Get Outside Book Club

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The Get Outside Book Club is a FREE Dayton Metro Library and Five Rivers MetroParks program designed for pre-schoolers and their parents. The program takes place September 1 – October 31, and includes three types of activities: Storytimes and adventures in MetroParks, live animal experiences in Dayton Metro Library Branches, and at-home reading and family adventures.

Storytimes and Adventures in MetroParks: Meet in a local MetroPark where a DML children services librarian will read stories about fun natural experiences. Afterward, a park naturalist will guide you and your child through a natural experience that makes those stories come to life! These programs promote early literacy experiences, and help build childhood resiliency and curiosity through outdoor learning. Programs last about 1 hour, and reservations are required.

Live Animal Experiences in Dayton Metro Libraries: Meet animal ambassadors from Five Rivers MetroParks as a naturalist guides you through an adventure of learning animal adaptations, what they need to survive, and helps kids see we’re not so different from wildlife. Each visit is the same experience. Registration with the libraries is required and opens August 1st: Call 937-463-2665 to register, or use the links below:

At-home Reading and Family Adventures: Reading and playing bonds children with their caregivers in meaningful and memorable meaningful and memorable ways, and your Five Rivers MetroParks and Dayton Metro Library have worked together to create paired books and activities below. Having fun with stories and nature couldn’t be any easier: Select your book below, use the link to request the book at your library, then follow the guidance to have fun while spending quality time with your little one!

Top 20 Books

The following books are some of our favorites and help to spark the connection between literature and the outdoors, all while encouraging imaginative play and active lifestyles.

All the Water In The World

BookClub-cover-AllwaterSummary

Faucet, well, rain cloud, sea… from each of these comes water. But where does water go? To find out, honey, turn the page, dive in with tongue or toes, with eyes and ears and nose – and wonder at the flow of this great world’s life story.

Activities

Show your child the various states of water: solid ice cubes, liquid water, gas steam. A spray bottle full of water can be loads of outdoor fun at little cost.

At a MetroPark

Five Rivers MetroParks is named after the five rivers that run through Montgomery County and have parks along or near all five. Can you name all five rivers? There are also many other water features located throughout the parks like Englewood MetroPark and its three waterfalls and Sugarcreek MetroPark with its clean slow stream. Come out to any MetroPark and see what water-ways you can find and then come back to see them during the winter to see if they turn into ice.

Outdoor Connection

Water is an important part of our lives and can do some amazing things in order to moving (and transforming states) from the ground to the sky. Take advantage of the abundant water supply in our area and let your kids explore and play with all of the different forms water can take.

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Because Your Mommy Loves You

BookClub-cover-mommylovesuSummary

When a little boy and his mom go camping, mini-disasters abound, and there are lots of opportunities for Mom to step in and fix everything. But instead, with a loving touch, this mommy shows her child ways to do things for himself, going far to encourage her child’s independence. And there is still plenty of opportunity for snuggling under the stars. This warm and humorous testament to all the loving things a supportive mom does each day is sure to become a favorite for families everywhere.

Activities

If you want to try and camp outside – more power to you! Camping – even the backyard variety – is a great way to relax and if your forget to pack something – no worries!

At a MetroPark

MetroParks has front country camping located in many of the parks. These areas are a great way to get away from the hustle and bustle of home life and provide a relaxing setting for family interaction. Not ready for an overnight excursion? MetroParks are open well into the night and provide amazing opportunities to star gaze and discover the animals of the night. Although you can star gaze at just about any of the parks, some of the best locations to get a clear view of the night sky are Germantown MetroPark’s reservable area and Twin Creek MetroPark’s High View shelter.

Outdoor Connection

The night sky is jam packed with fun mythological stories of long ago. Unfortunately due to ambient light, aka light pollution, large cities, nearby suburban areas and even many rural areas are now having a hard time seeing all of the amazing constellations and planets that appear. Discovering the night sky is a great family activity and provides your kids with interest of our world at night.

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The Camping Trip

Summary

Ernestine is beyond excited to go camping. She follows the packing list carefully (new sleeping bag! new flashlight! special trail mix made with Dad!) so she knows she is ready when the weekend arrives. But she quickly realizes that nothing could have prepared her for how hard it is to set up a tent, never mind fall asleep in it, or that swimming in a lake means that there will be fish — eep! Will Ernestine be able to enjoy the wilderness, or will it prove to be a bit too far out of her comfort zone?

Activities

Camping can be a great way to develop courage in nature, and the backyard is a great place to start! Introduce your child to the idea of sleeping in a tent, with the comforts of home close by, then venture to a MetroPark for camping as you become more experienced.

At a MetroPark

Many of your MetroParks offer camping opportunities for a small fee. Learn more.

Outdoor Connection

Up until recently in human history, we lived our lives outdoors. Even during the age of our grandparents, houses were smaller, and the outdoors was the native childhood environment. With air conditioning and larger houses becoming the norm, children are now growing up with indoor childhoods, disconnected from the nature that builds resiliency and healthy bodies. Keep the benefits of nature in your child’s life, and increase quality family time through camping!

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The Curious Garden

BookClub-cover-curiousgardenSummary

One boy’s quest for a greener world… one garden at a time. While out exploring one day, a little boy named Liam discovers a struggling garden and decides to take care of it. As time passes, the garden spreads throughout the dark, gray city, transforming it into a lush, green world. This is an enchanting tale with environmental themes and breathtaking illustrations that become more vibrant as the garden blooms. Red-headed Liam can also be spotted on every page, adding a clever seek-and-find element to this captivating picture book.

Activities

Explore your yard or neighborhood for bits of nature redecorating the forgotten areas. Did you find some spots that could use some green touches? If it’s not too cold you may want to sprinkle some seeds around and see what happens.

At a MetroPark

Do you have a favorite spot that you like to go in MetroParks? Maybe it’s along a creek, near an old tree or hiding in the tall prairies? In MetroParks you can immerse yourself and your family into some of nature’s most beautiful work and see how it takes back areas that are left to the elements. Possum Creek MetroPark’s Argonne forest is a great example of nature taking back the land as you see remnants from the old Argonne Forest Park nestled in with the landscape.

Outdoor Connection

Nature is everywhere even in a big city like the one described in the book, and with a little help we can create beautiful green ways in the most unlikely of places. Everywhere you look you can find hints of nature whether in a bird’s singing or a dandelion popping up through the sidewalk cracks.

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Dark On Light

Summary

As night falls, a trio of siblings stumble upon some of nature’s hidden nighttime beauty, including timid fawns, blossoming lavender, silent owls, and many more wonders of the night.

Activities

Preschoolers (and sometimes their parents) are scared of the dark, but a flashlight can inspire confidence in exploring at night. As the fall season continues, our nights are getting longer, creating ample opportunities to explore nature at night. Look for nocturnal insects, spiders, and even owls, right in your backyard!

At a MetroPark

Before November 1, your MetroParks don’t close until 10pm, providing lots of dark time to explore nature. There are too many awesome animals to mention here; just get outside with a flashlight and see what you can find. Keep your ears open for owls, crickets, and frogs, while also looking for acrobatic bats eating moths and mosquitoes!

Outdoor Connection

When we’re awake venturing in nature, we’re experiencing life that is adapted to survive during the day. When the sun sets, nocturnal life awakens, creating new opportunities for learning and exploration. For owls, moths, and a variety of mammals, the night is their domain. You can only experience Miami Valley’s nightlife by getting outdoors!

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Fatima's Great Outdoors

Summary

Excitedly joining her family for an outdoor camping trip in a Midwestern state park, Fatima Khazi helps set up a tent, build a fire, and fend off a daddy longlegs before settling down to sleep surrounded by the near-magical sounds of the forest.

Activities

Camping can be a great way to develop courage in nature, and the backyard is a great place to start! Introduce your child to the idea of sleeping in a tent, with the comforts of home close by, then venture to a MetroPark for camping as you become more experienced.

At a MetroPark

Many of your MetroParks offer camping opportunities for a small fee. Learn more.

Outdoor Connection

Up until recently in human history, we lived our lives outdoors. Even during the age of our grandparents, houses were smaller, and the outdoors was the native childhood environment. With air conditioning and larger houses becoming the norm, children are now growing up with indoor childhoods, disconnected from the outdoors which builds resiliency and healthy bodies. Keep the benefits of nature in your child’s life and increase family time through camping like the Khazi family.

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Fossil

BookClub-cover-FossilSummary

When a boy and his dog go for a hike, the boy trips on a fossil, and it comes to life, revealing an ancient plant. The boy is so intrigued that he breaks two more fossils and they too come to life – showing a prehistoric dragonfly and a pterodactyl. The dog jumps on the pterodactyl’s back and the boy – desperate to get his dog back – must figure out a way to make things go back to normal. Using original art, this “wordless story” will surely spark imagination and creativity.

Activities

While it is unlikely you will find a dinosaur fossil in your neighborhood, you could still look. An anternative might be to find some objects outside or around the house and press them into play-doh or a nice muddy spot in the yard. Make an impression in secret and try to have your child guess what it is. Take turns – your child will delight in stumping you.

At a MetroPark

Finding Fossils is very exciting and MetroParks has some great locations for you to go! Here are two easy locations: Germantown MetroPark near the Germantown Dam, Old Mill road entrance and Sugarcreek MetroPark near the creek and in the creek beds.

Outdoor Connection

Fossils are great to find and give us valuable information about what creatures lived on our planet long before humans arrived. Did you know Ohio was once covered with water? Because of this time known as the Ordovician Period, the fossils we tend to see are those from sea creatures of long ago. Fossils can be found just about anywhere, so head outside and start your exploration today!

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If You Find a Leaf

Summary

A young artist draws inspiration from the leaves she collects, and every leaf sparks a new idea.

Activities

Explore with your child and collect leaves that have fallen around where you live. What comes to your child’s mind? What shapes and colors do you see? Have your child try to make leaf rubbings by placing a piece of thin paper over the leaf and rubbing a crayon over paper. Try using leaves, glue, and crayons to make artwork. Build your first leaf collection using a leaf press and photo album.

At a MetroPark

Although leaf collecting is not permitted on MetroParks’ property, you and your child can find leaves from many different species of trees for inspiration. Cox Arboretum is a great place to learn biodiversity of trees. Also, you can borrow fallen MetroParks’ leaves to make leaf rubbings, then putting the leaf back where you found it. By leaving them behind, they will be recycled back into the dirt and grow into new trees later.

Outdoor Connection

Leaves are the solar panels of life; without them, human life would not have been possible. As important as they are, they have also served as inspiration for art for many years. How will they inspire your child?

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I Hear You, Forest

Summary

The forest has lots to say, if you listen. When a young child steps into the forest, her ears are open and her heart is too. She listens carefully to the forest around her–and hears such marvelous things, from the creaking of the trees stretching skyward to the rustling of the leaves sharing their secrets. This sounds-of-nature series for young children encourages imagination, awareness, and empathy with all living things. Our forests are full of magic–if we can only hear it.

Activities

Lots of natural sounds can be heard close to home, even in the city. Take a step outside, focusing on what you hear. How many birdsongs can you hear? Does the wind sound different when it blows through different kinds of trees? Do all insects sound the same when they buzz from flower to flower? Go on a discovery of nature sounds around your home with your child.

At a MetroPark

Many parks offer forests to explore. The forests of Germantown, Englewood, and Taylorsville MetroParks are deep, and offer rich sounds for exploration. The wet woods at Wegerzyn Gardens are unique and offer their own sounds. Enjoy getting out and listening to the sounds of Miami Valley ecology: It is like taking a vacation!

Outdoor Connection

Much of nature’s most peaceful sounds are not deliberate. The rippling of water, wind blowing through pine trees or grasses, & rain drops hitting the ground are all sounds that can bring us a rich, mindful experience. Other sounds, like bird song, coyote yelps, or frogs croaking are deliberate, and although peaceful to us, these sounds are often animals fighting for resources and finding mates. Get out and explore these different kinds of sounds and see if you can hear the difference.

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In the Small, Small Pond

Summary

Illustrations and rhyming text describe the activities of animals living in and near a small pond as spring progresses to autumn.

Activities

Exploring a pond could push comfort zones of some children. To prepare for a park experience, explore small creatures around spaces where you live. Lift up objects like stepping stones or old logs to find pill bugs (roly-polies) and earth worms, and help your child be able to hold these harmless creatures. Remember to put them back gently, without crushing them.

At a MetroPark

There are many ponds throughout MetroParks that serve as a great place for preschool exploration. Notable ponds include the pond off the Red Trail at Germantown MetroPark, the pond at the Hill Top Shelter at Taylorsville MetroPark, and along the boardwalk at the edge of Cedar Lake at Carriage Hill MetroPark.

Outdoor Connection

Ponds are full of life, and offer many natural lessons, including food webs, camouflage, frog and insect metamorphosis, and many more. The edge of the pond is where you will find the most life.

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Leaf Man

BookClub-cover-LeafManSummary

Fall has come, the wind is gusting, and Leaf Man is on the move. Is he drifting east, over the marsh and ducks and geese? Or is he heading west, above the orchards, prairie meadows, and spotted cows? No one’s quite sure, but this much is certain: A Leaf Man’s got to go where the wind blows. With illustrations made from actual fall leaves and die-cut pages on every spread that reveal gorgeous landscape vistas, here is a playful, whimsical, and evocative book that celebrates the natural world and the rich imaginative life of children. Includes an author’s note and leaf-identifying labels.

Activities

Make your own leaf man. (Hint: If you want him to stay awhile it will help to press the leaves first.) Don’t limit your creation to men and women – there are plenty of animals in the story too.

At a MetroPark

Leaves are fun to play in and have an array of colors but did you know that you can identify a tree from its leaves? Start your first leaf collection and then go through them and try to identify what trees the leaves are from.

Outdoor Connection

Studies show that by having your child play and explore their natural world they are enriching their lives in regards to: significant improvement in their cognitive development, self- discipline, creative expression, language skills and social interactions.

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Let's Go Puddling

Summary

Three families meet up in front of their high-rise apartment building, all with the same idea. The children can’t wait to stimp-stamp-stomp through the muddy puddles until their boots overflow — then snuggle with the grown-ups on the couch as their soggy socks dry.

Activities

Nature builds resilient children. Indoor kids often get scared to get wet, and don’t want to be too cold or hot. Exploring puddles helps kids get more comfortable with nature while discovering their power. Encourage your child to jump in puddles in the rain. Shoes can be washed and dried, and kids will grow out of them quickly. Better yet, try bare feet if you’re sure there is nothing sharp in the puddle.

At a MetroPark

After a rain, MetroParks trails can be great places to find safe puddles to jump in. Many small creeks also provide great places to experience ankle-deep water. Nature Play Areas at Englewood and Hills and Dales offer perfect places to play in the water, and find fun creatures like salamanders too!

Outdoor Connection

Puddles are crucial for healthy habitats. Many species depend on small bodies of water for their lifecycles. Certain salamanders, species of insects, and other life can’t rely on ponds since fish and other predators would eat them. Puddles provide refuge from these larger predators.

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Look and Listen

Summary

In rhyming text the reader takes a walk on a garden path, through a meadow, and along the banks of a stream, noting the animals that are seen along the way.

Activities

From various shades of green in the leaves, to a full palette of colors in flowers, to the various reds, yellows, and oranges in fall foliage, nature is the perfect environment to learn colors. A brief walk outdoors can expose your growing child to a full array of colors while getting a breath of fresh air.

At a MetroPark

Cox Arboretum, Wegerzyn Gardens, and Aullwood Gardens offer perfect places to explore full palettes of colors and sounds in nature.

Outdoor Connection

Colors have a variety of applications in nature. Flowers use colors (some of which we can’t see but insects can) to attract pollinators, sometimes even creating a runway for landing. Birds use colors to attract mates and stake their claims on land. Insects use colors for warning predators, and owls use colors to blend into the tree trunks. Take a walk outside to see colors in action.

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Mud!

Summary

Rhyming text follows a brother and sister as they go outside on a rainy day to play in the mud.

Activities

Just like in the book, there are right and wrong ways to play in the mud. Sometimes experience teaches us these things, but it is easier for your child to learn with you: Get outside on a rainy day; squeeze, feel, paint, sculpt, bake, build, and imagine. There are plenty of ways to learn more about ourselves and nature with mud!

At a MetroPark

On rainy days, mud can be easy to find. Some of the best mud is clay, as you can sculpt it and let it dry, creating artwork that can last longer at home. The small creeks at Germantown, Sugarcreek, and Englewood MetroParks are great places to find gray clay.

Outdoor Connection

Mud is used by many creatures in nature. Insects like mud-daubers use mud to build their chimney nests, filling them with paralyzed spiders. Robins, Barn Swallows, and many other birds use mud to construct their nests. Muskrats and Beavers use mud in their masterpieces as well. Get outdoors to see what animals are using mud near your home!

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The Mud Fairy

BookClub-cover-mudfairySummary

Wearing pink and tiptoeing through the dewdrops is for wimps! Emmelina would rather play with her friends, the frogs. But can a fairy with an independent streak earn her wings if she goes against the fairy code? Warm, humorous, and with just the right amount of pink (and mud), here’s a book that will capture the hearts of girly-girls and tomboys alike.

Activities

Build a fairy house or a gnome home in your backyard. Gather some sticks, leaves, rocks, anything at all and make a little shelter. Check on it daily to see if any guests are living there. Help your child determine which type of fairy/gnome they would be: flower, water, mud, animal, etc…

At a MetroPark

On your next outing to your local MetroPark us your imagination and pretend to be a fairy, gnome, or similar being. What things do you think such a creature would like to do? What area of the park do you think they would like to live? You can also search to see if you can find their home or build a home for them in one of our nature play areas.

Outdoor Connection

The outdoors is an inspiring place for your child to use their imagination, as well as thinking and discovering what local animals (and fairies/gnomes alike) might need to survive or might do from day to day.

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Poo-Dunit? A Forest Floor Mystery

Summary

Sniff, sniff! went Mouse. Whiff, whiff! went Mouse. Who left this poo outside my house? I must undo this mystery. Poo-dunit?

Activities

Preschoolers are curious by nature, and may be tempted to pick up what they shouldn’t. Go on a nature walk to look for different kinds of animal poo, talk about why we shouldn’t pick it up, but also learn what it can tell us: It means that animal is nearby! Bird poo can be fun to compare, as it can often reveal what the different birds are eating in your neighborhood.

At a MetroPark

Animal poo can be found in all of your MetroParks, often right on the trail! Pay attention to the tops of rocks and logs, as some of our mammals like to go there.

Outdoor Connection

The book teaches us that animals go in different ways. Naturalists and biologists can use scat (poo) to identify what species of animals can be found in an area. If you and your child are interested in learning more, a rubber scat collection is included in our Mammals Education Kit, available for two-week use, picking up at Cox Arboretum.

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Some Bugs

BookClub-cover-somebugsSummary

Get the buzz on bugs in this picture book from Angela DiTerlizzi! Grab your magnifying glass! Find your field guide! And come hop, hide, swim, and glide through this buggy backyard world! Featuring insects: including butterflies and moths, crickets and cicadas, bumblebees and beetles, this zippy rhyming exploration of backyard-bug behavior is sure to have insect enthusiasts of all ages bugging out with excitement.

Activities

Think there are not many bugs in your backyard? THINK AGAIN! Here are some great spots to search for critters around your own humble abode. Under rocks, by the garden hose, and in the corners of the yard are great places to start.

At a MetroPark

Come out to your favorite MetroPark and investigate where your favorite bugs like to hang out as you take a leisurely walk down any of the trails. Where do you think they will be? Are they where you thought they would be? Why do you think they picked those locations? Keep in mind the 4 essentials of life – food, water, air and sun – as you go on your own insect investigation.

Outdoor Connection

Studies show that by having your child play and explore their natural world they are enriching their lives. This includes: significant improvement in their cognitive development, self- discipline, creative expression, language skills, and social interactions.

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Step Gently Out

BookClub-cover-StepGentlySummary

Stunning close-up photography and a lyrical text implore children to look more closely at the world around them. Be still, and watch a single blade of grass. An ant climbs up to look around. A honeybee flies past. What would happen if you walked very, very quietly and looked ever so carefully at the natural world outside? You might see a cricket leap, a moth spread her wings, or a spider step across a silken web. In simple, evocative language, Helen Frost offers a hint at the many tiny creatures around us. And in astonishing close-up photographs, Rick Lieder captures the glint of a katydid’s eye, the glow of a firefly, and many more living wonders just awaiting discovery. Fascinating facts about all the creatures pictured may be found at the end.

Activities

Pick a spot in your yard to observe. Remind your child we need to be quiet and still so that we can see and hear what is out there in “the wild.” Explain that the photographer from the book used a special camera to take these pictures close up. Bring out your own camera and let your little one become a young photographer.

At a MetroPark

Discover what creatures are in your local parks on your next adventure. Take a quiet walk and see what you can find or pick a place in the park to have a nice snack and while eating observe what other creatures are doing. You can pick anyplace you’d like, but just in case here are some suggestions: Aullwood Garden MetroPark, the boardwalk at Carriage Hill MetroPark, Conservation Corner at Cox Arboretum MetroPark, East, South or North Park at Englewood MetroPark, Sunfish Pond at Germantown MetroPark, Huffman MetroPark, Prairie Dock Shelter at Possum Creek MetroPark, Hilltop Shelter at Taylorsville MetroPark, the woodland naturary or Dogwood Pond at Twin Creek MetroPark.

Outdoor Connection

Our lives get so busy and many times the days just fly by. By taking time to slow down and observe things we may not typically notice we are able to enjoy spending time together and can offset our fast past schedules. The outdoors has a way of slowing us down and making us appreciate the little things in life that make us smile.

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A Stone Sat Still

Summary

Told in rhyming verse, a stone is considered from a variety of environmental and emotional perspectives, as it sits where it is, surrounded by grass, dirt, and water, an unchanging certainty in the world.

Activities

Every animal needs a home, but particularly small animals like to live near or under stones. Venture into the backyard in search of stones, and find one that speaks to your child. Visit it throughout the season, noting how life around it changes through time.

At a MetroPark

All your MetroParks offers great places to find stones of different types; some larger and heavier than us! On many trails, you can find glacial erratics; Large igneous stones that have been pushed down from Canada to Ohio by glaciers during the Ice Age. Twin Creek MetroPark contains some of the largest along the short Red Trail, accessible by the High View Shelter parking lot off of Eby Road.

Outdoor Connection

Every stone in nature has a story. They are timeless: Here long before us, and here long after us. Much of our rock is limestone, exposed bedrock formed around 500 million years ago, when this area of North America was on the equator below a warm, tropical sea. Rocks continue to change through the rock cycle. This is similar to the water cycle, but much slower, taking millions if not billions of years to complete.

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This Is the Nest That Robin Built

Summary

A cumulative rhyme about the animals who help Robin build her nest.

Activities

Invite your child to collect various nesting material out in nature, then build a nest together. During times of struggle, remind your child that birds spend several days building their perfect nest, using just their beaks!

At a MetroPark

MetroParks are great places to observe nests. Eastwood MetroPark provides opportunities to see Bald Eagle and Great Blue Heron nests up high in large trees. Wetlands are great places to get close to Redwing Blackbird nests: They will let you know if you are too close.

Outdoor Connection

A Robin’s nest is typically easy to find, but most nests are hidden from view to keep eggs and hatchlings safe from predators. Hummingbird nests are made of spider silk so they contract when mom leaves to feed, making them even harder to find. Go out on a nest search with your little one.

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Up A Tree

Summary

In this rhyming counting book, young readers will venture alongside a young boy as he climbs a tree.

Activities

One of Nature’s hidden lessons is risk management. We encounter risks wherever we go, some minor, others severe. Allow your child to experience risk within the guidance of your support, from climbing small trees to balancing on logs. After all, a child learning good risk management falling out of a tree is better than learning while behind a wheel of a car.

At a MetroPark

Nature Play Areas at Englewood, Hills and Dales, Possum Creek, Sugarcreek, and Cox Arboretum offer safe places to explore risk. The Green Trail at Sugarcreek MetroPark and Silver Trail at Germantown MetroPark, as well as the boardwalk at Germantown MetroPark’s welcome center offer tree-top views without having to climb high.

Outdoor Connection

Forests are Miami Valley’s natural habitat type, and are home to many kinds of wildlife. Of course birds, but even snakes, frogs, and many insects are adapted to live their lives within the treetops.

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We Are Water Protectors

Summary

Inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption, a bold and lyrical picture book written by Carole Lindstrom and vibrantly illustrated by Michaela Goade. Water is the first medicine. It affects and connects us all … When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth And poison her people’s water, one young water protector Takes a stand to defend Earth’s most sacred resource.

Activities

We are water: By protecting water, we protect ourselves. Have your children think of their bodies as rivers: The water within us is constantly flowing through us. Keep track of how many glasses you drink, and how often you play in a splash pad, pool, or with sprinklers on a hot day, and become more aware of your water use.

At a MetroPark

Water in nature continues to be the most natural childhood environment. We test our limits jumping in puddles, explore creatures like frogs, fish, and salamanders, learn balance on a boat or floating dock–your MetroParks aren’t called “Five Rivers” for nothing! There is plenty of aquatic environments to explore, only minutes away from your home. Try sitting on the edge of a pond or stream with your child, and watch the magic unfold. Remember never to leave your child unattended around a body of water.

Outdoor Connection

Water is to nature as blood is to your own body: It is the blood of the earth, cycling through nature, making life possible. Be in tune with the changing of seasons as we enter our typically dry season of fall, and celebrate when it rains.

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