WILD CHILD I Spy: Fungi

Have you noticed all the interesting mushrooms popping up?  Have you tried to see how many different types you can find?

Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of the fungi organisms that live hidden around us.  The warm temperatures and frequent rains with high humidity can prompt a wide variety of colours and shapes of these interesting organisms to appear seemingly overnight.

On our walks I like to challenge my boys to see who can find the most types of mushrooms.  All of the colours and shapes make for quite the adventure and build our observation skills as we start to notice tiny coloured toadstools we previously missed.

It also gives me a chance to reinforce an important outdoor safety skill.  Many mushrooms are highly toxic.  While we look at mushrooms in the wild, we rarely touch, never eat, and always wash our hands.  Just like looking both ways before crossing the street, this skill helps keep children safe as they mature and are able to have more independence in their explorations.

Written by Tandy Morton, WILD CHILD Playgroup Facilitator