers I have ever gone on forays with. Maybe it is their proximity to the ground, but every time I go out with kids, I always get called over to look at something amazing they found. And you know, it usually is!