Spring Has Arrived at the Nature Table

     After a slow and awkward transition, our nature table has now been thoroughly transformed into spring.   The tree is still bare, as are the trees out side, but there is forsythia and daffodils blooming, moss growing, and a bean seed waiting to sprout.

     The bean in the jar is part of a nature study I did on germination with my co-op class.  Doing Charlotte Mason style nature studies with a class has been fun and challenging.  There are twelve little children ranging from kindergarten to second grade, so keeping everyone engaged and interested requires a lot of patients and an interesting subject matter.  The bean jars were a hit.

     A new little friend has just joined the nature table.  Even though he is a daddy bird, he has the job of keeping the eggs warm, since making a female cardinal was a little beyond me.  I actually started him to be in our winter table, but have just now managed to finish him.  Maybe if I start a robin now, I will get it finished in time for summer.  I made the nest as well, and the wooden eggs were given to me by my sister.  I have several real nests that I could use, (I went nest collecting this winter to show my nature class) but I could just envision several little hands strewing nest debris all over the house.  So for now the fake nest is better for us. 

     I have to admit that I think I am enjoying the nature table better than any one.  It has been so much fun thinking about what things to put on it to best reflect the season.