Dew Drops: Observing Nature

It rained this weekend. It felt refreshing to see how the rain changed our yard as we explored outside. Plants had seen such growth! Flowers seemed extra perky. The grass was just a tad more green. Oh... And there were dew drops.

As a child I loved dew drops. I would collect the rain that pooled on petals and leaves in jars and keep them on my shelf- dating the jar by the day I collected it. At Tumbleweed I often have the chance to share this love with the children. Today as CE and I discussed the rain fall and the changes in our garden, I noticed the dew drops on the smoke tree near us.

Melinda: Oh! Look at our smoke tree. Do you notice anything?

CE: Hey! The rain is on these leaves!

Melinda: I like to call those dew drops. Sometimes overnight water condenses and makes them. Other times rain catches on a petal or a leaf! I love how they look like bubbles.

CE: Oh, Melinda. The fairies made those!

We were both quiet as we studied the dew drops. Then CE asked, "Can we search for more?" I exuberantly agreed and we began looking to see where other drops had formed. We found them on the hula hoops ("You can see the colors through them! They are so colorful!"), on our bamboo ("These ones fall off if we shake it!"), and in so many other places. Before long, our duo had attracted a few other children and I silently slipped away as CE explained to the new recruits, "You see those water drops? Melinda calls them dew drops. She says it's the rain but I know it's the fairies."

I watched closely as each child took tieks touching the dew drops and asking CE questions. What happens if we poke it? What do they taste like? Can dew drops turn back into rain? Why can we see through it?