willowsauermilch
- Jul 21, 2018
- 2 min read

Vocab-u-walk in the Woods

Summer is a time for adventures. Whether they are big or small, adventures transform our daily life as we step away from the ordinary into the unknown. It is in these moments that we open our eyes to new things and ways of looking at the world around us. Our travels spark our curiosity

and a natural need to learn new things

(including new vocabulary and language skills).

Kids love seeing the world through the lens of a camera,

so grab your camera or smartphone and head to the woods

(or the park, the zoo, the museum, or wherever you are heading today).

Take pictures of whatever catches the eye of you and your fellow travelers - things that are new, familiar, interesting, unique, stunning, or unusual.

Look for variations of the same item - different forms of moss, for example, or bark featuring different colors, textures, or designs.

Look for comparisons. This could be different kinds of rocks (pebble, boulder, slate) or different types of trail markers. Perhaps even different meanings of the same word. A trail marker is not the same kind of marker as the one used for art projects, and tree rings are not the same kind of rings we wear on our finger.

Picture boards can be constructed using Powerpoint or a photo stitching app. Keep up the excitement by incorporating extension activities that contribute to the subject area, providing an opportunity to generalize new vocabulary and knowledge. In this case, it could include vacation related finds, books such as "Deep in the Forest" by Brinton Turkle, or apps such as Nature by Toca Boca .