Every year since Maya was 3 or 4 years old, we have taken official "Signs of Spring" walks. We begin in late February and continue, once a week, until Spring officially arrives. When she was small, the primary point was to practice noticing, paying attention to details, and realizing how much one can learn or know just from simple observations.
As she has grown, the walks have become more of an intellectual, scientific exercise. We collect data, such as time and temperature. We note the position of the sun. We sometimes count or measure shoots. We listen for birdsong, and watch for insects. At Red Butte Garden, signs of wildlife are keenly sought. We touch leaves, bark, buds, and stems, and note differences in texture from week to week.
Our most startling observation this year was hearing a woodpecker on March 1, 2010. That was definitely the earliest we'd ever heard one in the neighborhood. It was a beautiful day, but it snowed 8 inches that night!
In preparation for these walks, we read a lot of books about the seasons, plant and animal biology, climate, and astronomy; many Bill Nye and Schlessinger Science dvds are watched, among others. On the Spring Equinox, we'll measure shadows for comparison with data from the Solstices and Autumnal Equinox.
We read old folktales about why seasons change, review the springtime celebrations and mythologies of the world, consume endless beautifully illustrated picture books with spring or new life themes, and spend time reflecting about the seasons of our lives. Demi's "The Greatest Power," pictured above, is one of our very favorites. Maya often remarks about how fast time seems to pass, and that it seems like yesterday we were noticing something that is now but a memory. She is often inspired to write haiku or other forms of poetry.
Currently, I ask her to put together a booklet of observations and drawings, and we compare each year's compilation to the one past. She can see handwriting improving, sentence structure getting more complex, and paragraphs growing in size. Next year, as she enters 4th grade, I'd imagine more in-depth reporting will be our goal, perhaps facilitated by a science project or experiment she wants to develop. We are excited about acquiring our first decent microscope this spring, so I'm sure it will inspire many new components to our seasonal rituals.
We'll repeat these weekly outdoor observational walks in late October and November, and call the exercise "Signs of Fall."
Now I'm off to check on our grass seedlings, planted to grace our upcoming Nowruz feast table, for a wonderful Persian New Year festival.
Tulips in our yard
2/23/2010
3/1/2010
3/12/2010
Cacti on top of Red Butte Sprout House 3/1/2010
What a lovely and inspired ritual. :)
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