100 Backyard Activities That Are the Dirtiest, Coolest, Creepy-Crawliest Ever!: Become an Expert on Bugs, Beetles, Worms, Frogs, Snakes, Birds, Plants and More

by Colleen Kessler

Overview

Awesome Experiments and Nature Activities You Can Do Without Your Parents

Can a worm smell different foods? How much weight can a super-strong bess beetle carry? Are crickets happier alone or with a friend? Would you touch a spider or keep one for a pet?

100 Backyard Activities That Are the Dirtiest, Coolest, Creepy-Crawliest Ever! will teach you how to find the answers to these questions and more, and have tons of fun while you do it! Forget big-city museums, boring books and science games on your computer or tablet—with this book your backyard is your new museum, and grown-ups are only your assistants. You’ll become an expert on bugs, reptiles, birds and plants by getting to know them up close and personal. How cool is that?

Colleen Kessler is a teacher and mom whose mission is to share unique and effective ways to ignite a passion in kids for hands-on learning, experimentation, science and creativity. This book does all of that and more—you’ll have fun catching bugs, and your parents will love that you’re gaining important critical-thinking skills and knowledge about science that will help you do well in school.

There’s a whole world out there waiting to be discovered . . . take this book with you, go exploring and have a blast spending hours outside.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781624143946
Publisher:	Page Street Publishing
Publication date:	05/02/2017
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	223 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	6 - 10 Years

About the Author

Colleen Kessler is an award-winning educator, author, speaker, homeschool mom to four gifted children and the founder of Raising Lifelong Learners. She left teaching after more than a decade to write and speak as an advocate for gifted and twice-exceptional children. She’s written more than a dozen books, including Raising Creative Kids and Hands-On Ecology. She speaks regularly at homeschooling conventions, events and online webinars and podcasts. Colleen lives with her family in Ohio.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Getting Outside 6

Hot to use This Book: Tips for Being the Best Backyard Scientist Ever! 8

Backyard Biology: Things that Creep, Crawl, Fly and Grow 11

Backyard Entomology: Beetles, Bugs and More 21

Backyard Herpetology: Salamanders, Snakes, Lizards, Toads, Oh My! 109

Backyard Ornithology: Birds, Birds and More Birds 131

Backyard Botany: Flowers, Mosses, Ferns and Fun 163

Backyard Ecology: How it All Comes Together 181

Citizen Science at Home: What Can You Do? 197

More Resources for Backyard Exploration 201

Acknowledgments 202

About the Author 203

Index 204

Editorial Reviews

After reading this book, your kids will NEVER want to come inside ever again. Not only does Colleen Kessler capture the heart of your children with her child-centered language, she will also encourage them to think outside the box, stretch their thinking and dig into their inner curiosities through her captivating science-based activities.”
—Dayna Abraham, author of The Superkids Activity Guide to Conquering Every Day and Sensory Processing 101, founder of Lemon Lime Adventures

“This is such an engaging book. Full of interesting experiments and projects, it takes your child’s natural curiosity for the bugs in their backyard and inspires them to wonder, explore and discover so much about the world.”
—Cathy James, author of The Garden Classroom, founder of NurtureStore

“Telling your kids to go outside and play just got a heck of a lot more educational. Colleen Kessler is an expert educator who understands how to make outside activities spark interest in science without stripping away the fun.”
—Allison McDonald, B.Ed, author of Raising A Rock-Star Reader, founder of No Time for Flashcards

“Nature is the world’s greatest classroom, and this book makes it easy to explore and totally fun. Perfect for parents and teachers alike!”
—Anne Carey, author and founding engineer of Left Brain Craft Brain

From the Publisher