Nature Fun=Learning

Learning happens, even when we don’t think about it; like outside weeding.  You find bugs and worms; you talk about plants and then you talk about pollinating and how flowers are made up of parts; and that is where I have to search back 20 years to my college botany class.  Glad to know a few things are still floating around my brain.

For a refresher for yourself you can look up a web site like this one (Flower parts work sheet).  I really like Kids Garden.  If you would like to see the work sheet story I made for Bear, please look here.  Feel free to use it for personal use. 

So amidst a very warm Monday, 75 degrees in early May in Seattle, and a milder day today; we have spent several hours exploring bugs and worms.  We have enjoyed our microscope and I did promise a review of it. 

A Review:

I bought a pocket microscope from Amazon.  I wanted to keep to under $10 because, well Bear is only 4, and when you are 4 sometimes things break.  I also wanted something we could easily take with us in our nature bag.  I looked and searched and finally at last narrowed it down to a couple and went with the CarsonMicrobrite 20X-40X Zoom LED Lighted Pocket Microscope.  Most of the reviews were very good and I wanted something that would be small but substantial enough that the fingers of a 4 and 5 year old could easily work it.  The Carson Microbrite fit the bill to a “T.”

We have used this microscope to look at bugs, fingers, blades of grass, worms, dots on paper, and a list of things that continues to grow.  This serves the purpose very well and while some might scoff at a $10 scope being too cheap to be beneficial, this is a great introductory to microscopes.  I would buy it again.  The light is easy enough for Bear to use and thus far hasn’t burned out or ran through the battery. 

It has a little stand on it that can be taken off for the ease of viewing things that might be more mobile than a blade of grass.  On the little stand is a place to put a slide, which could be a fun project as well as we get older.  I bought little plastic jars and we have been able to collect samples to explore as well.  It has been a lot of fun and has served our educational purpose.  The whole world is a laboratory and this scope helps the kids see some of the smaller organisms that make up our planet.  I highly recommend it, and for under $10, you can’t go wrong.   


More Microscope pictures:

And for grins:  Working on a summer learning goal (my easy print off version), preparing more and more for kindergarten learning in September.

Summer Lesson Goals:

Continue with learning sounds letters make

Play with mazes

·         Paper mazes

·         Creating mazes in different mediums, including the sandbox where her cars can “drive”

Do picture searches with a picture search book
Kite Making
Visiting Anderson Island
Beach Exploration/Nature Learning
Geocaching/Nature learning
Gardening/Nature learning
Summer Reading Program
Star Center Art and Rock Programs

 Happy day gentle friends!