There are endless ideas for what to do outside. Nature is the greatest source for creative activities, a true source of inspiration. Here is a beginning of a list including outdoor activities to stimulate creativity. While some of us live in the city and others may be surrounded by nature, there are always ways to incorporate the outdoors into your everyday routine. Nature is all around us, starting with your planters, zooming out to your back yard, the street you live on, your city, and the wild. I have included activities for all these environments.
This is a preliminary list; please share some of your experiences and ideas for nature activities in the comment section, this list can become a great resource with your comments.
Even though most of the activities I have listed require adult supervision, don’t forget to give your child space and quiet to explore things their way and make discoveries of their own.
1. Nature journal Keeping a nature journal is similar to keeping a sketch book; the difference is the focus on the content. In a nature journal kids can document their experiences and findings of nature in words, illustrations, photographs, rubbings, etc. keeping a nature journal helps with observing and noticing details.
web resource: family fun
books: Keeping a Nature Journal: Discover a Whole New Way of Seeing the World Around You
2. Camping In your back yard or out in the wilderness, camping is an incredible experience for kids and for most adults. It changes the perception of dwelling, promotes a better understanding of nature, and creates bonding with friends and families, imprinting ever lasting memories.
The problem with camping is packing and even worst – unpacking; there is no way around it. Once you have done it a couple of times it becomes much easier. Last summer we started camping more often. I ended up organizing all the camping equipment in large plastic bins; this helped with transporting, and possibly not forgetting some of the camping essentials (like marshmallow and flashlights). Camping with other families makes it even more fun.
web resource: back yard camping, US campgrounds reservation
books: Camp Out!: The Ultimate Kids' Guide
3. Plant a garden and maintain it. Planting, caring for a plant, watch it grow and possibly harvesting is very important for a child to see and do. No matter if your garden is as small as a pot, or as large as you can handle. I find that my kids like vegetable garden most, especially harvesting those delicious cherry tomatoes.
You can get ladybugs to add to your garden, they are naturally pesticides and bring good luck.
For a really easy grow, 100% success, place a sweet potato in a jar filled with water so half of the potato will be above water. Watch how the leaves sprout and the roots spread out. it doesn’t need direct sun but it drinks lots, make sure it doesn’t go dry and you will have a semi jungle in your house in no time.
Web resources: gardening with children, ladybugs as natural pesticide
Picture Books: Planting a Rainbow
4. Go hiking. Make sure you choose easy hikes for small feet.
Hikes with some interest such as creeks, boulders etc are a plus.
I have noticed when I tell Zoe we are going for a hike she gets all negative about it, but if I refer to it as Nature walk she is much exited, go figure…
I talk more about hiking with kids in “Getting them – those children of ours to love nature walks”
Web resources: American hiking society
books: Best Hikes With Children Series, Joy Of Hiking: Hiking The Trailmaster Way
5. A nature walk in your neighborhood, look at the different plants and possibly animals that live around you, take pictures, make drawings, take a clipboard with paper and some pencils and make a map of the walk mark the different nature elements you find on the way. nature walk in the city.
6. lie down on your back, look up at the sky, take some time to observe the sky above, try and find different shapes in the clouds during the day and look for falling stars at night.
Books: night sky
7. Invite birds to your backyard/ porch. Make a bird feeder and hang it in your yard/ porch. Watch the birds as they come and eat from the seeds. expend your knowledge by identifying the birds with a bird guide.
Web resource: How to make a bird feeder
books: Know Your Bird Sounds
8. Get muddy and dirty, let your kids get dirty and muddy, either gardening or on a hike.
9. Plant a butterfly garden
web resource: the butterfly site
10. Climb a tree, climbing trees builds confidence and strength; it allows one to view the world from a different height, therefore - different. Have your child draw what the world looks like from up the tree after climbing down. Make sure you spot them for safety.
Picture book: Up in the Tree by Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale)
11. Lie on a warm sandy beach, yes, including putting your head down on the send (try not to think of the struggle to wash their hair after). look up at the sky, watch the clouds. Take turns covering each other with send creating mermaids and more.
Sand angels and sandman (snowman made of sand) are fun too.
12. Go to the beach, (or send your husband to the beach with your kids, like I just did) Make sure you have lots of water, sunscreen and FOOD. something with the beach that trigger their appetite...Sand and water are great materials for constructing castles, tunnels, small villages, pretend birthday cakes etc. Explore the beach during the different seasons. look for sea life in the tide pools.
picture books: 2 of my favorite picture books (with no words, pictures only): Flotsam (Caldecott Medal Book)
13. Take a walk in the rain, DO NOT take an umbrella, jump in the puddles, feel the rain drops on your face. Make a drawing with markers (not the permanent kind), set drawing outside for a few minutes, let the rain finish the job.
14. Collect leaves, make rubbings of different leaves by placing them under a piece of paper, rub the paper with the side of a crayon; you may use the nature journal to record the types of leaves.
15. Go harvesting (this one is for all of us city people). Go and pick your own fruit and vegetable in a local ‘pick your own’ farm. They usually include a patting zoo and delicious fruit pies depending on the season. There is nothing that tastes as good as a freshly picked apple. When we lived in Boston we joined Zoe’s cousin to a local farm co-op. instead of going to the grocery store for veggies, we went to the co-op fields and picked our own produce. That was an interesting experience. The drive back always included picking up fresh eggs from the adjacent farm and saying 'HI' to the chickens.
16. Go for a walk in the moon light, especially on a full moon. Our favorite way of finishing the day is to take a walk down Euclid street to Montana ave. the girls are usually fed and bathed wearing their favorite pajamas. They get cozy with a blanket in the double stroller. We like listening to the sounds of the evening and always try and find the moon.
web resource: how to tell if a moon is waxing or waning (i have certainly learned 2 new words tonight)
picture book: Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me
17. Collecting, kids love collecting things on nature walks such as acorn, leaves, rocks etc. at home we have a bowl of things we found on our walks, it is usually on the table pretending to be a fruit bowl. The girls love to look at their treasures from nature again and again.
18. Love a tree - a creative workbook. one of the things I have been dreaming of is to plant a tree and watch it grow as my children do. In the mean time while I rent, I take notice of the trees in my neighborhood, watch how they transform between the seasons and change over time. trees are very special, I have designed a tree creativity workbook for children; it is available for you to download for free.
web resource: trees - creative workbook
19. Find a snail, or an inchworm, place some leaves in a shoe box, place snail or inchworm in it, watch them move. don't forget to draw them in your nature journal
20. Raise butterflies from egg, set them free in your butterfly garden, do it on your own or buy a kit
Looking forward to reading your comments
tali
