Syrup anyone?

  We have three huge trees in our back yard.

They provide awesome shade!   Yesterday they provided an avenue for imagination and learning.


 Now I can't say I know exactly when or how the idea came to be.  I looked over to find two of the kids pushing a broom into the side of the tree. 

 My first thought is that they should not be doing this and I started to make my way over towards them.    Before I intervened I listened to the conversation between Big "A" and "D."  Big "A" was explaining to "D" that they were making a hole in the tree to get to the sap. From the sap they would make syrup and then sell it in the front yard. (Who needs a lemonade when you can get fresh syrup? :) )  

They hung a bucket under the hole to catch the sap. 

Later they nailed a piece of wood so the sap would run down into the bucket.

The gathered containers to hold the sap.

As they are working on it they were discussing how to make the sap into syrup.  One girl, "A", told them they would have to add sugar to it.  Big A said you had to boil it for a minute.

When "D's" mom arrived Big "A" told her what they were doing. She asked what kind of tree it was.  They decided it wasn't maple. After further discussion they decided it was an Oak tree and they were making Oak syrup.

I told them I didn't think it was an Oak tree.  "A" asked me to Google on my phone to find out what kind of tree it was. We are pretty sure it is a Linden tree.  So then they wondered if syrup can be made from the sap of a Linden tree.  We learned that the flowers from the Linden tree are used to make a syrup. We couldn't find anything about tapping the tree to use the sap for syrup.

Our day came to an end but the boys didn't get to sell syrup as they hoped.  They enjoyed trying and experimenting as they tried to complete their plan.  Everyone learned a little something about trees and sap as well.