Nature Book Club

Praying Mantids are quite an unusual phenomena that our family has grown to love. A handful of years ago we discovered that we had Praying Mantis that grew in our garden beds surrounding our house. We would typically find pinkie-sized Praying Mantis in the middle of the Summer.

I have been fascinated with Praying Mantids ever since I realized we had them growing on our property about 5-7 years ago. I think seeing the babies and having them crawl on your hand or arm is much less intimidating then a full grown adult which looks a little fierce!

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We just happen to live in a county that has a stargazing club called the Stillwater Stargazers. This group of space loving enthusiasts enjoy sharing their knowledge of the sky with young and old. They bring their personally owned telescopes to many locations throughout the year to show others what’s in the night sky! Is the idea of stargazing with children a daunting idea? How about if I share some tips for stargazing with children that will make it easier?

We also like to extend our hands-on learning before or after an event by reading a good book related to the topic. This month we read The Big Dipper as well as a handful or other space books!

1. Get your child used to the dark before stargazing-

If you have younger children or children scared of the dark then getting them used to the dark would be a great idea BEFORE going stargazing. You might even use a headlamp with red light or red battery operated candles for “night vision” so your child isn’t completely in the dark.

2. Practice being quiet while stargazing-

If your children can be boisterous like my younger boys then practicing being quiet might be another good tip. Being able to listen and follow directions is also very important since many telescopes at public stargazing events cost a pretty penny!

3. Find a astronomical group or public stargazing event-

I know very little about space and have a very small telescope so finding a good group of enthusiastic stargazers will help with stargazing. If you local group is anywhere as nice and as willing to share the sky as our group then your children will be hooked on stargazing and finding planets. We were fortunate enough to take a few pics of the moon when we attending a Stillwater Stargazers event!

4. Make sure to wear appropriate clothes and bug spray-

Being too cold or too hot can really bother a child. Make sure to bring a light jacket even in Summer as hot Summer days can turn into cool breezy nights. If you want to stargaze in Winter or early Spring be sure to dress in layers and bring hot cocoa to stay warm. Be sure to pack clothes and beanies to keep little AND big bodies cozy. Warmer temperatures can also bring out pesky mosquitoes so be sure to bring your bug spray or insect repellent.

5. Read a book about the stars, planets or constellations before stargazing-

There’s a tons of really great books for children with sky and space topics but for today we will highlight just one.

Welcome to Nature Book Club Monthly Link Up No.14

February’s theme for #NatureBookClub is Sky and Space!

Be sure to check out the other Co-hosts as they share sky and space themed activities, crafts and projects!

The Rocket That Flew To Mars Online Book Club by Dachelle at Hide The Chocolate

Along Came Galileo Telescope Craft by Emily at TableLifeBlog

If You Decide to Go to the Moon Moon Phases Activity by Karyn at Teach Beside Me

The Night Sky Events for Spring 2019 by Eva Varga at EvaVarga

Follow the Drinking Gourd Free Unit Study Resources by Jenny at Faith & Good Works

Link Up Guidelines

• • • Choose an engaging nature book, do a craft or activity, and add your post to our monthly link up.
  • • The link up party goes live at 9:00 a.m. EST on the 20th of each month and stays open until the last day of the month. Hurry to add your links!
    • You can link up to 3 posts. Please do not link up advertising posts, advertise other link up parties, your store, or non-related blog posts. They will be removed.

• By linking up with us, you agree for us to share your images and give you credit of course if we feature posts.

Also, join our new Nature Book Club Facebook Group!

Nature Book Club theme for March: Life Cycles