I am still fascinated by the art of Andy Goldsworthy and it's relationship to nature and art (See March 12, 2009 entry about spirals). Just as children are intrigued by spirals, they also like cones. Andy Goldsworthy has made cones of various materials all over the world. Did you know that there are all kinds of cones throughout the natural world? There are dozens of varieties of pine cones, of course, but also cone flowers, pineapples, and artichokes, to name a few. Cones are forms by scales or petals that are arranged in a spiral formation known as a Fibonacci number sequence. You can study all kinds of cones with young children by making a collection and setting it out on the science table. Have a children's field guide to trees, as well as photographs or real examples of other types of cones mentioned above. How are the cones the same? How are they different? What are they made of? What is inside of them? Do any animals eat them? Why are some cones long and thin, and others short and fat?
Resources about Pine Cones
From Pine Cone to Pine Tree (Scholastic News Nonfiction Readers: How Things Grow), by Ellen Weiss, 2007. Children's Press. This is a great book about pine cones , and one of an interesting series for children.
Pine Trees (Rookie Read-About Science) by Allan Fowler, 2002, Children's Press. This book includes different types of pine trees as well as the parts of the trees, including the cones.
There are thousands of photographs of pine cones and other types of cones in nature in Google Images. Children can paint cones, paint on cones, and create cones with clay. Many nature books for children include ideas for pine cone activities.
