What to watch: Nature Cat
Where to find it: PBS Kids
Run time: 24 mins
Best for ages: 3+
Why We Recommend Nature Cat
Last week my youngest got hit with his first fever so he got a lot of my attention while Logan got the iPad to keep him entertained...more than I would like to admit. Which meant Logan got to watch a lot of Nature Cat, which he loved. I did have him switch between the show on the PBS Kids Video app and the games on the PBS Kids Games app. These two apps are perfect on those days when you have your hands full and need the electronic babysitter!
Nature Cat is a cute show about a house cat who wishes to be a nature cat. So when his family leaves the house, he goes out to be with his nature friends and go on adventures. I love this show because it gets Logan thinking of things he can do outside while he is in nature. It helps him know there is no limit to his imagination when he is playing outside. PBS has great games on their PBS Kids Games app. Logan especially loves the Nature Art Box game in the Nature Cat section.
These shows and games really got Logan thinking what he could do outside once Van was feeling a little better and we could go on a nature walk all together!
Nature Inspired Activities
Fall is happening here in Sonoma so we went on a nature walk with a mission to find beautiful fall leaves. Logan loved collecting all the different colors and sizes of leaves. I saved these leaves in a bag to use for our activity the next day.
Fall Scented Play Dough
While Logan was at school, I decided I was going to make play dough that smelled like fall. I thought I would get creative and make all different fall colors...but let's get real I still had a baby on the mend, so I did not have time for that. I decided to make orange which didn't quite pan out. I ended up with more of a brown color (I guess I am no super mom getting all the aesthetic colors right hahahaha) but that gave me the idea to have Logan make a tree to go along with the fall leaves. Making play dough is also a great cooking activity to do with your kids. If they are home with you during the day, have them join in with you, measuring and pouring the ingredients.
Fall Scented Play Dough Recipe For Fall & Nature Activity
1 cup flour
1 cup water
1/4 cup salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp cream of tartar (optional used as a preservative)
1 tbsp of favorite fall seasoning (I used Chinese 5 spice)
Food coloring
Stir all ingredients in pan over medium heat until it has a play dough texture!
Fall Tree and Leaf Sorting
When Logan got home the first thing he asked was if I made cookies, because it smelled so good in the house. He saw the play dough and the leaves we had collected spread out for him and got so excited. I asked him to make a tree with the brown play dough. I had originally made one for him but decided to get ride of it to see how he would make the tree, which was totally different from how I made it! If your child needs help creating the tree, help them out. Otherwise, give them the creative liberty—you might be surprised to see how they make the tree! Once he was done making his tree I asked him to sort the leaves by color. Once he was done with that I told him to make leaves with the colored play dough to match the leaves he sorted. Next, he started added leaves to the tree. (Logan pointed out that he had collected some purple leaves and that I had not put that color play dough out. Thankfully we found some purple!)
Counting and Adding: Once he had all his leaves on the tree I had him count them again, and write the number of each color with the matching colored marker. Logan then asked if he could draw the leaves also, which was a great idea! We need to listen to our kids and see where their ideas take us as well. Once he counted each color I said a few number sentences for him to figure out some addition problems. You can adjust this for kids who are younger to just have them draw the leaves without the numbers. For example: if you put just the red and green leaves in a basket, how many leaves would you have all together. He then looked at his paper and counted to get the answer.
Free play: Once we were done with our math and numbers, Logan had free time to play and add to his tree. He added in some "apples" using the cherries from Hi Ho Cherry-O. He also added in himself next to the tree as well as some grass! He even used some tiny leaves we had found on our Nature Walk.
What was Van doing during this? Well he was sitting with us watching his brother and enjoyed his own play dough wrapped in cling wrap and in a zip locked bag... because lets be honest at this age he is trying to put everything in his mouth!!!
Share the fun you are having with us on Social Media! Tag us @curiouscouchpotatoes when you try any of our activities.
Educational Insights:
A plus to playing with play dough is the development of fine motor muscles. Squeezing and molding the play dough builds the muscles in their hands which will help them hold and manipulate a pencil. As they get a bit older use clay which will develop the hand muscles further.
Children learn through all their senses. Making and playing with play dough allows your child to feel texture. Building 3D models of what your child is imagining helps your child feel the placements of each part and have a better understanding of spatial awareness.
Talking about numbers and using math in real ways kids can comprehend rather than just writing numbers helps them understand why we use numbers and learn math. It helps kids get some background knowledge when you discuss numbers in your playtime routine or while out at the store shopping.
Getting out in nature and collecting different item like leaves helps children see how nature is always changing with the seasons.