Happy Birthday FUNKY FUNGI

Two important things are happening this week. It’s Pollinator Week – and that means I’ll be posting photos of pollinators and otherwise celebrating them all week long!

And secondly – it’s a Book Birthday! That’s right, tomorrow Funky Fungi hits the shelves of a bookstore near you. To celebrate, we’re having a Blog Book Birthday Party with cake and party favors, and even a song. It being a blog, you'll have to bake-and-make your own... so gather your art supplies and join in the celebration!  

First, grab a cupcake. They look like yummy mushrooms, right? That’s because I over-filled the cupcake papers so the tops spilled over. Then I poked white chips into the frosting. (you’ll have to bake your own)

I was going to set up a game of pin-the-spots-on-the-mushroom, but I dropped the bowl of spots and they’re all over the floor. So how about a rousing round of the mushroom song instead? 

Mushroom Song (Sung to: Down by the Station)

Out in the front yard just above the garden,

See the little mushrooms standing in a row.

Down comes the rain and up sprout the fungi,

Each by itself but connected down below.

Party Favor Time!

If you’ve got some plain colored cupcake liners, craft sticks, glue, white paint and a paint brush or Q-tip, you can make a collection of mushroom fans. Here’s how.

You can download this free mushroom coloring sheet here.

And if you like glitter globes, here’s how you can make one. All you need is a jar with a lid, a waterproof mushroom toy, some glitter, and some waterproof glue. 

Remember to check out our Funky Fungus Fridays over at my author Facebook page, and Alisha’s #FungiFriday posts on Twitter

Funky Fungi, 30 Activities for Exploring Molds, Mushrooms, Lichens, and More is part of the part of the Chicago Review Press “Young Naturalists” series. Look for a copy at your favorite bookstore.