How Trailblazers Camp Of Montague Is Helping Our Community

ONLINE RESOURCES

Even though it’s a difficult time to do lots of outdoor excursions, there are still fun and exciting ways to explore nature close to home. Today, we will share resources and activities to demonstrate some ways that we can be nature explorers without having to travel far. Some of the biggest and oldest living things in nature are trees! Did you know that the oldest living tree is a pine tree in California, and it is over 4,700 years old? To learn more about trees, watch these fun and educational videos: 

Life as a Tree! from SciShow Kids 

How Trees Make Food from PBS Kids

How Tall Can a Tree Grow? from TED-Ed

ACTIVITIES TO TRY AT HOME

Tree Rings of Life

Materials: Pictures of tree rings, Paper, Drawing utensils 

Instructions: The study of tree rings is called dendrochronology (dendro = trees, chronology = time). Scientists use dendrochronology to learn about the age of a tree, the climate during its life, and any natural disasters or pests the tree endured. It's pretty cool that a tree can tell us so much information without being able to talk!

1. Look at some pictures of tree cookies (or cross-cuttings) that show rings of growth. What do trees have inside their trunks? (wood!) What shapes do you notice inside the tree? (circles!)
2. Did you know that trees grow one new circle (or ring) each year? Trees add a new layer of wood right under the bark every year. This layer will start out as light in color and become darker as the growing season comes to an end. So, the darkest part of the ring shows the end of the growing season. This means you can count each dark ring as one year to figure out the age of the tree!
3. Create your own tree ring diagram for your life. Draw a big circle that represents your life. Inside the circle, draw some rings that represent each year. Within each ring draw a memory that you have from that year or something that your family told you about yourself from that year. Share it with your family to tell them about your yearly growth, just like a tree!

Tree Product Scavenger Hunt

Materials: Scavenger Hunt sheets (see below), Markers or drawing utensils 

Instructions: 

1. See if you can name some examples of ways in which we need and use trees. Think about the difference between items that grow on trees and products that are made from trees. Come up with a list of each! 
2. Now it is time to complete a scavenger hunt! Search for products at home that are made from trees. Use the scavenger hunt sheet below. Here are some guiding questions to think about while you are doing the scavenger hunt:

• What are some items that you use everyday that are made from trees?
• Why are trees so important to our everyday lives?
• How do you think the world would be different without trees?
• What are some of your favorite foods that grow on trees?
• What are some other types of plants that we use for food and household items?

UNDER ONE SKY YOUTUBE CHANNEL

If you can't join us live, you can still check out our YouTube channel for virtual story time, songs, and more each day! Our episode today features Kitty, our site director from P.S. 241 telling a story about Pete and the Lost Cupcake! Click here to watch and listen!

LOOKING AHEAD

Tomorrow is our last day of Virtual Spring Break! Our theme will be Entomology (the study of insects). 

Don't forget to join us each weekday for our live program sessions and stay tuned to our daily emails which will feature new resources and activities.