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Puddles' Craft Corner
Learn about nature while making a nature craft with Puddles!
Much more than detailed craft instructions, these activities include information about the creature being made, supply lists and pictures of every step!
By Cindy Steele (Bio)
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Nothing compares to the quality time experienced while completing a nature craft with a child.
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April Showers Bring May Flowers!
Have you ever heard the phrase, “April Showers Bring May Flowers”? Well, it’s true! Spring is the season for rain… lots and lots of rain, and these activities are sure to keep your kiddos engaged, even on the days that it’s too wet to go out and play! April is the perfect month to learn about the water cycle and what makes rain, so let’s learn a little bit about where our water comes from! Pour yourself a glass of water and take a sip. Did you know that the water you’ve just swallowed is the same water that animals and people have been drinking for years and years? That’s because the Earth has been recycling water for over four billion years! Water is the most common substance on Earth. It takes up over two thirds of our planet’s surface and it supports all life. Did you know? Water makes up almost two thirds of your body too! The amount of water on Earth is limited — a fixed supply! But… we use so much water every day. How have we not run out of water yet? That is thanks to what is called the ‘Water Cycle.’ The world’s water moves between lakes, rivers, oceans, the atmosphere, and the land in an ongoing cycle called – you guessed it! – the water cycle. As it goes through this continuous system, it can be a liquid (water), a gas (vapor) or a solid (ice). So, are all you budding young scientists ready to learn some splashing new facts? Then join Puddles as we take a look at the different stages of the wonderful water cycle… The water cycle is made up of four parts: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection. Let’s see what these four parts are. Evaporation Energy from the sun heats up the surface of the Earth, causing the temperature of the water in our rivers, lakes, and oceans to rise. When this happens, some of the water “evaporates” into the air, turning into a gas called “vapor “. Plants and trees also lose water to the atmosphere through their leaves. This process is known as “transpiration “.
Condensation As water vapor rises up high into the sky, it cools and turns back into a liquid, forming clouds. This process is called “condensation “. Currents high up in the air move these clouds around the globe. Precipitation When too much water has condensed, the water droplets in the clouds become too big and heavy for the air to hold them. And so, they...
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Shades of Green!
Welcome back to Puddles’ Craft Corner. It’s March and spring is about to burst out all around us! Spring officially begins on March 20, but signs of spring start earlier in the month in our area. It seems like everyone, young and old, gets a little bit excited once we start to see grass turning bright green, early spring flowers starting to bloom, and the trees unfurling their vibrant delicate new leaves. Let’s learn a little bit about why plants are green and how this helps them grow!
To answer this question, we have to back up a bit to understand how plants get food and how they grow. What do we need to grow, and jump, and run, and think? We need energy! And we get this energy from the food that we eat. In the spring especially, we wonder…plants grow too, but have we ever seen a plant eat anything? Probably not! In that case, where do they get their energy? The answer to this question is a little bit amazing! Plants make their own food! That’s right, you heard it correctly…plants make their own food!! They do this through a fantastic process called photosynthesis. What does this have to do with the green color in plants? Let’s find out. What is Photosynthesis?
Photosynthesis is a fancy scientific word, but it’s really pretty simple. Photo means “light” and synthesis means “to make,” so photosynthesis just means...
Lesson and Full Instructions
The Great Backyard Bird Count - 2025 By Cindy Steele 
Welcome back to Puddles’ Craft Corner! It is time for the yearly Great Backyard Bird Count! What is that, you ask? The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is a free, fun, and easy event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of bird populations. Participants are asked to count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the four-day event and report their sightings online at birdcount.org. Anyone can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, from beginning bird watchers to experts and any age bird watchers. The best part is that you can participate from your own backyard, or anywhere in the world.
When is this event held in 2025? The 28th annual GBBC will be held Friday, February 14 through Monday, February 17 2025. This global activity is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the National Audubon Society, Birds of Canada, and partially by Wild Birds Unlimited. For any additional information, visit the official website at birdcount.org for more information.
Here are ten tips for making the most of the Great Backyard Bird Count this year!
1. Know Why Counting Birds is Valuable.- The Great Backyard Bird Count is a citizen science project which generates data that can be collected by a lone individual or research group. It’s a huge coalition of individuals dedicated to learning more about our feathered friends. Here are a few more tidbits about the Great Backyard Bird Count:
- The Great Backyard Bird Count is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society.
- The event is four days long.
- Participants count birds for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the four-day event.
- Counts are reported to birdcount.org, the go-to site for more information!
2. Count in a Location That’s Comfortable, Easy to Access, and Likely to Have Birds.
You don’t have to travel far to participate. Your very own front or backyard are fabulous places to count birds. It’s fun to gather around the table or the window and watch birds at feeders in the yard! If your backyard doesn’t offer easy access to birds, consider alternatives. Just... Lesson and Full Instructions
Sensational Snowflakes!
Welcome back to Puddles’ Craft Corner. It’s January! It’s that time when we think about the cold weather, and that means thinking about things like building snowmen, snowball fights, snow angels…in other words – SNOW! Here in the North Texas/Southern Oklahoma area we usually don’t see snow until January or February, if we even see snow at all. We might be making paper snowflakes at school or at home, dreaming of waking up to a snowy wonderland.
When we do get snow, it’s a magical experience…especially out at Hagerman NWR. If you happen to be out at the refuge during or after a snow, the whole refuge takes on a different sound and look and the animals are out in abundance enjoying the cold. Since most kids in January are dreaming of snow…and snow days off from school, let’s learn a little bit about snow before we dig into a fun craft.
How Are Snowflakes Formed?
To understand how snow forms, we have to know a little bit about why it rains. When water becomes warm, it evaporates as water vapor into the air, forming clouds. When it cools again above our heads the vapor turns back to water and rain falls back down to the ground. When it’s really cold, the water vapor freezes into crystals, usually around a particle of dust in the cloud. As this tiny particle of ice moves through the clouds, more water vapor freezes to it. Eventually, this process creates a snowflake that is heavy enough to fall from the clouds to the earth. If it’s cold and dry on the ground, the snow won’t melt. Instead, each flake of snow will land on top of the other, causing the snow to build and cover the ground. Did You Know That All Snowflakes Are Six-Pointed? Snowflakes are made up of many of these tiny frozen crystals. Usually, one of these snowflakes is made up of about 200 of these connected ice crystals. Snowflakes are made up of six sides and six points. Because of the way they stick together, the frozen droplets make a shape with six sides. Each one of these six-sided shapes is called a snow crystal. As more and more droplets stick to the snow crystal, they start sticking to the...
Lesson and Full Instructions
Honk, Honk: Geese at the Refuge!
Welcome back to Puddles’ Craft Corner. Honk, Honk! It’s that time of year that we hear the sounds of thousands of migrating geese descending on Hagerman Wildlife Refuge! It’s quite a sight to see! If you visit the refuge this month, you could easily see fields of thousands of geese enjoying their winter meal.
The arrival of our winter visitors has been described as geese, “descending like a prairie blizzard.” The sound of their honk, honk, honking is almost deafening.
There are several species of geese who habitate the refuge during the winter months. Canada geese, snow geese, white-fronted geese, and Ross' geese use the refuge as stop-over and wintering grounds. Migratory birds by the thousands take up winter quarters at the refuge or refuel for long journeys. At times, as many as 10,000 geese can be seen in one field. 
The geese that arrive at the refuge are traveling along the central flyway. These geese travel as far as 2,500 miles south in the fall and then travel another 2,500 miles back North in the spring.
For the staff at Hagerman, preparing the 12,000-acre refuge for their visitors is a year-round job. The primary crop, winter wheat, is planted in late summer and September. This grain...
Lesson and Full Instructions
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Animals…Masters of Disguise!
Welcome back to Puddles’ Craft Corner! Have you ever been exploring in the woods or walking around your backyard and reached down to pick up a leaf and realize that it’s not a leaf at all…it’s alive!? Animals have amazing ways of making themselves almost invisible. This ability is one of their best ways to protect themselves from predators and danger. Let’s learn all the fantastic ways animals truly are the “Masters of Disguise!”
In nature, every advantage increases an animal's chances of survival, and therefore its chances of having babies. Because of this, animal species have developed a number of special adaptations that help them find food and keep them from becoming food. One of the most common adaptations is natural camouflage, an animal's ability to hide itself from predator and prey.
In this article, we'll see how animals blend in with their environment so that others might overlook them. We'll look at a few clever hiders who can change their camouflage with a change in their surroundings. In addition to these expert hiders, we'll look at some animals who don't hide at all but throw predators off by disguising themselves as something dangerous or uninteresting. What Exactly Is Animal Camouflage?
There are four basic types of camouflage: concealing coloration, disruptive coloration...
Lesson and Full Instructions
We’re Going Batty!
Welcome back to Puddles’ Craft Corner. Are you afraid of bats? Well, did you know that bats are afraid of you? These amazing mammals have long been misunderstood! In fact, bats actually help the environment and people by eating tons of flying insects that destroy crops and spread diseases. Bats also pollinate night flowers, such as cactus, and help spread seeds to create new fruit trees. They’re mysterious, nocturnal hunters who have captured our imaginations for centuries. Imagine you're outside when it's getting dark, and a shadowy creature flies past you. At first, you might think it's a bird, but then you realize it's actually a bat! You don't have to be afraid, though. That bat is likely trying to find insects to eat. It doesn't want to hurt you. In this lesson we'll uncover interesting facts and features about these unique animals.
What is a Bat?
Did you know that a bat is a mammal? A mammal is a type of animal that has fur or hair on its body and feeds its babies milk when born. Bats are special because they are the only mammals that can truly fly. A bat's body is covered head to toe in fur. Many bats look like mice with wings! Bats are able to fly because their front limbs are actually webbed. The webbing is a layer of skin that creates a wing that is very thin but strong. No other mammals have this unusual feature. Bats have sharp teeth, but hardly ever use them for biting people or attacking animals. Out of over a thousand varied species of bats, only three types are truly vampire...
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Let’s Rock and Roll! 
Kids
naturally love rocks. Large, small, shiny, or rough, they are
fascinating to young minds eager to absorb as much of the world as
possible. Scientists have some of the coolest jobs on earth. They spend
all their days studying and researching many subjects, helping us better
understand the planet we live on. Some scientists study space, while
others learn all they can about old artifacts to display in museums.
Other scientists do research outside, exploring the earth to learn more
about the field they specialize in. One of these scientific fields is
geology.
What Is Geology?
Geology
is the study of the earth, ground, and rocks. The word geology comes
from two smaller root words: geo meaning “earth” and –ology meaning “the
study of.” Geology is about more than just rocks. Geology is the study
of our planet, precious gemstones like diamonds and rubies, and the
layers of the earth that we live on.
What Is a Geologist?
A
geologist is a scientist that studies geology. What do you think a
geologist looks like? Do you imagine an old scientist with huge glasses
and crazy hair locked up in a lab? Does he/she spend his days dusting
off rocks and looking at them under a microscope? If this is what you
pictured, you’re not totally wrong—but you’re also not completely
correct. Some geologists do spend their time in a lab, but this isn’t
always the case. Many geologists go out on...
Lesson and Full Instructions
What is a Butterfly Puddler? 
We know butterflies need nectar to survive and hosts plants to lay their egg on, but did you know that a butterfly puddler is something that can help them stay healthy, too? And…it’s something that you can easily make for them.
Butterflies are some of the most beautiful pollinators in the world. Even though they appear to be extremely delicate, in reality, they are very tough. Besides gracing us with their beauty, they also provide a very important job in the world of pollinators.
A female butterfly will release pheromones into the air to attract a male to her. They mate and then she will lay eggs on a host plant. The eggs hatch and the caterpillars (larvae) eat the host plant voraciously until they go through five instars to become a chrysalis. Out of the chrysalis in about ten days, the adult butterfly emerges. It has six legs and two antennae which are used in finding flowers to drink nectar from or laying eggs on host plants for next year’s larvae.
The butterfly body consists of three body parts with many subparts attached. The three parts are the head, thorax, and abdomen.
Found at the top of the head are the antennae. These are sensory organs which detect chemicals in the air - to help the butterfly find food, or a mate. Just like other insects, butterflies have compound eyes which are made up of lots of tiny lenses. They can detect light and dark and color, and they are able to detect movement in many directions at once. The mouth parts of the butterfly enable them to feed. They feed on nectar using a long, drinking straw like...
Lesson and Full Instructions
Sunflowers…Summer’s Sunny Stars!
When we think about sunflowers, we think about warm and sunny summer days.
The sunflower is a bright, beautiful, and bold flower which has inspired some amazing pieces of art, poems, and stories through the years. Those beautiful bright yellow flowers are enough to brighten your day. They bring up thoughts of long lazy summer days that stretch out from early dawn to late dusk, swimming, fireflies, and the sounds of the ever- present summer cicadas. Sunflowers are the unofficial symbol of summer!
History of Sunflowers
Sunflowers aren’t just beautiful flowers, they’re useful plants that have been used for healing, food, and oil for thousands of years.
Sunflowers are believed to have been grown by American Indians in Arizona and New Mexico about 3000 BC. They were used in many ways – the seed was ground or pounded into flour for cakes and bread or cracked and eaten for a snack, the meal was mixed with other vegetables such as beans, squash and corn and the oil was squeezed from the seed and used in bread making too. Non-food uses include dye for textiles and body painting. Some parts of the plant were used for medicinal purposes including treating snakebite, the oil of the seed was used on the skin and hair and the dried stalk was used as a building material.
Sunflowers were taken to Europe by Spanish explorers around 1500 and the plant became widespread throughout Western Europe, for ornamental and medicinal purposes. In the 18th century sunflowers became popular in Russia too. This is mostly credited to Peter the Great, but the Russian Orthodox Church also played a part by forbidding most oil foods from being consumed during Lent. As sunflowers were not on the prohibited list, they became popular as a food. red and almost black being called the Russian Giant.
By the early 19th century, Russian farmers were growing over two million acres of sunflowers and by the late 19th century, Russian sunflower seed found its way to the USA. Today...
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Ladybugs!
Legend has it that seeing or catching a ladybug is a sign of good luck! If you ever come across this peaceful insect, you can gently catch it but then make a wish and let it go. But, even if you do believe in this tale, you don’t want to bring this insect inside your home or any building, as they can multiply or reproduce and overtake structures. It’s fun to go on a flower safari…looking and taking pictures of beautiful flowers and hunting for bugs like ladybugs but be aware of private land. Don’t walk on private property and don’t pick flowers on private land.
Ladybugs are not just delightful and charming garden residents! They are also nature's tiny guardians, silently working to protect your plants from harmful pests. Also known as ladybirds or lady beetles, ladybugs are predators with a mighty appetite for plant-eating insects. Their favorite snacks are aphids, mealybugs, mites, and scale insects - all common pests that can wreak havoc in your garden!
There are about 5,000 different species of ladybugs in the world. They come in many different colors and patterns, but the most familiar in the US is the seven-spot ladybird, which has a shiny, red-and-black body. Most people like ladybugs because they are pretty, graceful, and harmless to humans. But farmers love them because they eat aphids and other plant...
Lesson and Full Instructions 
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How to Press & Dry Flowers in Three Minutes! 
It’s that time of year to celebrate our home – the Earth! We live on this great big, wonderful planet, so it’s time to celebrate our home and think about ways to keep the Earth healthy and happy! Earth Day is celebrated each year in April. This year’s Earth Day celebration will be on Monday, April 22, 2024.
Our planet is a wonderful place to live, but it needs our help to thrive! That’s why each year on April 22, more than a billion people celebrate Earth Day to protect the planet from things like pollution and deforestation. By taking part in activities like picking up litter and planting trees, we’re making our world a happier, healthier place to live.
Earth Day is a great time to think about all the ways the Earth takes care of us and think of ways that we can take care of it! From the soil that helps to grow the food we eat to the water and air that give us life, we have so much to thank Mother Earth for. Earth Day is a good opportunity to get back in touch with nature and give back in ways that make the Earth a better place for all of us to live.
Celebrating Earth Day With Kids
Getting kids involved in taking care of the planet when they’re young encourages them to continue these habits as they grow older. It’s important to teach kids to be good stewards of the Earth and encourages them to love and respect their planet and nature. There are so many fun and engaging ways you can celebrate Earth Day with kids and family while being conscious of taking care of it and making it a safe and wonderful place to live! Here are some great ideas to do with kids and the family!
1. Go On A Nature Scavenger Hunt
It’s always fun to go on a nature hike and it’s even more fun to make the hike a scavenger hunt! Make a list of natural things that you want to hunt for while going on your hike. You can find lots of nature scavenger hunt ideas and forms online. There are also... Lesson and Full Instructions
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