10,000 Years Old?

Or 10,000 Days Old? 

Here I am if I was in my Hunter-Gatherer Era. 

At some point when you're 27, you reach 10,000 days on this earth. I discovered this concept back when I was teaching at 18 years old. I didn't want my students going home and sharing how young I was for fear their parents would judge (ah, the naviety of youth thinking they couldn't tell!) so I devised the genius plan to tell my students my age in days rather than years. 

It's a simple Google search of "How Many Days Since [Date of Birth]"

How many days old are you?

Here's a multi-step activity for perfect for preschool and lower elementary.

First, we'll take a nature walk through the woods surrounding our cabin. We'll gather whatever elements of nature strike our hearts, like leaves, twigs, etc. We'll be sure to return whatever is suitable back to the environment when we're finished.

Second, we'll take a palm-sized amount of Air-Dry Clay (Amazon) and press the leaves deep enough to make an imprint. 

After the clay dries, an adult can hide the "fossils" throughout the site in locations that are challenging enough to be fun. You can also include tools like spray bottles and paint brushes to excavate the fossils. 

Make it a challenge and see who can collect the most of one type of leaf, or one type of twig, whatever category feels fun!