{"id":6280,"date":"2020-03-17T17:57:13","date_gmt":"2020-03-17T17:57:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/international-programs\/?p=6280"},"modified":"2023-05-01T13:40:19","modified_gmt":"2023-05-01T13:40:19","slug":"now-what","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/international-programs\/news\/now-what\/","title":{"rendered":"Now What?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>By Liz Driscoll<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>NC State Extension 4-H specialist<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Looking for ideas to help your children continue learning, exploring &#8212; and avoid feeling cooped up &#8212; when their schools or daycare centers close? The answer may lie no farther than your backyard or nearest park.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Here are five easy outdoor activities you and your kids can try now, or any time the fancy strikes:<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_176573\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-176573\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-176573 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/2caterpillar-cropped-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Three insects on a plant.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-176573\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">How many insects can you find? Look closely, and you might even notice a spider.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><b>Investigate Insects<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Take a journal and find an outdoor spot where you can carefully observe what&#8217;s around you. Look for insects munching on plants, pollinating flowers, crawling in the earth or zinging through the air. How many can you see? Sketch them carefully and note their colors, size, what they are doing and how many you notice. You can keep doing this throughout the year to see how things change with each passing season.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_176577\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-176577\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-176577 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/prickly-cropped-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"A prickly plant stem\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-176577\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Have you ever noticed how different plant stems can be?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><b>Stalk Strange Stems<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are some mighty strange stems in this world &#8212; stems with hairs, stems with spines, stems that are tall, stems that are square\u2014keep a tally of your stem safari! You may find stems that behave in weird ways:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Stems that suction themselves against a wall. These little friends have \u201csticky\u201d pads that look like treefrog footpads.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Stems that curl around something. Many stems have tendrils that can wrap something like a tree or a trellis in a big stem hug.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Stems that ramble. These plants are born to roam and try to take over the garden as much as possible.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Secret stems. Where is the stem on a dandelion? Some plants don\u2019t seem to have a stem, but look close, maybe it is underground or it is so very small you have to be a super stem sleuth to observe it.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Build a Slug Hut<\/b><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_176578\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-176578\" style=\"width: 200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-176578\" src=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Slug-Hut-cropped.jpg\" alt=\"A teepee-shaped structure built of sticks and other plant material, including leafy branches and ivy.\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-176578\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Build a slug hut like this, and you could have a place to kick back for hours.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Slug huts are secret forts that enable the imagination to roam wild. They are places for stories, games, daydreaming, singing and relaxing. Find fallen branches and make the frame. Try an easy and sturdy teepee. You might need to secure the branches together with a bit of twine or willow branches. Scout around for shrubbery that you could weave through your frame. You can be creative in your materials here\u2014the more natural materials you use, the better you blend in and your slug hut is camouflaged. You can also use old bed sheets or tablecloths. Bring in your books or sketchpad, and play away!<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re at home, get your parent&#8217;s permission first. You also shouldn&#8217;t do this in other places, like parks, unless you&#8217;ve gotten approval from the person in charge.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_176568\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-176568\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-176568 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/bark-cropped-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"The bark of two trees\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-176568\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Try taking pencil-and-paper rubbings of tree bark. Do you see similarities and differences among different trees?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><b>Hug a Tree<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">So many trees, so many hugs to give. Read Shel Silverstein\u2019s \u201cGiving Tree\u201d \u2013 or any other favorite book in a comfortable crook of your favorite tree. Take a bark rubbing or two \u2013 or enough to make a collection! Really notice the bark. What color is it? And would you say it\u2019s smooth, rough, shiny or papery? Any other words you can use to describe it?<\/span><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_176580\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-176580\" style=\"width: 169px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-176580 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/mudpie-cropped-169x300.jpg\" alt=\"With both hands, a girl holds a mudpie with a flower on top.\" width=\"169\" height=\"300\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-176580\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">What can you find to decorate your mudpie?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><b>Make a Mud Pie<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Borrow one of mom or dad\u2019s pie pans and gather some soil from the garden. You may need a trowel to dig deep into the earth to fill your pan. Add a little water, mix well, really, really well, keep mixing, making mud and more mud! What color is your mud pie? Can you find different soils to make different \u2018flavors\u2019 of mud pies? Any pebble toppings? Or other findings you can use to decorate? When you\u2019re done, be sure to practice all the handwashing skills you\u2019ve been learning lately!<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Looking for More Ideas?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Check out <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/growforit.ces.ncsu.edu\/mischief-for-kids\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cMischief for Kids,\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> part of NC State Extension\u2019s \u201cGrow for It!\u201d website. And if you can&#8217;t get outside, how <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">does garbage-can gardening sound? Find out more online at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/growforit.ces.ncsu.edu\/2018\/10\/garbage-can-gardening\/\">growforit.ces.ncsu.edu\/2018\/10\/garbage-can-gardening\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>4-H also offers a great guide with lots of indoor and outdoor activities in healthy living, crafting and science, technology, engineering and math, and it&#8217;s available for free online. See <a href=\"https:\/\/4-h.org\/about\/inspire-kids-to-do\/activity-guide\/\">4-h.org\/about\/inspire-kids-to-do\/activity-guide\/<\/a> Parents can also find ideas in a series of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PLoDIM1Hxaj9oeu94MQVDMDtPA380_v3xZ\">videos<\/a> produced by NC State&#8217;s Department of Horticultural Science.<\/p>\n<h3><em><b>About the Author<\/b><\/em><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Liz Driscoll works for NC State Extension\u2019s 4-H program and is a specialist in the university\u2019s departments of Horticultural Science, Crop and Soil Sciences, and Entomology and Plant Pathology. She\u2019s also an experienced mom.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><em><b>About 4-H<\/b><\/em><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In 4-H, young people make new friends, develop new skills, become leaders and help shape their communities. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In North Carolina, <a href=\"https:\/\/nc4h.ces.ncsu.edu\/\">4-H<\/a> is delivered by N.C. Cooperative Extension, a statewide outreach partnership between NC State University, N.C. A&amp;T State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and 101 local governments statewide.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"<span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>By Liz Driscoll<\/strong>\r\n<em>NC State Extension 4-H specialist<\/em><\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Looking for ideas to help your children continue learning, exploring -- and avoid feeling cooped up -- when their schools or daycare centers close? The answer may lie no farther than your backyard or nearest park.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Here are five easy outdoor activities you and your kids can try now, or any time the fancy strikes:<\/span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_176573\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\"]<img class=\"wp-image-176573 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/2caterpillar-cropped-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Three insects on a plant.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" \/> How many insects can you find? Look closely, and you might even notice a spider.[\/caption]\r\n<h2><b>Investigate Insects<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Take a journal and find an outdoor spot where you can carefully observe what's around you. Look for insects munching on plants, pollinating flowers, crawling in the earth or zinging through the air. How many can you see? Sketch them carefully and note their colors, size, what they are doing and how many you notice. You can keep doing this throughout the year to see how things change with each passing season.<\/span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_176577\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\"]<img class=\"wp-image-176577 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/prickly-cropped-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"A prickly plant stem\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" \/> Have you ever noticed how different plant stems can be?[\/caption]\r\n<h2><b>Stalk Strange Stems<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are some mighty strange stems in this world -- stems with hairs, stems with spines, stems that are tall, stems that are square\u2014keep a tally of your stem safari! You may find stems that behave in weird ways:<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Stems that suction themselves against a wall. These little friends have \u201csticky\u201d pads that look like treefrog footpads.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Stems that curl around something. Many stems have tendrils that can wrap something like a tree or a trellis in a big stem hug.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Stems that ramble. These plants are born to roam and try to take over the garden as much as possible.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Secret stems. Where is the stem on a dandelion? Some plants don\u2019t seem to have a stem, but look close, maybe it is underground or it is so very small you have to be a super stem sleuth to observe it.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><b>Build a Slug Hut<\/b><\/h2>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_176578\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"200\"]<img class=\"wp-image-176578\" src=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Slug-Hut-cropped.jpg\" alt=\"A teepee-shaped structure built of sticks and other plant material, including leafy branches and ivy.\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" \/> Build a slug hut like this, and you could have a place to kick back for hours.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Slug huts are secret forts that enable the imagination to roam wild. They are places for stories, games, daydreaming, singing and relaxing. Find fallen branches and make the frame. Try an easy and sturdy teepee. You might need to secure the branches together with a bit of twine or willow branches. Scout around for shrubbery that you could weave through your frame. You can be creative in your materials here\u2014the more natural materials you use, the better you blend in and your slug hut is camouflaged. You can also use old bed sheets or tablecloths. Bring in your books or sketchpad, and play away!<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nIf you're at home, get your parent's permission first. You also shouldn't do this in other places, like parks, unless you've gotten approval from the person in charge.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_176568\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\"]<img class=\"wp-image-176568 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/bark-cropped-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"The bark of two trees\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" \/> Try taking pencil-and-paper rubbings of tree bark. Do you see similarities and differences among different trees?[\/caption]\r\n<h2><b>Hug a Tree<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">So many trees, so many hugs to give. Read Shel Silverstein\u2019s \u201cGiving Tree\u201d \u2013 or any other favorite book in a comfortable crook of your favorite tree. Take a bark rubbing or two \u2013 or enough to make a collection! Really notice the bark. What color is it? And would you say it\u2019s smooth, rough, shiny or papery? Any other words you can use to describe it?<\/span><b>\u00a0<\/b>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_176580\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"169\"]<img class=\"wp-image-176580 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/mudpie-cropped-169x300.jpg\" alt=\"With both hands, a girl holds a mudpie with a flower on top.\" width=\"169\" height=\"300\" \/> What can you find to decorate your mudpie?[\/caption]\r\n<h2><b>Make a Mud Pie<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Borrow one of mom or dad\u2019s pie pans and gather some soil from the garden. You may need a trowel to dig deep into the earth to fill your pan. Add a little water, mix well, really, really well, keep mixing, making mud and more mud! What color is your mud pie? Can you find different soils to make different \u2018flavors\u2019 of mud pies? Any pebble toppings? Or other findings you can use to decorate? When you\u2019re done, be sure to practice all the handwashing skills you\u2019ve been learning lately!<\/span>\r\n<h2><b>Looking for More Ideas?<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Check out <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/growforit.ces.ncsu.edu\/mischief-for-kids\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cMischief for Kids,\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> part of NC State Extension\u2019s \u201cGrow for It!\u201d website. And if you can't get outside, how <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">does garbage-can gardening sound? Find out more online at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/growforit.ces.ncsu.edu\/2018\/10\/garbage-can-gardening\/\">growforit.ces.ncsu.edu\/2018\/10\/garbage-can-gardening\/<\/a>\r\n\r\n4-H also offers a great guide with lots of indoor and outdoor activities in healthy living, crafting and science, technology, engineering and math, and it's available for free online. See <a href=\"https:\/\/4-h.org\/about\/inspire-kids-to-do\/activity-guide\/\">4-h.org\/about\/inspire-kids-to-do\/activity-guide\/<\/a> Parents can also find ideas in a series of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PLoDIM1Hxaj9oeu94MQVDMDtPA380_v3xZ\">videos<\/a> produced by NC State's Department of Horticultural Science.\r\n<h3><em><b>About the Author<\/b><\/em><\/h3>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Liz Driscoll works for NC State Extension\u2019s 4-H program and is a specialist in the university\u2019s departments of Horticultural Science, Crop and Soil Sciences, and Entomology and Plant Pathology. She\u2019s also an experienced mom.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<h3><em><b>About 4-H<\/b><\/em><\/h3>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In 4-H, young people make new friends, develop new skills, become leaders and help shape their communities. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In North Carolina, <a href=\"https:\/\/nc4h.ces.ncsu.edu\/\">4-H<\/a> is delivered by N.C. Cooperative Extension, a statewide outreach partnership between NC State University, N.C. A&amp;T State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and 101 local governments statewide.<\/span>"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Without going far, kids can explore and learn from familiar environments. Liz Driscoll, an NC State Extension 4-H specialist, suggests five easy outdoor activities to try when your kids are feeling cooped up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":6281,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"ncstate_wire","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[126],"class_list":["post-6280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-_from-newswire-collection-10"],"acf":[],"flickr_id":"","youtube_id":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/international-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6280"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/international-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/international-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/international-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/international-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6280"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/international-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6280\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6282,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/international-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6280\/revisions\/6282"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/international-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6281"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/international-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6280"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/international-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6280"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/international-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6280"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}