A fun, simple tutorial for making mud pies and mud ball critters, inspired by a Martin & Sylvia adventure in the "Nature School" collection.

This week we've gathered all the accompanying crafts and recipes that go along with the first four stories from Martin & Sylvia's Nature School.

We are joined by Sparkle contributor Rachel Wolf, writer of the lovely blog "Clean." She shares with us her tutorial for making homemade fire starters.

One of the easiest ways to get started gardening is by planting seeds. It's fun and easy to do with children of all ages. Like Sylvia and Sofia, you don't need any fancy materials; you can simply use an egg carton, some seedling soil, and your choice of seeds.

These autumn nature bracelets are so simple the impact can be deceiving, but they are tons of fun. Mom and Dad, you will not be able to resist making one of your own!

We are joined by Monique of Green Acorns who teaches us how to idenitfy and map bird calls.

Joy is yours! Sometimes it just needs a little reminding. Time for a family craft, using all your favorite creative supplies.

In the *Martin & Sylvia* story, "Signs of Spring," Sylvia loves to color eggs – she loves to make the dyes, draw designs, and soak white eggs in the colors. Natural dyes are fun and easy to make with just few ingredients you can find right in your kitchen.

This week's craft is a good example of making do and mending. It uses something you might throw away — an old pair of socks — and makes it into a new toy for a child.

This dragon megaphone takes just a few minutes to put together with materials you probably already have. Make one up and keep it on hand for the next time someone in your house really needs to let out a good ROAR!