Outdoor Hour Challenge Autumn Series-Mushrooms

Mushrooms! Fungus! Molds! Ask my children and they will tell you that I am fascinated with these things when we find them during our outdoor time. They even call me very affectionately the "Fungus Lady".

I found this video during our last study of mushrooms and I would love for you to watch it in order to prepare you for your study of mushrooms. This video is very well done and will help your children understand how a mushroom grows.

Planet Earth: Mushroom Madness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvTvaxVySlE
You will need to click over to YouTube.com to view this video. Please note: Turn down the sound if the music is too much for you. As always, please preview the video on YouTube and I do not endorse any other video that may come up after this one. There are some questionable videos about mushrooms.

If you do not think you will observe any mushrooms during your Outdoor Time, you can still complete the Inside Preparation work as a way to be ready the next time you do see a mushroom.



Outdoor Hour Challenge
Autumn Series #9 Mushrooms
(Formerly Challenge #41)

Inside Preparation Work
Mushrooms and Other Fungi-read the overview starting on page 714 and continuing to page 719. Page 719 shows the parts of a mushroom with labels.

Outdoor Hour Time
The ideal study of ferns, mushrooms, and fungi would be to experience them outdoors in their natural habitat. Use your 15 to 20 minutes of outdoor time this week to enjoy a search for some kind of mushroom. Your particular area may not have these subjects readily at hand but let your friends, family, and neighbors know that you are studying mushrooms and with more pairs of eyes looking you may be able to find something to study up close.

Enjoy your time outdoors whether you can find this week’s subject or not. Remember to look at the sky and comment on the weather. Take time to notice your tree from your year long tree study. Collect a few items to take inside to sketch into your nature journal. Just because the topic of this challenge is mushrooms, you do not have to limit yourself to that narrow focus during your 15 to 20 minutes of outdoor time.

Follow-Up Activity
Spend a few minutes once inside to discuss your experiences from your nature walk. Are there questions that need to be answered or items that need to be identified? Make a note of any topics that come up that you can research further in the Handbook of Nature Study or at your local library.

Make an opportunity for a nature journal entry. The diagrams on pages 695 and 719 could be sketched into the nature journal. I have created a notebook page for you to use in your nature journal to record your mushroom observations and it is listed in the free downloads section of the sidebar of my blog.

“Since mushrooms are especially good subjects for watercolor and pencil studies, it would add much to the interest of the work if each pupil, or the school as a whole, should make a portfolio of sketches of all the species found. With each drawing there should be made on a supplementary sheet a spore print of the species.”
Handbook of Nature Study, page 718

Spore prints are another idea for an activity following up the mushroom study. I would only do this activity with older students who truly understand that mushrooms can be poisonous.
Here are some instructions you can download: Mushroom Spore Prints or this blog entry.


You can use the provided notebook page to sketch a mushroom that you observed during your Outdoor Time or you can use it to copy the sketch from page 719 in the Handbook of Nature Study, labeling the different parts of a mushroom.

Do not forget that you can always catch up on the Autumn Series Challenges over on my Squidoo Lens. I periodically add additional resources and suggestions for related art and music study using the Squidoo Lens.

Make sure to come back to this post and share your link on Mr. Linky. The Outdoor Hour Community is very good at coming over to check out your study.....don't forget to read everyone else's entries and leave them a word of encouragement.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Additional Options for Outdoor Hour Challenge 43 Growing Molds

We haven't completed Outdoor Hour Challenge 43 yet but I wanted to give some additional ideas for options to the original challenge.

Here are some additional ideas to get you started with observing molds for Outdoor Hour Challenge 43.

Here is a YouTube video that shows mold growing on bread and then an orange. It is a short and sweet video. Please remember to preview.



How about some clipart for your notebook?

This diagram shows the parts of bread mold.

Label for this one:
"Showing One of the More Common Molds found on Fruits and Bread. The tiny stalks grow vertically into the air. The end of each thread swells into a small round knob, from the inside of which hundreds of minute bodies, called spores, burst. As a is seen a large knob filled with spores." — Blaisedell, 1904


Here is a link to a whole list of information about puffballs and there are fantastic images to view as well.
Puffballs at MushroomExpert.com


If you are brave, you can grow mold in your own Mold Terrarium. I would love to see your results. We have conducted this experiment before and we found the best place to put our jar was in our laundry room cupboard where it was usually warm and dark.

Here is a complete booklet on fungus/mushrooms for you to look at using with your child. Preview it before printing the whole packet out since there are a lot of pages. I especially like page 17, 18, 21, 22, and 25 to print out and put in your nature journal.
Mushrooms PDF

Hope you found something here to spark your interest. Our next Outdoor Hour Challenge will be on January 9th.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Learning Something New: Our Family's Outdoor Hour Challenge #42 Moss and Lichen

In our part of the world it is the perfect time to be looking for and observing closely the mosses and lichens in our yard. Last week I posted a video showing one of our favorite local hikes that has literally come alive with mosses.

After reading the Handbook of Nature Study, we were on the lookout for some haircap moss. I looked it up in our field guide and it showed that we have it here in California so we were determined to find some to look at in person.

The video I took last week showed the "little parts that stick up" and those are actually the spore capsules as shown in the diagram on page 710. Here is a photo of them as well.

These are about three inches high.


This is a close-up of the moss and lichen we saw growing on so many of the trees. In the top photo of this blog entry, you can see how it grows all the way up the tree trunks in this part of the forest. The greens of the mosses and ferns really show up in the forest as you walk along at this time of year when most of the green leaves have fallen from the deciduous trees.


We found some fungus growing on this fallen tree branch...new to us.


It had such a vivid color and look at the green growing on the branch as well....not sure what it is but it is pretty.


Then as we looked closely, we saw this part of a wasp's nest on the ground right next to us. It was very delicate and soft.

We found this pretty fern growing all along the trail's edge on the little embankment. It has a black stem and pretty bright green leaves. I think it is a California Maidenhair fern. I realize now that there are really three different kinds of ferns in the photo...I'm not sure what kind they are but I will update when I find out.


Another photo of the spore capsules and moss.

Can you tell we have enjoyed our week of exploring and looking for moss and lichen? We have been out three times on the trail and each time we have found something new to learn about. No nature journals this week yet but I am hoping to add at least an entry showing the parts of the haircap moss or something showing the life cycle. I know that we covered this in biology last year but I want to make it more real for the boys by viewing these things in real life and then making a nature journal entry to show what we learned.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Outdoor Hour Challenge #42 Moss and Lichen

Welcome to this week's Outdoor Hour Challenge. If you are reading your entries via an email subscription, you probably missed yesterday's video....you might want to to click over to the actual blog entry and view it there.
Moss Walk

I have had done more research and observation for this challenge than any we have done so far because it is a topic that I am totally uneducated about and felt the need to bring myself up to speed. Last week were looking out for fungus and ferns...our family learned about what kind of mushrooms we have in our area.

Here is another great link for fungi if you are still working on last week's challenge:
Backyard Fungi

This week the challenge is going to focus on moss and lichen. My hope is that even those of you who live where it is cold or where you already have snow that you can possibly find some lichen on tree trunks even at this time of the year.
Here a few pages to get you started.

Crustose Lichen (crusty)

Foliose Lichen (leafy)


Fruticose Lichen (shrubby)



I found this artwork on WikiMedia Commons and since it is in the public domain we are able to share it here on the blog. Please see the link for more of his great artwork. You can be sure you will be seeing more of it here in the future.

“The mosses are a special delight to children because they are green and beautiful before other plants have gained their greenness in the spring and after they have lost it in the fall; to the discerning eye, a mossy bank or a mossy log is a thing of beauty always.”
Handbook of Nature Study, page 709





Outdoor Hour Challenge #42
Flowerless Plants-Moss and Lichens


1. Read about mosses on pages 709-714 of the Handbook of Nature Study. The information on mosses is limited in the book so I found a link about moss for you to preview and then share if you would like with your children.

Life Cycle of Moss (animated and narrated)

There also is limited information in the Handbook of Nature Study on lichen which I think we should study along with moss . I actually like the information on Wikipedia, especially the photo gallery at the end of the article.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lichen (As always preview any material you wish to share with your children.)

Or you can try these links for a simple, child-friendly explanation and some photos:
Crustose Lichen (crusty)
Fruticose Lichen (bushy)
Foliose Lichen (leafy)

Use the descriptions and photos on pages 712 and 713of the Handbook of Nature Study to see if you recognize any mosses that you have locally. Make sure to pay attention to the diagram on page 710 that labels the different parts of the hair-cap moss so when you are outdoors you can look for the spore capsules and stalks.

I found this printable guide to twelve kinds of lichen to be helpful. 

2. Find 15 minutes to take a walk outdoors and look for some mosses or lichens. Mosses are found in all habitats and if you look hard enough you might be surprised where you find moss growing. Look in sidewalk cracks, along the edges of buildings, and on stones in the garden,. Lichen will be found on tree trunks or branches or on rock faces. Bring a hand lens along with you on your walk and use it to examine any moss or lichen you find. See if you can find the spore capsules and the places where the spores sift out. Children will want to touch the moss to observe how soft it feels. If possible, use a few minutes to compare samples of mosses and lichens. If you don’t find any moss or lichen, use your observation skills to find something new to look at during your fifteen minutes of the Outdoor Hour.

3. If you are able, try sketching any moss or lichens that you find during this challenge while you are in the field. If you are limited in your time outdoors due to weather conditions, decide if you can bring a small amount of moss or lichen indoors to put on your nature table or in a terrarium. Use this sample and a hand lens to draw a sketch into your nature journal. Make sure to observe how it feels and smells as well as how it looks and record these thoughts in your nature journal as well. If you were not able to find any moss or lichen for this challenge, keep your eyes open as the seasons progress and perhaps you will find some moss to draw in the future. If your child is very young, skip the nature journal this week and have a discussion about what you saw during your Outdoor Hour time.

4. Update your list of mushrooms and ferns if you discovered any new kinds during this challenge. Start a list of mosses and lichens if you wish. You can document each item with a photo for later identification if necessary.

5. After you finish your challenge, make sure to share your link on Mr. Linky. All the challenges are listed in the sidebar of the Handbook of Nature Study blog. Please be sure to link to the specific blog entry for this challenge.

If you would like to have the first ten challenges in eBook format, they are now available for purchase.

Outdoor Hour Challenge #41 Flowerless Plants Overview

I found a video to watch to prepare you for your study of mushrooms. This video is very well done and will help your children understand how a mushroom grows.

Planet Earth: Mushroom Madness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvTvaxVySlE
You will need to click over to YouTube.com to view this video. Please note: Turn down the sound if the music is too much for you. As always, please preview the video on YouTube and I do not endorse any other video that may come up after this one. There are some questionable videos about mushrooms.




Outdoor Hour Challenge #41
Flowerless plants-General Overview

1. This week you need to familiarize yourself with the section in the Handbook of Nature Study that discusses flowerless plants. Turn to the table of contents and in Part III, go to the list of flowerless plants and skim down the list of topics covered. The suggested readings for this challenge will be in the following categories:
Ferns-read the overview on page 693 and then turn to page 695 to see the parts of a fern labeled. Pages 704 and 705 show photos of several kinds of ferns.
Mushrooms and Other Fungi-read the overview starting on page 714 and continuing to page 719. Page 719 shows the parts of a mushroom with labels.

For more information and photos of flowerless plants, please see this blog entry:
http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/2008/12/what-are-flowerless-plants.html

2. The ideal study of ferns, mushrooms, and fungi would be to experience them outdoors in their natural habitat. Use your 15 to 20 minutes of outdoor time this week to enjoy a search for a fern or some kind of mushroom. Your particular area may not have these subjects readily at hand but let your friends, family, and neighbors know that you are studying ferns and mushrooms and with more pairs of eyes looking you may be able to find something to study up close. Enjoy your time outdoors whether you can find this week’s subject or not. Remember to look at the sky and comment on the weather. Take time to notice your tree from your year long tree study. Collect a few items to take inside to sketch into your nature journal. Just because the topic of this challenge is flowerless plants, you do not have to limit yourself to that narrow focus during your 15 to 20 minutes of outdoor time.

3. Spend a few minutes once inside to discuss your experiences you had on your nature walk. Are there questions that need to be answered or items that need to be identified? Make a note of any topics that come up that you can research further in the Handbook of Nature Study or at your local library.

4. Make an opportunity for a nature journal entry. Start a list of flowerless plants in your nature journal. The diagrams on pages 695 and 719 could be sketched into the nature journal as well.

“Since mushrooms are especially good subjects for watercolor and pencil studies, it would add much to the interest of the work if each pupil, or the school as a whole, should make a portfolio of sketches of all the species found. With each drawing there should be made on a supplementary sheet a spore print of the species.”
Handbook of Nature Study, page 718

5. Use Mr. Linky to share your blog entry for this challenge. All the challenges are listed on the sidebar of the Handbook of Nature Study blog.

If you want to print this challenge out, see the free downloads section of my blog.

What are Flowerless Plants?

"There is something uncanny about plants which have no green parts; indeed, many people find it difficult to think of them as plants. It is, therefore, no wonder that many superstitions cluster about toadstools. In times of old, not only was it believed that toads sat on them, but that fairies danced upon them and used them for umbrellas......But science, in these days, brings revelations concerning these mysterious plants which are far more wonderful than the web which superstition wove about them in days of yore."
Handbook of Nature Study, page 714

As a prelude to tomorrow's challenge, I wanted to help explain what it is exactly that we will be focusing on during the next few weeks of the Outdoor Hour Challenge. I have a feeling that some of you are not too excited about the focus on non-flowering plants but I think if you understand a little better what you are going to be looking for, your enthusiasm will grow.

Here is some information I have found in researching this topic and it was surprising to me that there are so many things to be on the alert for as far as topics that are covered in the Handbook of Nature Study. Hopefully this list will give your eyes something to search for over the next few weeks during your Outdoor Hour time. There is more to the focus of flowerless plants than just looking for mushrooms.

First of all you have the obvious subject and that is mushrooms or different fungi. Mushrooms are technically a fungi but we can call them mushrooms if that is easier. Puffballs are also in this family.

Fungi are really non-flowering plants that have no green.

Next you can look for ferns. I think everyone knows what a fern looks like but the variety of ferns available in your area will vary. You should look for ferns in shady places. Many of the ferns in our area are turning brown but you will recognize their unique shape when you see them.

Mosses and lichen are another category of flowerless plants. Once you start looking for moss...you will see it growing in many places and it is something that children love to observe and touch. Look on tree trunks or logs, cracks in the sidewalk, along a moist section of concrete, or under ledges.

Molds are also flowerless plants. How about observing the mold on a slice of bread? I found this flowerless plant over a section of ground that has a rotting tree trunk and roots. No very pretty until you get up close and then it is fascinating.


Flowerless plants may be new to your family. Take the challenges one at a time and do the reading in the Handbook of Nature Study and keep your eyes open. You will be pleasantly surprised at how much you learn and your children will become aware of a whole new fascinating world.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

"Into the Realm of the Undiscovered"

"In nature study any teacher (parent) can with honor say, "I do not know"; for perhaps the question asked is as yet unanswered by the great scientists. But she should not let lack of knowledge be a wet blanket thrown over her pupils' interest. She should say frankly, "I do not know; let us see if we cannot together find out this mysterious thing....She thus conveys the right impression that only a little about the intricate life of plants and animals is yet known; and at the same time she makes her pupils feel the thrill and zest of investigation. Nor will she lose their respect by doing this, if she does it in the right spirit.....The chief charm of nature study would be taken away if it did not lead us through the border-land of knowledge into the realm of the undiscovered."
Handbook of Nature Study, page 3-4

Here is the view from my spot alongside the river. We had the whole place to ourselves except for the occasional bird flying overhead. We had seen bear tracks alongside this river at this spot last winter but there were none to be seen this time. Where is the bear now we wondered? Watching us?


This discovery made us stop and ponder over the creatures that live all around us that we never see. There was a tree down on the forest floor and someone or something had peeled back part of the bark to expose these interesting marks left by some insect drilling a pathway under the original bark. I have no idea what kind of insect but I would love to know. :)

I know we are not officially studying flowerless plants yet but these two were just too awesome to wait to share with you.

The milky white growth caught our attention as we hiked through the trees and enjoyed the quiet of the trail. It is amazing what you will find when you try to focus on one aspect of nature. We were all about the flowerless plants on this particular hike. I counted my photos just now and we found fifteen non-flowering plants on this afternoon. Incredible.

Here is another view of the one above.

I wish I knew what it was so I could share but I have very limited knowledge of non-flowering plants and I do not have a very good field guide. I am going to pop over to Amazon.com later and see what I can find to have on hand and to carry in my day pack. It is always nice to put a name to something you discover.


This mushroom looked like it had icicles hanging along the edges...like dainty lace. When you get this close to a mushroom and you really examine it enough to try to break down what it truly looks like, you begin to appreciate that each one has its one character and charm.

I hope you are all looking forward to a focus on non-flowering plants over the next few weeks. Start to search your yards and as you go throughout your daily activities to see if you can't find some to look at for yourself up close.

Lately, nature study has been more about questions than answers.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Watching New Ferns Unfolding: Yosemite

This past weekend we took a hike at Yosemite National Park. The ferns were all coming to life and unrolling their new growth. I found the soft greens a delight for the eyes.

"All of the parts of the frond of a fern are tightly folded spirally within the bud and every fold of every leaflet is also folded in a spiral. But the first glance at one of these little woolly spirals gives us but small conception of its marvelous enfolding. Every part of the frond is present in that bud, even to the fruiting organs..."
Handbook of Nature Study, page 698 in the section "How a Fern Bud Unfolds"

Here is a look at what the fern looks like after it unfolds. Beautiful.



Barb-Harmony Art Mom