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Getting Families Outside, One Adventure at a Time

Month: March 2019

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Fun with Fungi: Grow Your Own Mushrooms
- March 22, 2019
Today’s post is a fun one! Kari from rewildhood.com is back, sharing her family’s adventures with fungi. From finding wild mushrooms in the forest to growing your own mushrooms at home, this post is filled with fun ways to incorporate fungi and mushrooms into your nature study and kitchen!

Fungi fanatics

The kids and I have been really focused on mushrooms this year, heck we’re practically fungus fanatics by now. Mushrooms have been popping up all over our wet forests since late fall and have really enchanted the kids. It’s safe to say we’ve been hit by the fungus bug hard this year. The world of fungi is so captivating and there is so much to learn about these magical forest dwellers.

Fungi fun facts

The more we see mushrooms, the more interested the kids are in them. This has led us to discover some fun facts about mushrooms. Here are a few things the kids and I found interesting and fun about mushrooms.
- Mushrooms are a fungus, and unlike plants, mushrooms do not require sunlight to make energy for themselves.
- The mushroom is a very nutritious food. Differing species can be a good source of vitamin B along with essential minerals such as copper and potassium.
- Mushrooms can be useful for antibacterial, anti-inflammatories and antioxidants. While also helping to reduce blood pressure, moderate blood sugar, reduce cholesterol, enhance the immune system, reduce stress and help in fighting many types of cancer.
- Mushrooms are made up of around 90% water.
- A “mycophagist” is a person who collects mushrooms to eat from the wild.
- There are a few mushroom varieties found in the wild that are highly poisonous. A number of these look like common edible species, therefore it can be risky collecting wild mushrooms without good knowledge for identifying mushrooms.
- There are over 30 species of mushroom that actually glow in the dark! The chemical reaction called bioluminescence produces a glowing light known as foxfire. People have been known to use these fungi to light their way through the woods.
Mushroom dissection

In order to maximize our mushroom experience, I started looking for some kid-friendly mushroom activities that would allow for hands-on experience. Our first activity involved going to the grocery store and loading up on several of the “chef samplers” mushroom packs. We took the packs home for study and eventually ended up dissecting the mushrooms, which was really fun! We studied the structure of the mushroom and its parts, including the stem, cap and gills. However, this activity was short lived and extremely messy. I’m still cleaning up mushroom particles off the floor!

Grow your own mushrooms

After some research, I purchased one of the Back to the Roots Mushroom Kits thinking it would be really fun to watch mushrooms grow on our window sill. The kit was really simple to set up and straightforward. It came with a bag of organic substrate, an instruction card, a mini spray bottle and a box which serves as the mushroom’s home while it grows.

The substrate is made of upcycled agricultural materials like sawdust, wheat bran, and corn cobs. It’s specially formulated to maximize growth and is 100% organic. The spawn from which the mushrooms will grow is already inside of the substrate bag. They lay dormant until you cut open the bag and water the substrate – that’s what kickstarts their growth!

About the growing process

The kit we purchased was for oyster mushrooms. These mushrooms are commonly found in Europe and Asia. They’re used in a variety of cuisines for their velvety texture, smooth taste, and dense nutrient content. Mushrooms are each unique and grow in such a way that it is very hard to predict exactly how many mushrooms you’ll grow and harvest. However, the company that makes the kits guarantees you will have 1-2 servings of mushrooms from each of two harvests.

Watch them grow

The instructions say that the mushrooms will grow in about 12 days. The main factors affecting mushroom growth are humidity and temperature. If you live in an arid or dry climate, your mushrooms may need more frequent waterings or you could place a humidifier in the room. In addition, they grow best when the temperature’s between 65-68 °F (18-20 °C). If it is a tad cooler or warmer, they will grow more slowly, as the temperature affects how much water is absorbed by the mushrooms.

Get the kids involved

I love that the kids can participate in all the steps of preparing, growing and harvesting the mushrooms. From the beginning, they were really excited about the process and all wanted to be involved in each of the steps. The first few days were rather quiet with zero observable activity. The kids took their job of keeping the mushrooms damp very seriously (after all, it did involve a spray bottle!). After about day 5 we saw the tiniest mushroom babies starting to poke through and boy were we excited!

Fun with fungi

The mushrooms grew extremely fast. I’m fairly certain they doubled in size a few days out of their growing season. Once they’re ready, you can harvest them, cook them and eat them! You should be able to get two harvests from one kit. It’s fun that never ends. The kids really loved taking care of their little mushrooms and I’m eager to grow a few more types of mushrooms in the future. In fact, once I conquer the box mushrooms I may try my hand at actually growing mushrooms outside.

If you’re looking for a fun and exciting mushroom activity, this box might just be the perfect way to learn about the mushroom’s exciting life cycle.

Kari is a mom of three little explorers who love adventuring in the ocean, forests and mountains of Oregon (along with a wiener dog). She can be found on Instagram at @rewildhood and on her website – http://www.rewildhood.com – where she writes about her family’s unschooling adventures in the Pacific Northwest.
INFORMATION, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Sensory Processing Disorder & How to Incorporate Nature into Therapy
- March 6, 2019
We all know that nature is good for our children’s minds, bodies and well-being. But what about those children that have a hard time processing natural occurrences like raindrops, birdsongs or the feel of grass under their feet? Sensory processing disorder is a common symptom of autism, however, most children with sensory issues are not on the spectrum.

Today, I am beyond honored to bring you a post on how to incorporate nature and the outdoors into therapy for children with sensory processing disorder. Katharine Vogel is a professional photographer and mom of a child with sensory processing disorder. She’s here sharing all kinds of simple ways that you can use outdoor activities and nature in sensory integration therapy to help your child process the natural world around them. She has such a beautiful story, with wonderful suggestions and I know this will be so incredibly helpful to a lot of parents.

Seeing the signs of sensitivity

Our son Jase was between the age of 2 and 3 years old when we noticed that he was different compared to other children of his age group. He had strange sensitivities to touch, sounds, smells and wet textures. Getting the slightest bit of water on the sleeve of his shirt or raindrops on his shoes resulted in a total meltdown. He didn’t enjoy playing in the snow, running through puddles, or making artwork with finger paints. He was uncomfortable getting into a sandbox because the texture of sand was too gritty on his skin. A trip to a public bathroom required earmuffs to mute out the sounds of a flushing toilet and automatic hand dryers.

Jase absolutely couldn’t handle any sensory overloads and often cried out in fear. We were so torn in trying to understand why he was so overreactive and overstimulated with his senses. We decided it was best to get him evaluated and see if there was some way we could help him get comfortable with his senses. In May of 2018, Jase was diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder.

Sensory Processing Disorder

By definition, Sensory Processing Disorder (“SPD”) is a neurophysiologic condition in which sensory input (either from the environment or from one’s body) is poorly detected, modulated, or interpreted and/or to which atypical responses are observed. In other words, individuals with SPD are oversensitive to things affecting the senses, which can be quite painful or overwhelming for them. Certain sounds, sights, smells, textures and tastes can create a feeling of “sensory overload.” Bright or flickering lights, loud noises, certain textures of food and scratchy clothing are just some of the triggers that can make kids feel overwhelmed and upset.

There are two types of sensory processing challenges, and many kids experience a mix of the two. One is oversensitivity (hypersensitivity). This leads to sensory avoiding—kids avoid sensory input because it’s too overwhelming. The other is undersensitivity (hyposensitivity). This causes kids to be sensory seeking—they look for more sensory stimulation.

Sensory integration therapy

It was recommended that Jase undergo sensory integration therapy to retrain and help rewire his senses. Sensory integration therapy aims to help kids with sensory processing issues by exposing them to sensory stimulation in a structured, repetitive way. The theory behind it is that over time, the brain will adapt and allow kids to process and react to sensations more efficiently. The therapy is usually sensory specific, with focus on noise sensitivity, tactile sensitivity, taste sensitivity and visual sensitivity. It also includes things like balance treatments, movement therapy and carefully designed and tailored physical activities.

Incorporating nature into therapy

Jase has been seeing an occupational therapist for sensory integration therapy for a few months now with great success! At home, we incorporate sensory therapy in many different ways. One of our favorite ways to do this is by exploring the great outdoors! This is a wonderful way to get the senses in tune with surroundings.

Below, I’ve listed some creative ideas that correspond to different sensory inputs. These are some of our favorite ways to get Jase in tune with his senses by using the beauty of nature! Each of these activities is a natural way that you can use nature and the outdoors to help a child with SPD process the world around them.

Sight
1. Skygazing and stargazing – carry a pair of binoculars or visit a park with a viewfinder. Point out the shapes of clouds or look for any constellations!
2. Identify plants, fruits, fungi, and animals – during the right time of year, be on the lookout for cicada exoskeletons and butterfly chrysalises!
3. Notice the changes in seasons with leaves – have your child point out and identify all the different colors.
4. Look for birds and insects – catch and release fireflies if they’re available or watch butterflies flit and float around the sky.
5. Watching the changes in weather such as rain or snowfall – we often do this on our front porch or through the window to avoid any sensory overload. Talk about why it snows and why it rains.
6. Go outside during sunrise or sunset – identify the changing colors of the sky and the differences between night and day.
Touch
1. Discover fallen nests from trees – encourage your child to feel the texture and special markings!
2. Find puddles after a rainstorm – identify the temperature of the water, the depth and the clarity. Have fun making splashes with your hands and feet!
3. Find various sizes of rocks, pinecones, sticks, or leaves – feel the differences in the textures between them. Categorize them from small to large or (proprioceptive sense) throw them into a pond or lake!
4. Go visit your local orchard or berry farm – pick strawberries or apples! Identify any smooth or rough textures.
5. Touch the snow – feel the cold of snow, frost and icicles.
6. Pick and identify different types of flowers – feel the petals, the leaves and any thorns.
Vestibular
1. Run, walk, or ride a bike through a park or on a trail. Have your child push their bike up a hill.
2. Climb a tree or climb at a playground.
3. Go swing on a swing set!
4. Walk and balance on large logs or large rocks.
5. Throw rocks and sticks in the water!
Smell
1. Smell the flowers – compare the smells of different species.
2. At the grocery store or farmer’s market, smell the fruit and identify what they are.
3. Smell the fresh air.
4. Smell the rain – talk about why rain has a distinct smell.
Hearing
1. Take a walk and listen to the wind rattling the leaves.
2. Listen for birds and other animals – try to identify what they are just by their call or song.
3. Listen to water – throw rocks and listen to splashes in the water or sit by a running creek and listen to it babble.
4. During the right time of year, listen to cicadae in the trees!
Tips for parents

While these activities will give you a great start for incorporating nature and the outdoors into your therapy, there are some tips for parents who have children or know children with SPD that you should always remember. First, be mindful of areas and parks that tend to have a lot of noise or are prone to being muddy or wet. It can create a sensory overload and often results in meltdowns. Research the area beforehand to determine if it’s a good fit for your child’s sensory issues. Bring 2 extra pairs of clothing with you, just in case clothing gets wet or dirty. Plus, bring an extra pair of shoes and a pair of earmuffs or headphones to ensure your child is comfortable.

Second, let your child lead and explore on their own terms. If they become overwhelmed, find another place to explore. Be open and flexible to any sudden change of plans. Make the outdoors fun and inviting for your kids with SPD!

Katharine Vogel is a natural light portrait photographer living the rural life out in Iowa. She is a photography graduate and a Click Pro member through Click & Company. She is married to her high school sweetheart, Charlie, and together they have one amazing son, Jase. On her free time, she documents her son’s progression and challenges with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Sensory Processing Disorder through the art of photography. She shares his story on her Instagram account.

Website: http://www.kvphotographer.com

Instagram: @katharinevogel

Facebook: @katharinevogelphotographer