Summer Nature Table Glimpses

Dove made by K for Whitsun

I just realized that I haven't been keeping up with my nature table postings the past couple of seasons. I felt the need to remedy that straight away, especially now that Kevin's computer is fixed and all is back to normal. Phew! I also wanted to let you all know I am playing catchup now. I am starting back with last Monday's post and going from there.



These pics are the current incarnation of our summer nature table. It is always changing, even within a season: as the world around us changes, as the months change, as new nature treasures are found or created, as the kitties jump on it and knock things over (grrrrr)... I don't think it ever looks the same for more than a day or two. You can see last year's summer nature table here.





You can see how quickly it changes by these two pictures above. I was in the middle of snapping these pics and the girls came in and re-did the birds nest and a couple of things on that shelf. My sneaky little elves!



Our needle felted birds I made this spring are still flying above, relishing the summer breezes as they blow through.

K made a pinwheel in class before they left for summer break. Inspired by one of our favorite spring/summer songs - It now resides on our nature table, at the beginning of our playsilk river, working as a windmill.






"If I could have a windmill, a windmill, a windmill
If I could have a windmill I know what I would do.

I'd have it pump some water, some water, some water
I'd have it pump some water up from the river below.

Then I'd have a duck pond, a duck pond, a duck pond
Then I'd have a duck pond where ducks and geese could swim.

The ducks would make their wings flap, their wings flap, their wings flap
The ducks would make their wings flap, and then they would say quack, quack.

The geese would stretch their long necks, their long necks, their long necks
The geese would stretch their long necks and then they would answer hissssssssssssssss.

If I could have a windmill, a windmill, a windmill
If I could have a windmill I know what I would do."



A somewhat new addition to our nature table is the fairy bowl. This idea was from K's classroom. Every snack time the teachers prepare a mini bowl with fairy bites and the children take turns bringing it to the class nature table. It stays their overnight to feed the hungry fairies that live nearby. The next day when the children arrive in the morning, the bowl is empty and the fairies have full bellies.
It was just a few days into school when K asked for our own fairy bowl on our nature table. I happily obliged. I think the kitties are the ones getting an extra late night snack by doing this, but the girls believe in their hearts that the fairies ate it and that's all that matters.



We have mini seasonal displays all throughout the house. The one above is on their bookcase which also displays their seasonal books. We prefer to tell our own stories than to read from books (telling stories actually works great as a form of discipline,as well... hmm, I may need to add that to my list of posts I need to create) so we don't have very many books out at a time.

The girls now have their own mini nature table in their room, too. It's on top of an old tree stump, I will have to get pics of theirs and share it soon. They take such care in decorating it and bringing in new bits of nature to put on it.

Now, on to the past questions. Happy summer, everyone!

Summer Nature Table Glimpses