Scavenger Hunt Hike

Our first hike of the summer!  And this wasn't just any hike, it was a Scavenger Hunt Hike.  I made a list of items for the kids to find (3 different kind of tree leaves, 2 insects, a tree root, pink flower, etc.) to give a little more purpose and direction to the hike.

                         

The kids were quite observant, stopping frequently to ask questions and give commentary on what they found.  For example, when Dan came across this plant with drooping leaves he announced, "This plant is sad."

Mikea noticed the holes in the leaves of another plant and when I asked what she thought made the holes,  she explained, "A cata-pitter."

Joe discovered sinewy tree roots criss-crossing our path.  Very cool!

And Adrian got to pose with the amazing heart rock we found!

All of the kids had lots of great questions about this fallen tree.

Then Dad showed them how to coax antlions out of their dens. 

Speaking of dens, Daniel and Mikea discovered a small hole in this tree trunk, and began feverishly filing it with dry leaves because they were convinced a bear lived inside and they didn't want it to get out.

We didn't find everything on our list, but the fun was in the hunting.  Our biggest surprise was an armadillo who scurried across the road as we were leaving!  I'll have to add that to the list for next time.