Blog Posts

Make Herbal Honey or Vinegar!

5/15/2020

Today's idea: Make Herbal Honey or Vinegar!
"Oh honey! Let me count the ways I love you: on toast or pancakes, in tea, over yogurt, in salad dressing." The possibilities for honey are endless!
If you are a honey-eater, why not try infusing small jars of honey with herbs? Infusing honey with herbs not only adds mild flavors that suggest springtime, it also nourishes our bodies with minerals from the plants when we eat it. Certain garden and yard herbs are even helpful for a cold. A few favorite herbal honeys to try include: sage, lavender, thyme, oregano, violet, mint, yarrow, anise hyssop, lemon balm, rosemary, and of course, garlic! That's right, garlic honey is delicious, especially on buttered toast. Whole cloves of garlic can be added to honey and enjoyed in as little as 24 hours. Other herbs (chopped coarsely) will take 2-6 weeks to infuse. Herbal honeys end up a bit more watery than plain honey and will not keep on your shelf as long.

First, honorably harvest just a handful of fresh herbs (make sure you know and identify your plants well)
Chop the herbs coarsely.
Place the herb in a small jar, filling it up loosely.
Pour honey (whenever possible, source honey from local beekeepers) over the herb and use a chopstick to help it flow down through the leaves.
Label the jar with the herb and date.
Wait 2 days to 2 weeks before enjoying your favorite way, in hot water or tea, on toast, or straight off of the spoon.

Vinegar: Use a similar process to make herbal vinegar by substituting your favorite vinegar for honey, leaving for 2-6 weeks, and straining the herbs out before use. Apple cider vinegar pairs nicely with many different herbs. Because vinegar rusts metal, use a plastic lid on your jar. Herbal vinegar is a nice addition to salad dressings, soups,and tangy seltzer drinks.
Let us know what you make!
Your Learning Outside Instructors 

Nature Art Installation!

5/14/2020

Tulip Poplar leaves stitched together with pine needles.

Today's idea: Nature Art Installation!
Another fun activity that can be done ANYWHERE and that is never truly finished - lots of room to continue working for weeks and weeks! One of our favorite parts about creating nature art installations is gathering the materials! Grab a basket or something else to put items in and head out on an adventure! Some of our favorite materials include - pine cones, sweet gum balls, fox tails, cedar clippings, feathers, pebbles and stones, sticks, different colored soil, etc.

Once you have all of your materials, it is time to pick a spot for your art installation. This can really and truly be anywhere - your backyard, a special spot in the woods, on a stump, in your driveway, anywhere! Regardless of where you decide to build your nature art installation, it is usually helpful to clear the area with a rake or your foot so that your installation really POPS! Now it is time to create! For some serious inspiration check out Andy Goldsworthy's nature art installations by searching on google or in one of his amazing books!

We would love to see what you create!
Your Learning Outside Instructors

Nature Message!

5/13/2020

Today's idea: Nature Message!
Do you want to leave a surprise message for a family member or a neighbor? This is the perfect way to leave a message for them to find -- using objects in nature! Think of a simple message you want to write - it could even be as simple as just your name or words like "hello," "love," or "spring." Use your creativity! Begin by clearing a large area of yard free of leaves, pine cones, etc. Choose a spot where you think your audience might easily find the message. Notice what natural objects are in this area. Are there lots of pine cones? Lots of bright red leaves? Tons of sticks? Choose a plentiful object and build the first letter of your message, nice and BIG. Move on to your next letter. Think - do you want to make the next letter out of the same object or a different object? Keep making letters until your whole message is complete. Consider taking a photo of your nature message so you can remember it! The message will eventually be blown or washed away, but you can hold onto the memory.

We would love to see a photo of your message! Send it to the Learning Outside phone or via email.
Your Learning Outside Instructors

Rainbow Stick Wind Chimes!

5/12/2020

Today's idea: Rainbow Stick Wind Chimes!
It's time to get crafty! First, head outside to find six sticks or twigs in your yard or out in the forest. They can vary in length, but try to keep them all around the same width. While you are outside, you will also need to gather a long, thin and flexible twig or a long piece of grape vine. We recommend using grape vine since it is more flexible. Take your grape vine or your long, flexible twig and begin weaving it around itself to form a circle or crown shape. This will serve as the top of your chime. (in photo, we used a stick rather than a circle for the top piece)

Now it is time to paint! Take out some colorful paint and begin to paint the six sticks that you found. You can paint each stick one solid color or mix it up with designs and patterns. Leave your sticks to dry in the sun.

While your sticks are drying you can create a hanger for your wind chimes using twine or yarn. Cut a piece about 2 feet long. Tie each end to the grape vine circle that you made, one on each side. That will be your hanger.

Time to check on your sticks. If they are dry, you are ready to cut 6 identical pieces of twine or yarn about 1 foot long. Tie one end of the twine to the painted stick and the other end to the circle top. Make sure to hang them evenly so it isn't too heavy on one side. Now find a spot to hang it on your porch or on a tree in your yard. Watch it move in the wind!
We would love to see your Wind Chime!
Your Learning Outside Instructors

Make Pine Needle Tea or Sun Tea!

5/11/2020

Today's idea: Make Pine Needle Tea or Sun Tea!
Pine needle tea is easy to make, full of vitamin c, and delicious! White pine (Pinus strobus) makes the tastiest tea: look for 5 needles (3-5 inches long) in each needle bundle. Honorably harvest a big handful (about half a cup) of fresh pine needles from low hanging branches. Say thanks to the pine trees and take the needles home to your kitchen. In a medium sized pot, boil 3 cups of water then add the pine needles and reduce the heat. Simmer for 20 minutes then remove from heat and cover the pot with a lid. Leave the tea steeping until cool or overnight. Strain the tea and enjoy warm or refrigerate for a refreshingly cool beverage! Drink this tea within 24 hours of brewing for maximum vitamin C.

Sun tea is versatile and exciting to make! With so many fresh mints growing this spring, you can make sun tea without needing store-bought tea bags. Mints, lemon balm, anise hyssop, bee balm, and tulsi are just a few examples of tasty herbs that you could use in sun tea. Or, you can use your favorite tea bags: hibiscus is a bright and beautiful tea to make! Simply put the teabags or freshly (and honorably) harvested herbs into a large glass jar, fill the far with water, put a lid on the jar, and place the jar in the sunniest spot in your yard. Wait and watch as the tannins from the fresh herbs or dried teas begin to change the color of the water. After several hours, bring the tea in, strain, and enjoy! Refrigerating for a few hours will give you a cool delight! For an extra special treat, use your home Popsicle maker to make sun tea pops!

We are thirsty just thinking about it! Let us know what you choose to put in your tea!
Your Learning Outside Instructors 

Create a Nature Table!

5/8/2020

Today's idea: Create a Nature Table!
One of the reasons that we love this particular activity idea so much is that it is never truly finished! This is a project that you can return to over and over and over again. So, let's get started! First, create a small table or spot on a shelf - this will be your Nature Table. Wander outside until you come across something that you are curious about. Perhaps you find a chewed on pine cone, or a leaf that looks almost like lace...Bring it inside to your new nature table and find a special spot to place it on your table. Allow whatever you bring inside to bring you to wonder. Add items as you find them - one day your Nature Table might be overflowing with wonder!

We would love to hear about your Nature Table!
Your Learning Outside Instructors

Bark Art!

5/7/2020

Today's idea: Bark Art!This is one of our favorite ways to decorate forts, sit spots, etc.
Materials Needed: fallen bark from trees, and oil pastels or chalk.
At Learning Outside, we practice using only the bark that we find on the ground for our projects. We know that if the bark is still on the tree, then the tree must still be using it. BUT, if you look on the ground at the base of trees, you will find ALL of the bark that the tree is done using.
So, head out into the woods in search of fallen bark. You may choose to bring a basket with you to carry your bark depending on how many pieces of bark art you are planning to make. We find that Pine bark works particularly well for this project.
Once you have finished gathering your bark, you are ready to break out your oil pastels and/or chalk sets! In addition to simply creating beautiful pictures, you may also enjoy making signs. Perhaps you have opened a forest restaurant that would benefit from having an "open" and "closed" sign so that the fairies know whether or not they can stop by for a cup of tea.
Whatever you create, we would love to see it! Send pictures to the Learning Outside phone or via e-mail.
Your Learning Outside Instructors

Egg Carton Garden!

5/6/2020

Today's idea: Egg Carton Garden!
Materials needed: paper egg carton, scissors, soil, seeds, and a waterproof plate or tray to set your egg carton on.
Prepare egg carton: Cut off the top of the egg carton. You also may need to cut the bottom of the egg carton in order to help it fit on whatever waterproof tray or plate you're using.
Put soil in the cups: Fill the cups halfway with soil. Keep in mind the sowing depth needed for your seeds - if they need to be planted more deeply, you may not want to fill the cups as much, and vice versa for smaller, shallow-sown seeds.
Add seeds: Place your seeds on top of the soil and gently press them in so they make good contact with the soil. For bigger seeds like beans, peas or squash, only plant 1 or 2 seeds per cup. For smaller seeds like lettuce and herbs, you can plant 3 to 5. It's likely that not all the seeds will sprout, but you want to make sure that each seedling has plenty of room and nutrients.
Cover the seeds with soil: Check your seed packet for the recommended depth for planting, but a general rule of thumb is that the seed wants to be planted about 1-2 times the depth of its size.
Put your egg carton on the waterproof tray: like a plastic plate or a cookie sheet.
Water! Seeds like to have consistent water, so check them daily. The paper egg carton will wick water from the tray, so you could put water in the tray for the cartons to soak up. Once they have sprouted, though, you don't want the roots to be waterlogged.
Place in a sunny spot: Once your seeds germinate, they will need sun to grow, so give them a nice sunny window to grow by.
Watch your seedlings grow: Depending on the type of plant, and other factors like temperature and moisture, your seedlings may sprout (germinate) after only 3 days, or as long as 3 weeks! Which part of the plant do you see first emerging from the soil? Then which part? Most plants will have 2 leaves at first, which are called cotyledons. Then they will grow more leaves, called true leaves, which usually look totally different from the cotyledons.
Transplant your seedlings: When your seedlings have at least 2 true leaves, they are ready to be planted outside, as long as the outside temperatures aren't dipping below freezing (we should be in the clear now). The great thing about using paper egg cartons is that you can cut the individual cups and plant them right in the soil! This means you don't need to disturb the roots when you plant them. Don't worry, the roots should be strong enough to grow right through the paper to reach the rest of the soil! Plant the cups so that the soil level matches the soil in your garden bed. You will either want to tear off any excess paper at the top or bend it so that it is tucked under the soil. Otherwise the paper will wick out moisture from the soil.
A note about seeds: Since egg cups are pretty shallow, generally smaller seeded plants like herbs and green leafy veggies work best for this method. However, bigger seeds are easier for smaller hands, so feel free to try this idea with things like beans, peas, squash, and cucumbers! Keep in mind the season if you are planning to plant these outdoors. Also, you will probably be less successful with roots crops, since the cups may inhibit the growth of those roots.
We would love to hear what you plant in your Egg Carton Garden!
Your Learning Outside Instructors

Walk Barefoot!

5/5/2020

Today's idea: Walk Barefoot!
This is a fun one for all of us and super simple! Take your shoes off and go outside. You can stand in a patch of grass or walk around. Can you feel the different textures of earth beneath your feet? Make a path using something (anything!) - sticks, a rope, stones, etc. and see if you can follow the path using only your feet to guide you (close your eyes or, if you are feeling extra wild, you can even use a blindfold)!

Our feet tell us so much. What did you learn from your feet today?
Your Learning Outside Instructors

Create a Nature Palette!

5/4/2020

Today's idea: Create a Nature Palette!
Do you have a yard full of grass, weeds, soil, and flowers, or perhaps a field nearby? If you do, you have what you need to do this simple activity, which turns natural items into pigments on your paper. You might be surprised what you can draw with!
What you will need: paper & something to draw on (clipboard or other hard surface), plants, leaves, soil, and other natural objects in your yard.
First, find a spot to sit or stand in your yard. Expand your vision to include as far as your eyes can see around you. What colors do you notice around you? Do you see bright green leaves? Colorful petals? Brown bark? Orange clay or deep brown garden soil? Something else?
Next, choose one of these colors to visit. Get close to the leaf/flower/clay etc.
Ask yourself: are there many of this thing? If so, you can use a two-handed pick to harvest it.
Take the item and rub it firmly against one spot on your sheet of paper. Rub
until some of the color comes off onto the paper. You have made the first part of your nature palette! If you know what the item is, you can write its name below the spot of color that you made.
Notice: Is the color on the paper the same as the color you see when looking at your object? How hard did you have to rub to get the color to come out? Is the color deep or light?
Repeat this process with other natural objects in your yard until your page is full.
Congratulations, you have created a nature palette that is unique to your backyard!

Challenge: Try to predict what colors you will be able to harvest from each object before you color with it! You might be surprised.

We would love to see your nature palettes! Send a picture to the Learning Outside phone or via email.
Your Learning Outside Instructors