FALL

CRAFTS, FALL, HOLIDAYS, LESSONS, NATURE SCHOOL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, OUTDOORS INSIDE
Fun & Simple Halloween Activities for Kids
- October 17, 2019
If your kids are anything like mine, they automatically associate October with Halloween! I’m pretty sure they get their intense love for this holiday from their mama. It’s been my favorite holiday for as long as I can remember. The costumes, the cold dark nights, the glowing pumpkins! Or maybe it’s just all the candy? Either way, it’s a blast! Today, we’ve got mom and teacher extraordinaire, Brandi Markham here sharing 10 fun and simple Halloween activities for kids! These easy activities are a great way to engage their senses and guaranteed to get your kids in the Halloween spirit.

The most wonderful time of the year

The temperature is finally dropping in our neck of the woods and Fall is officially here! Since having children, Fall has easily become my favorite time of year. We love all things Fall – apple orchards, pumpkin patches, Halloween, cooler temperatures, colorful leaves and more. As a mother and a teacher, I love to create fun and simple Halloween activities for my kids to enjoy. Even better…they love it too! Today, I want to share a few fun and simple Halloween activities that you can do with your child, nieces, nephews, grandchildren or even your neighbor’s kids!

Fun and simple Halloween activities for kids

What do you think of when you think of Halloween? Spiders and ghosts and witches, oh my! These are some of our favorite spooky things, so of course, we need to include them in some fun Halloween sensory play. Read on if you want to wow your kids and have a little fun!

1. Shaving cream ghosts

Shaving cream ghosts are probably the most simple of these Halloween activities for kids, but one of the most loved. Prep for this activity is super easy. All you need is a can or two of shaving cream, some googly eyes and a tray. I have some cute plastic serving trays that I use for many of these activities.

For shaving cream ghosts, spray lots of shaving cream in the tray and toss in lots of different googly eyes of different sizes and colors. Have the kids put their hands in the shaving cream and come up with a ghost! The kids love the texture and the messiness of the shaving cream. It’s fun to see what kind of ghosts they create. For extra fun, you can add in little plastic spiders. Or use orange or green food coloring or liquid watercolor to make shaving cream pumpkins or Frankensteins.

2. Monster handprints

Monster handprints are another super simple and fun Halloween activity. For these, you need paper, paint, googly eyes, as well as glitter, glue, and stickers. Have your children make paint handprints on their paper. Then they can add googly eyes and stickers to create their own individual monsters. My kids used triangle stickers to give their monster hands sharp nails. Once the handprints have dried, you can use school glue to make fun designs and add glitter.

3. Fall leaves tree

Looking for more of a Fall activity? Use what nature’s provided to make a fall leaves tree. Take your kids outside for a nature walk and collect lots of colorful leaves. Use a large piece of paper to draw a simple tree. Then have your kids use school glue to decorate the tree. Hang it up to keep a little bit of the outdoors indoor! For more fun, you could collect other items like sticks, acorns, and pinecones to make a Fall wreath or collage.

4. Foaming spiders

Do you have a little more time on your hands for prep work? You should definitely make some foaming spiders! I found this activity years ago at Fun at Home with Kids. Your kids will love these cute spiders and the fun little surprise inside them!

To make the spiders, you will need baking soda, water, and food coloring. Mix about 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1/4 cup of water in a bowl (for colored spiders add a little food coloring or liquid watercolor to the water). Mix well until all of the baking soda is damp. Take a handful of the mixture and put some small plastic spiders inside. Then add more of the mixture to cover the spiders and round them out, making the spider’s abdomen. Cut four pipe cleaners in half and stick them in the spider’s abdomen to make eight legs. Then use the rest of the baking soda mixture to form the spider’s head. Once you have made all of your spiders, place them on wax paper and freeze them for a few hours. If you freeze them overnight, you will want to let them thaw slightly before playtime.

When you’re ready to play with these spiders, add some vinegar and a little bit of dish soap to a shallow dish. Mix it up and carefully add your spiders. The spiders will foam and start to dissolve! Watch as your children get super excited about this and find all the baby spiders!

5. Candy corn sensory play

Candy corn sensory play is another super simple, but very fun Halloween activity for kids. All you need for this activity is a tray, a few bags of candy corn, some plastic spiders and lots of small dishes, spoons, and scoops. I use the same plastic trays for this activity that we used for the shaving cream ghosts.

Simply dump candy corn and spiders into a tray and provide lots of scooping dishes and spoons to encourage sensory play. This is an activity that can easily be adapted by changing what you place in the tray (ideas: rubber eyeballs, gummy worms, squishy eyeballs, other Halloween candy, etc.). Encourage your child to sort objects, count objects, practice scooping, use tweezers to pick up objects, and more.

6. Witches stew

Witches stew is probably my kids’ favorite Halloween activity! This is a very simple idea, but is so fun and creative. For this activity, you first need to boil some spaghetti noodles. Add some orange or green food coloring or liquid watercolor for extra witchy fun. Then, gather up lots of random Halloween items like candy corn, plastic spiders, gooey eyeballs. Basically anything small you can find in the Halloween section at the store. You will also need a tray for your items, spoons, scoops, and bowls. Lastly, you will need some baking soda and vinegar for a little extra added fun. Years ago I came across a super cute witches caldron and we use it for this activity also.

Once you have all of your witch ingredients, have your kids grab their witch hats and get to work! The kids will love mixing all of the ingredients. The best part is adding the baking soda and vinegar to make the stew really fizz!

7. Ice ghosts

Ice ghosts is a fun activity that needs to be prepared ahead of time. To prepare them, simply mix one part water with two parts baking soda to create a damp mixture. Then place a bit into each hole of an ice tray and add googly eyes to each hole. Freeze for an hour or two. For playtime, put the ice ghosts in a shallow dish and give your child a little bowl of vinegar. We used tiny droppers to drop vinegar on the ghosts. The kids loved watching them fizz and slowly dissolve. One of the best parts was dropping the whole ghost into the bowl of vinegar to create tiny little volcanos.

8. Spider slime

Let’s face it, slime is fun all year round and it’s so easy to change it up for any holiday. Spider slime is probably one of my kids and my own favorites for Halloween. To make spider slime, all you need to do is use your favorite slime recipe and add plastic spiders!

My favorite slime recipe is made using two bottles of school glue (5 0z), about 10 ounces of water and 8 ounces of liquid starch. You can use clear school glue or colored school glue, depending on how you want your slime to look. In a large bowl, pour the two bottles of school glue and then add the water. Slowly add about half of the liquid starch and stir. Continue to slowly add liquid starch until the mixture soaks up the water and looks like a glob of goo. You may not need all of the liquid starch. Use your hands to knead the slime until it is not sticky. Last, add the spiders and get ready to play!

My kids love stretching out the slime and picking spiders from it, only to put them back in and start over. You can get creative with your slime by adding a little bit of glitter, using different colored glue, adding confetti or other small Halloween items.

9. Play-doh pumpkins

Play-doh pumpkins are super fun and an easy Halloween activity for kids. All you need is orange play-doh, green pipe cleaners, and little beads or pattern blocks. We have done this activity in a few different ways. We have made round pumpkins from the play-doh and we have also made flat pumpkins to decorate. Black beads are a simple tool to use to create the pumpkin faces. Another fun way to practice and play with shapes is to use pattern blocks for your pumpkin face. For extra fun, use a plastic fork to create lines and make your pumpkin look scarier!

This is such a simple activity that can be adapted in many ways. We have also used different colored play-doh, pipe cleaners and googly eyes to create play-doh monsters. This is one of my son’s favorites. You might even want to use green play-doh to make your own Frankenstein!

10. Wiggly monster eyes

Finally, our last fun and simple Halloween activity for kids is wiggly monster eyes. These are a hit because not only are they fun to play with, but they are edible! To make jiggly monster eyes you just need jello (your choice of color/flavor), raisins and plastic Easter eggs. Make the jello as directed and then you will pour it into one side of a plastic egg. Drop-in a raisin and place it in the fridge to get firm. When you pop them out of the shell solidified, they look like creepy eyeballs! That’s it! Dump the wiggly monster eyes into a shallow dish and let your kids play!

10 Easy Halloween activities for kids

And there you have it! 10 super fun and easy Halloween activities for kids. These activities are easy to put together and can be adapted and made into your own. Get creative and have fun!

What Halloween activities are you going to try with your kids this year?

Brandi
Maryland
@brandimarkham

Hello, I’m Brandi! My husband & I live just outside of Washington, DC with our three littles. They are my favorite people in the world & my biggest inspiration. I am a full-time elementary teacher & a part-time photographer, but mostly I enjoy photography as a hobby. I love chocolate, animals, & nature! Summer is my favorite because we get to spend all of our time outdoors!

For more from Brandi, check out all her RWMC posts.
BOOKS, CRAFTS, FALL, NATURE SCHOOL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, OUTDOORS INSIDE
5 Fantastic Fall Books and Activities for Kids
- October 7, 2019
Fall is definitely in the air! One of our favorite ways to usher in a new season is to read books about the changing weather and what we can look forward to. We’re always on the lookout for fun books and ways to make outdoor learning exciting, so today’s post is a win-win. We have the amazing Chelsea, Virginia photographer, former teacher, and adventure mom of two, here sharing her family’s 5 favorite fall books and activities for kids. Not only are each of these books beautiful and fun to read, but they’re paired with awesome nature-inspired crafts and activities that are guaranteed to keep your kids entertained, active, and learning!

Favorite fall books and activities for outdoor kids

Fall is starting to make an appearance here in southeastern Virginia and we couldn’t be more excited! In our house, we love to match the books we’re reading to the current season or approaching holidays. We recently took a trip to our local library to check out almost every book in the fall children’s book section to kick-start fall. Today, I’m sharing some of our favorite fall children’s books and providing a fun family activity to do with each book. Whether you’re a homeschooler, a parent of children not yet in school, or a parent of school-aged kids, these fall books and activities will be sure to enrich your child’s learning while fully embracing the beauty of the season!

Choosing the books

In order to choose the best books possible, I used a VERY official and scientific method of measurement. My kids. We checked out a dozen fall nature-inspired books from our local library and read them all. If they asked to read a book again the instant we finished, it passed the test. I kept the ones they wanted to read multiple times and returned the rest! Here are 5 of our favorite fall books and an activity to go with each one!

Book 1: Because of an Acorn by Adam and Lola M. Schaefer

Because of an Acorn is a wonderful fall book about how all living things are connected. You’ll love both the story and the illustrations! Children are often amazed that giant oak trees all start as tiny little acorns. The book does a great job of showing how every tree, plant and animal in the forest are connected and tied to each other.

Activity: Acorn characters

Once you’re finished reading the book, take a little nature walk to collect some acorns, caps and tiny sticks. While you’re out exploring, you can discuss what kind of trees produce acorns and how to identify them! My kids had fun looking up at the leaves on each tree to see which ones were oaks and then looking around on the ground below to see if any acorns had dropped.

Once you get home, use your treasures to make little characters! We used tacky glue but I’m sure many different kinds of glue will work. If you have very small children, you may want to have them lay out the character and then leave the gluing part to a grownup! Once your characters are dry, you can draw on eyes if you’d like and then head back out into the woods to create tiny houses for them! You can break this activity up into multiple days or take a whole afternoon for it! The kids will have so much fun creating little families and then using imaginative play to make them come to life. And the best part is all that wonderful fresh fall air you’ll get from the time spent outside!

Book 2: It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown by Charles M. Shultz

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is a childhood classic! Linus, Charlie and the rest of the Peanuts gang await the arrival of the Great Pumpkin on Halloween night. I wasn’t surprised that my kids really loved this one, because they love any Peanuts book! This book’s been around so long that it’s not only a new favorite of theirs, but a classic favorite of mine from childhood. I love being able to share that with them.

Activity: Painted rocks

In the story, one of the Peanuts characters gets rocks instead of treats during trick-or-treating, so we decided to go collect some rocks to paint. Once the boys had found the perfect rocks, we took them home, rinsed them, and dried them. Then we used acrylic paints to decorate them like pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns. Once they were dry, we headed to a park nearby to hide the rocks in fun places to be discovered by others! My kids are always excited when they find painted rocks at our park so we decided to keep that ball of fun rolling by placing some of our own there for other kids to enjoy.

Book 3: Stumpkin by Lucy Ruth Cummins

Stumpkin is the cutest little book about a pumpkin with no stem that never gets picked to be purchased and brought home. My kids love wordplay and making up words by putting other words together, so they were already hooked by the title. They really loved the illustrations and asked to take extra time on each page to enjoy the pictures. This one was a big hit!

Activity: Jack-o-lantern volcanoes

Once you’re finished with Stumpkin, a fun activity to do with the kids is to carve small pumpkins and then make “volcanoes” out of them. If you’ve enjoy doing science/STEM experiments at home, you’ve probably already used baking soda and vinegar for other projects. But have you ever watched the chemical reaction take place inside a jack-o-lantern?! It’s so much fun! The kids will love watching the bubbles come out of all the holes. In addition to the baking soda and vinegar, we also used some dish soap because I had read that it bubbles up more and I do think it worked!

Book 4: Fall Leaves by Loretta Holland

Fall Leaves is a really gorgeous picture book about the beauty of this magical season. Part poetry and part silent pages, this book showcases just how pretty fall is when the leaves change color and the whole world turns red, orange and yellow.

Activity: Fall leaf art project

This activity is so much fun and goes perfectly with the beautiful artwork in the Fall Leaves book! It’s also really easy and the kids loved it. Head out on a nature hunt to find different colored fall leaves. Once you’ve collected some, head back home to make your art.

Leaf art supplies:
- water color paints
- paintbrushes
- water
- straws
- paper
- glue
- the leaves you’ve collected
Once you have the supplies, instruct the children to use the paintbrush to get lots of water and some paint on the brush. Then have them make a “puddle” of water on the bottom of their paper. Use the straw to blow the water upward and out to make the trunk and branches of a tree.

When they’re finished with the trunk and branches, have them pick their favorite leaves to glue onto the branches. This project is great for building and developing fine motor skills, so feel free to have them create more than one tree!

Book 5: Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak

Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn is another beautiful book about the changing seasons. In this book, a young girl takes a walk through forest and town, greeting all the signs of the coming autumn season. In a series of conversations with every flower and creature and gust of wind, she says good-bye to summer and welcomes autumn.

Activity: Fall leaf art with crayons

If you’re like us, you have all sorts of old, broken crayons hanging around the house! These projects are a great way to use up some of those crayons. They’re also perfect activities for families who live in areas that don’t have season changes! You don’t need to use any real fall leaves for these projects but can still make some art that celebrates the autumn season. Both of these actives are a throwback to my own childhood and were very nostalgic for me! It was fun doing some activities with the kids that I did when I was a kid!

Option 1 – melted crayon shaving leaves

For the first crayon art project, you’ll need:
- a cloth towel
- crayons
- a vegetable peeler or scissors
- wax paper
- an iron
- construction paper
Obviously, with that list of supplies, it’s important for an adult to be around to help out with the project! Depending on how old your kids are, you’ll either have them make crayon shavings using whatever tool you have around, or you’ll have them pick the colors and you can do the shavings for them. Put all the shavings in a pile and set aside.

Next, use construction paper to cut out the trunk and branches of a tree (or several!). You will use it to create a fall scene on the wax paper. You can do one tree with some construction paper grass, multiple trees, whatever you like! Once you have the parts of your scene cut out from construction paper, place them on a sheet of wax paper to begin creating your fall scene.

After the construction paper parts are in place, have your child take the crayon shavings and sprinkle them wherever they want fall leaves to be. Once everything is where you want it to be, place a second sheet of wax paper on top. Then place the towel on top of everything. Use a hot iron (job for a grownup!) to seal the two pieces of wax paper together. This will also create a beautiful effect with the crayon shavings because it will melt them together! So much fun!

Option 2 – leaf rubbings

The second fall art activity you could do with crayons is make leaf rubbings! My kids LOVE doing this. It’s such a simple, timeless activity. When the kids see the leaf prints starting to appear, they light up with joy! My kids could do a hundred leaf rubbings and still be excited every time they see the leaf print appearing on the paper.

If you’ve never done this before, you only need some paper (computer paper works great), crayons, and leaves! Any leaves will do – they don’t have to be fall-colored. Place the leaf underneath the sheet of paper, hold it down carefully, and rub the SIDE part of an unwrapped crayon back and forth on top of the paper. You’ll see the shape of the leaf appearing on the paper! Leave them on the larger sheets of paper or cut them out. As my kids would say- easy, peasy, lemon-squeezy!

Favorite fall books and activities for kids

And there you have it! 5 beautiful fall books and activities for kids. Not only will you and the kids love these beautiful books, but the accompanying activities are some that the whole family will enjoy! This should definitely keep your little ones active, inspired, and excited about reading and nature.

What’s your favorite fall book for kids?

About the author

Hi there, I’m Chelsea! I’m a photographer, mother of two busy boys, and sunshine and fresh air addict. We live in Virginia Beach, Virginia and spend as much time outdoors as we possibly can! We spend most of our time exploring the beach, inlets, and nature trails nearby. We love biking, hiking, paddleboarding, kayaking, building forts, and playing in the sand! During the warm months, you can find us enjoying the Chesapeake Bay almost every night until long after the sun goes down. We’re doing our best to reduce our carbon footprint and always try to leave every trail cleaner than it was when we arrived.

You can find Chelsea online in the following locations:
Instagram: @dimples.and.the.blonde
Client work: @chelsea.lyn.photography
Website: dimplesandtheblonde.com

More RWMC posts from Chelsea:
FALL, HIKE, INFORMATION, NATURE SCHOOL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
How to Get Kids Outside During the School Year
- October 2, 2019
It’s that time of year again – our children are trading in their beach towels for backpacks and holding pencils more than sidewalk chalk. Whether you homeschool or traditional school, back-to-school generally means less free time and fewer hours to play outside. Not only that, but the days are growing shorter and the weather’s turning cooler. Getting kids outside during the school year can be a challenge. However, spending time outside in nature is still necessary for our kids’ physical health, mental focus, and emotional development. Today, the amazing Leslie Alvis, Ohio homeschooling mom of four, is here sharing a few ideas for practical ways to build outdoor routines into your school days. Hopefully, these tips will help you incorporate more nature into your busy schedule without making outdoor time feel like one more thing on your to-do list.

Make nature time a priority

Whether back to school means a traditional school program for you or homeschooling with a flexible schedule, days become extra busy as you settle into a fall routine. Many of us have kids involved in extra-curricular activities and sports. It’s easy to feel like we don’t have enough time for nature exploration during the school year. However, a busy schedule doesn’t mean the outdoor adventures have to stop! In fact, I think it should help us make nature time even more of a priority. We’re here to show you how to get kids outside during the school year.

Our kids need us to help them balance the demands of school with the freedom of childhood and the wonder of exploring outdoors. Formal education is necessary, but children also require time outside for proper growth and development. Ginny Yurich, author, educator, and founder of the 1000 Hours Outside movement, says,

Nature play facilitates growth in every area, making time outside a crucial part of the landscape of childhood.”

Time outside matters

Time spent outdoors doesn’t always have to be done in giant hour+ long chunks. Even on busy days, there are many ways to get our kids outside for short amounts of time, which still have huge benefits for kids. A quick break to explore outside helps break up the mental stress of school. While a long hike or bike ride gives them a chance to catch their breath mentally while also strengthening their bodies, sometimes a short walk/ride around the neighborhood is just what they need. Weekend adventures provide fun and memories for the whole family, but short outings to a local park are great for when you don’t have tons of time. Our family tries to include a mix of these different activities throughout the school year to keep us all enjoying the great outdoors, no matter our schedules or the weather. Time outside gives us space to breathe and the freedom to explore.

Take walks to get kids outside

Walks are one of the easiest ways to get kids outside and moving! A family walk can happen anywhere, anytime. It doesn’t have to take long or have the perfect setting. Just look around at what you do each day and see if you can link a walk into that activity. Walk to the bus stop. Stroll to get the mail. Wander to the end of the street…around the block…down a country lane.

As homeschoolers, we work a daily walk into our school routine as our recess. Sometimes we do it when the lessons are dragging long, or sometimes as soon as the school day is finished. But at some point, we grab the bikes, scooters, and stroller (and the dog! Our neighbors call us a parade!) and head outside for some fresh air and exercise. The time out in nature is good for us all. I’m pretty sure it’s all that saves my sanity on some long winter days.

When you get your kids outside to take a walk, you’re not only getting active together, but you are also exploring and observing nature together. My kids never fail to find something wonderful to point out to me on our walks. The bunny that’s always lurking near the vacant lot on the next street over. A brilliantly colored leaf or flower. A puffy cloud.

There are a world of discoveries from every sidewalk, driveway, and walking trail. Sometimes we have more time to linger and wander than others, but wherever we are outside, we see amazing and beautiful parts of the natural world. Getting kids outdoors on a walk is a great way to tailor-fit a quick nature adventure to your family’s busy schedule.

Evening adventures get kids outside

Sometimes our days get really full and busy. I try to plan at least one evening (or late afternoon as the days grow shorter) each week to intentionally get outside! Look at your schedules and find an hour somewhere in the week to go have a little outdoor adventure. Play at the park. Walk in the woods. Blow bubbles. Get some friends together to play frisbee or hide-and-seek together in the lingering twilight. Again, this doesn’t have to be elaborate. It just requires you being intentional about making time for your family to breathe in the fresh air and explore nature together. You won’t be sorry you did!

Take kids’ school outside

Another way to get kids outside after school is simply to take the lessons or homework outside! Before you discard that idea as impractical and impossible, I challenge you to give it a try. When the weather is nice, set up a school/homework station on the porch, the backyard or in the tree fort. Let your older students take their reading up in their favorite tree. Pack up the backpacks and snacks and go sit in a picnic area at a park. There are so many ways to help kids take their schoolwork outside!

Yes, you may have to keep tabs on them and make sure they aren’t totally distracted from their work. But honestly, most of the time kids will buckle down and get their book work done when they realize all the many other things they would rather be doing outside! And wouldn’t you rather have your kids distracted by the mystery of the cicadas and the falling leaves than sitting inside glancing at a computer or television?

We are a second-generation homeschooling family. I grew up hauling my textbooks outside every chance I got. I loved it. (This probably contributes to the feeling of claustrophobia when I’m stuck indoors.) It motivates me to give my own children the same opportunities to get outside in all seasons, doing all kinds of things. Even schoolwork.

Outdoor learning

Whether you homeschool or not, there are a lot of ways to extend learning outside. When you step out into nature, everything around you is a science lesson, art lesson and history lesson. Studying the beauty of nature gives inspiration to every kind of art. Observing the mysteries of the natural world naturally leads to questions and learning about plants, animals and how things have changed over time. Time spent in nature is never time wasted. So, when your days are busy with school schedules and extra-curricular activities, don’t forget that time in nature is an essential part of your children’s education, too.

Look for ways to include outdoor time as part of school! Choose a nature-based science fair project. Conduct your own STEM activities outside using nature. Help your kids study the weather, the seasons, the natural world around them. Volunteer in your child’s classroom to take them outside to work in the school garden or go for a nature walk. Incorporating education into your outdoors time is one of the best ways to make sure you are getting your kids outside after school starts.

Picnics get kids outside

Is the sun shining? Is the sky so blue it takes your breath away? What about the breeze that’s the perfect combination of crisp air and gentle warmth? Take advantage of the lovely fall weather and have a picnic! Take PB&J sandwiches on a hike. Order pizza delivery to your favorite local park. Or build a campfire in your backyard and cook hot dogs and s’mores. Kids don’t need fancy food—they need time outdoors and memories with their families. Impromptu meals outside on a gorgeous day are some of my favorite times with my kids.

Weekend adventures get kids outside

Another way to get kids outside during the school year is to plan weekend adventures! We all know that sometimes if we don’t make plans to do something, it just won’t happen. So, grab your calendar and make some plans. Pick a Saturday afternoon and go explore that state park. Find a new bike trail and spend a few hours on it. Go hiking together, or just go have a picnic at a nearby park. Find a local corn maze or fall festival and enjoy some outdoor fun. Pull your family loose from the tug of school schedules and obligations and make some memories together.

Weather

Just a quick note on the impact weather can have on your fall activities. Cooler days, shorter evenings, and more rain can make planning an outing challenging. Getting caught in a summer shower can be fun. But getting caught in the rain in October can be miserable. Especially if you aren’t dressed for it. There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing, so be prepared! Check the weather often and look for days that will suit your family and the activity you are planning. Take advantage of those gorgeous sunny days and enjoy nature to its fullest!

Don’t let bad weather keep you from getting your kids outside this fall. Sometimes the wind is unexpectedly biting. Sometimes it pours rain every time you plan a nature outing. Several times we’ve planned for an all-day outdoor adventure and had to do it in chilly, incessant rain. Honestly, that makes memories, too! Sometimes they’re the best memories! Just remember that your attitude sets the tone for dealing with the unexpected or inconvenient. Oftentimes, kids don’t mind wet feet and pants as much as adults do. And a cup of hot chocolate can turn a chilly experience into a delightful adventure for a kid!

Need more fall ideas?

As we mentioned, sometimes planning an outdoor activity and making it a priority is half the battle. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas of things you can do outside this fall as a family, we’ve got a great list of 100+ outdoor fall activities for kids and families. This list should give you all kinds of inspiration for easy and quick nature crafts to outdoor adventures, STEM experiments and more.

How do you get your kids outside during the school year?

Hi, I’m Leslie Alvis! I’m a follower of Jesus Christ, wife to my high school sweetheart and best friend, and a mom to four rascally kids. They love the great outdoors as much as I do, and our yard often feels like the scene from “The Sound of Music” where you hear voices and laughter and can’t find any children until you look up into the trees. I love writing, photography, and all things outdoors. We live in Northeast Ohio on the edge of Amish Country, where it’s perfectly normal to park beside a horse and buggy at the grocery store. We also homeschool, which basically means that I’m trying to teach my kids to use their minds without losing my own. While we follow a traditional curriculum, I weave every outdoor adventure I can into our educational journey. I believe that the lessons children experience firsthand sink deepest into their hearts and minds, and there is so much we can learn outside in the beauty and wonder of nature.

Find Leslie on Instagram @c_l_allofus
CRAFTS, FALL, NATURE SCHOOL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Nature Craft: DIY Moth Wings Tutorial
- September 23, 2019
Are you ready for the most gorgeous fall nature craft project? I’m so excited to share today’s post from our uber-talented Creative Team member Tiffany Griffin. Tiffany is here with an incredible DIY moth wings tutorial for kids. This project is simpler than you might expect and guaranteed to make any little kid’s imagination go wild! These gorgeous wings are the perfect addition to any outdoor adventure. They can be made from materials you probably already have in your craft closet and yard. While the subtle moth wings are a perfect project for fall, this DIY nature wing tutorial can also be changed and adapted for any season based on what’s available in your location.

* This project was inspired by the beautiful flower butterfly wings created by the amazing Johanna Bless of @blessnestlearning. Her full tutorial can be found at woodlarkblog.com.

Give your child wings

There’s something absolutely magical about creating something together with your child that helps foster and inspire their love for nature. If you’re anything like me, you probably love craft projects that get your kids outside and also give them the freedom to be masters of their own creation. It’s hard letting go of control of craft projects, especially when we have a pre-set idea of how the project should turn out.

However, oftentimes I’ve found that the more freedom and flexibility I give my children to create on their own, the more I’m dazzled by their imagination and impressed with their skills of observation. This project started off as an attempt to make butterfly wings, but took a turn in a different direction, inspired by a moth we found and studied one day. As you work through this project with your kids, I encourage you to give them the reigns and let them design wings of their own choosing.

Materials

For this tutorial, anything not found in nature can probably be found lying around your backyard and craft closet. If not – a local craft store should carry everything you need! Some materials are optional for an added touch of make-believe magic. Here are the items you will need for your DIY moth wings:
- gathered leaves/foilage
- dried flowers
- 2 large feathers
- scissors
- ribbon/cord/string/elastic for wings
- 1 roll of clear contact paper
- piece of foam/driftwood/bark/cardboard (something to secure the wings to – can use anything but try to make it lightweight)
- hot glue gun
- faux fur/felt/moss
- headband
- pen/permanent marker
- packing tape
DIY moth wings instructions

As I mentioned, these wings are easier to make than I expected. And they turned out to be so incredibly beautiful! My daughter absolutely loves them and is so proud to tell everyone she sees that she helped make them. Here’s a step-by-step tutorial on just how we created these beautiful DIY moth wings for kids.

1. Get outside and gather

The first thing to do is get outside and gather your materials! We chose to use leaves in various colors (red, yellow, green and brown. Feel free to incorporate whatever you can find in your area, based on the time of year. Fall leaves work great for creating a moth-like wing, but feel free to incorporate bright colored wildflowers for a summer butterfly. We found that the best leaves were ones that were freshly dropped. They stuck to the contact paper best. Dried out crunchy leaves left no room for error if you have to readjust them on your contact paper! Gather quite a few leaves of various shapes, sizes and colors. Remember you need enough to cover two wings!

2. Contact paper setup & drawing

Unroll your contact paper (clear side up). Measure your child to determine how long to make the wings. I recommend sizing from your child’s neck to their knees. Once your desired length is achieved for your child, secure the paper with tape to the table. This will keep the contact paper from moving. Use a pen (or permanent marker) to draw out the shape of one wing starting from the left or right side of your contact paper. I recommend using a ballpoint pen so if you need to re-do your wing – you do not have to start over! The pen rubs right off! Once you’re satisfied with the shape of the wing, cut the shape out using the scissors.

3. Trace & repeat

Lay your cut wing on your contact paper facing the opposite direction (mirror) and trace your second wing. Cut out the wing shape with scissors.

4. Peel & secure

Remove the taped corners of the contact paper of both wings from the table and flip them over so that the wax side is up. Carefully, pull back the backing (waxy side) of the contact paper from both wings. Don’t throw away the backing yet! You’ll use that in a minute (see Step 6 below). Secure the corners of the wings to the table with tape. Now, your contact paper should be sticky side up and ready for adding leaves and flowers!

5. Add embellishments

Now is the fun part! Place your leaves and flowers on the contact paper inside the wing outline. Make sure to press them down as flat as possible! Have your kids choose patterns that mimic those they find on real butterflies and moths, or let them make-up their own. You can encourage kids to create mirror image wings or two totally separately decorated (and complimentary!) wings. Whatever you choose to do, allow their creativity to shine.

6. Trace the backing

Use the backing of the previously cut-out wings to trace another set of wings on the Contact paper. These wings will serve as the top layer to the wings with the embellishments on them. Cut them out and remove backing. Very carefully, place the wing directly on top of your newly decorated wing sealing in your leaves/flowers. Do this with both sides!

7. Prep your foam

If you’re using a foam piece for the center of the wings, consider covering it with some faux fur or moss or something natural-looking. We used a hot glue gun to secure a piece of faux fur to our foam to give it a natural look, like a moth. If you don’t have foam, you could also use a piece of driftwood or bark, a bundle of sticks or a piece of cardboard or wood.

8. Prep the wings

Using your hot glue gun, run a long line of hot glue down the center seam of each wing and secure to the centerpiece (of foam, wood or what-have-you). Glue each of the wings to the foam and hold securely in place until they cool. Allow them to dry. Next, cut out four 20 inch pieces of string/ribbon/elastic. Flip the (foam) base over and use your glue gun to secure 3-4 inches of string on to the back of the foam on each corner allowing the extra lenth to lay vertical while it dries. This will create two loops for your child’s arms.

9. Make the antennae

If you want to go above and beyond, you can create some really cool head antennae to go along with your wings. All you need to do is use the hot glue gun to glue two large feathers onto a headband to create awesome moth antennas! This gives your get-up a little something extra!

10. Take your wings for a test flight!

The last thing to do is tie your DIY moth wings on and watch your little one FLY! Seeing your child love and enjoy their hard work is by far the best part of any craft. Hopefully, this fun project will inspire lots of wonderful conversation and curiosity about our winged friends. Encourage your child to take flight, like the moth. Have them mimic butterfly behaviors and find their favorite foods. Allow their creativity to shine and nurture their love for nature along the way.

About the author

Tiffany is a homeschooling mama of three earthside children and one baby girl that travels among the stars. She is a vintage obsessed, wicker collecting, tree-loving photographer, creator, painter, writer and loves to document her children’s childhood and is passionate about sharing her take on motherhood, raising children outside of the “norm” and in nature.

You can find more from Tiffany online in the following locations:
@wild.things.grow
BOOKS, FALL, GARDENING, NATURE SCHOOL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, SPRING, SUMMER, URBAN NATURE, WINTER
Creating a Nature Window for Bird Watching
- January 7, 2019
If you’ve ever taken the time to observe birds in your own backyard, I guarantee you’ll find them fascinating! Birds are incredibly social, intelligent, crafty, clever and funny. They are such a joy to watch. Over time, you can even get to know the local ones and their personalities. Today, I’m thrilled to have Nichole from Luckey Wanderers here sharing how she created a Nature Window in her home for watching and studying birds with her family. What started out as an easy way to observe local birds has turned into a passion project for the entire family. She’s here to share her experience and give you tips and advice for creating your own nature window.

How the nature window began

The most beautiful rhythm has developed in our home over the last year. It all began with a bird-focused nature study for my homeschooled children, which grew into an ongoing observation that we as a family enjoy daily. It all started through happenstance. I happened to enter a contest on a social media site. That happened to be through our state chapter of the Audubon Society. Then, I happened to win! We won the most wonderful beginner bird watching kit, with bird information, along with a suet feeder, handheld hummingbird feeders, and some native plant seeds. The rest is history!

The beginning of a beautiful friendship

I entered the contest because we were studying birds for our fall term nature study. I thought the prize would pair well with our study. Within a few days, we had our suet feeder up, full of fresh food. (Suet is a cake made from animal fats and bird seed, usually in a square form.) The suet feeder hung from a pole just off our deck, observable from our kitchen window. Then, we hung a hummingbird feeder from a nearby tree and waited.

We spent the next few days watching and waiting for birds to arrive. During each meal, our eyes were drawn to the feeders. The first hummingbirds soon showed up and we all screamed in excitement, which scared the darling little creatures away! Thankfully, they are persistent and came right back.

My husband brought home another feeder for different food, sunflower seeds this time. These quickly grabbed the attention of the squirrels. Squirrels are acrobatic little buggers, and we soon had to find a way to keep them from getting into the feeder. After a bit of research, put a metal slinky over the pole, which seemed to do the trick. It also gave us one of the most hilarious things I’ve ever seen! An unknowing little bird flew onto the slinky expecting a solid landing, but instead, he bobbed up and down helplessly on the Slinky for a minute or two. Sadly, I was not recording this, but my children and I laughed about that for at least a week!

All birds, large and small

We were all surprised how many birds began to show up at our feeders. In our yard or nearby, we had a family of downy woodpeckers, red-bellied woodpeckers, cardinals, and American bluebirds. They came with such regularity that we could almost tell the time based on when we would see them. We watched that window at breakfast, lunch, and at our family dinners. The children excitedly gave a daily report to my husband about what we had seen each night at dinner.

Mid-winter, I had the great delight of seeing a pair of Indigo buntings fly through; pausing only briefly in our trees. The sight of them lingers in my memory. It’s a sight that I would not have seen if we hadn’t spent the previous few months attuning our attention to our little slice of the natural world sitting just outside of our kitchen window. And as winter warmed away and signs of spring began to show, we began to see the baby woodpeckers and baby cardinals accompany their parents to the feeder. It was such a special sight!

Variety is the spice of life

It wasn’t long before we decided to expand our nature window to include other species. My husband and son took to the garage to build a wood home to hang on the tree. While this was originally intended for birds, a squirrel took up residence. Watching its little face peering out of the circular hole melts me every time. We allowed what was left of our raised bed gardens to grow wild! Soon, they overflowed with native grasses and plants. Of course, this attracted pollinators and insects of all kinds, which help the birds.

Due to our location, we are quite lucky to see a wide range of species fly through. Our city lies directly in a migration path, which gives us the opportunity to see a variety of birds. I didn’t realize that before, but now we want to be prepared for it. We have plans to expand our bird feeders to attract Baltimore orioles, my husband’s favorite bird. From what we have heard, oranges should do the trick. We are also doing our due diligence in researching native plants and plan to fill our yard and garden with helpful and purposeful plants. A bird bath is also on our to do list!

So much more than just a nature study

Over the course of the academic year, we were thrilled to see so many birds come and go. My children delighted at spying the brilliant red flashes of the ruby-throated hummingbird. My camera found a new home: on the window sill waiting for moments to snap photos of the birds that passed through our yard. We started checking off lists for the species of birds we spotted. My children colored in their bird coloring books when they saw a certain species. They delighted in imagining that Jenny Wren came visiting our home regularly, thanks to the wonderful book The Burgess Bird Book for Children.

Our nature window is a continually evolving and changing thing. It started with a simple bird feeder placed where we could see it from our kitchen table and has become a full-on observation station. We have a windowsill full of bird guides, checklists, nature finds, jars of found bird feathers, nature journals, binoculars, magnifying glasses, nature journals and colored pencils.

Choose your own nature window

If you homeschool or just have curious littles at home, I highly recommend creating your own nature window. It’s brought so much joy to our lives, I’d love to pass the love and experience on to you. To begin your own nature window, take a few days and observe your household patterns and the layout of your home. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Where do you eat your meals?
- Which room does your family gather most often?
- Where do you spend time relaxing?
- Where do the kids study?
Once you have considered those things, choose your window based on where you’ll have the most opportunities to observe the happenings outside. And while a window is not necessary for setting up bird feeders (you can do that anywhere), it will allow you to observe your feeder from inside the house regardless of the weather.

Start simple

We started with a simple, double-sided suet feeder. There are many recipes available for making your own suet feed, however, for simplicity’s sake, I prefer to buy them in bulk from our local retailers. The Audubon website has a recipe available for vegetarian suet if you’re interested. Next, add a feeder with traditional bird seed or sunflower seeds.

A hummingbird feeder is another wonderful way to observe wildlife from your window. There are a variety of window hung feeders, although ours is hung from a tree. While I buy other types of bird food, making hummingbird food is quite simple. It’s also far better for the birds than store-bought. A basic formula is made from 1 part sugar to 3 parts warm water. Mix until dissolved and allow to cool. Do not add any dyes to the water. Dyes are not necessary and can be harmful to hummingbirds.

Certify your space

One easy way to assure that your yard or nature space is set up well for wildlife is to certify it. You can certify your space through the National Wildlife Federation website. I certified our yard about two years ago, just prior to starting our nature window. It is a very easy (and very educational) process that will help you look at your yard from an animals’ perspective. The certification process will show you how to make simple changes that will positively impact the wildlife around you.

Your yard will first need local native plants. The best practice is to try to stick with native to your area plants. These plants will help support the wildlife around you. If you have questions, speak with a master gardener in your area or find a local chapter of your native plant society. Both of the organizations are great resources for learning about what to plant. You’ll also need a source of water and places to build shelter, in addition to a food source.

The National Wildlife Federation has provided a wonderful program in their wildlife habitat certification process. Our family learned so much through it and are continuing to reap the benefits daily, through our nature window observations. The cost to certify is minimal and includes a wonderful sign to acknowledge your work. Certifying your yard would be an excellent family project, as there is something for everyone to help with.

Let it evolve

Allow your window to morph into your own over time. Find what works for your family and what types of nature excite you and your children. Then, place things in or outside of your window that fuel your passions. In a world dominated by screens, this family past time of observing the natural world through your own window will have a profoundly positive effect on relationships, learning, and even your own peace of mind.

Recommended reading

Here are a few book recommendations to keep near your nature window.
- A Bird Guide – Audubon/Peterson/Kaufman – any of those guides will do well to help with identifying your backyard birds in you’re in North America. You can also get some free local guides from your local chapter of the Audubon Society. I would recommend having a broad spectrum guide as well as a more specific local guide.
- A Bird Journal – This can be as simple as a piece of paper where you log what you see, or a birders journal which has lists to check off what you see and when. We like this one from the Audubon Society.
- A local or regional guide to the natural year – there are some wonderful books out there that will guide you through a season in your area. A simple internet search using the keywords “the natural year” or “seasonal guide” should render some helpful books.
- The Nature Notes of an Edwardian Lady – this book is a beautiful nature journal containing poetry, nature observations, and drawings. Not regionally specific but a jewel of a book to have in your nature window.
- A book of poetry – a collection of great poems by famous poets on birds. This is handy to pick up and search for a certain topic and any poetry collection will do. Try this one.
Window to the world

Our little nature window (well it’s actually a large window) has become an enduring learning opportunity for all of us. Our attention has become fined tuned to the natural world that exists even beyond it within our little patch of the city. We are amazed by the flickering red of the ruby-throated hummingbird and now recognize the woodpecker we hear in our treetop. We know which birds like sunflower seeds and which bird species favor the suet feeders. This nature window has become a profoundly powerful tool for focusing our attention, feeding our souls, and teaching lessons to our entire family.

Nichole is a homeschooling mama to two incredible adventurers. She has been married to her best friend for nearly eleven years and they share a mutual love for the outdoors. An Iowan native now living in the south, she is happy to claim Arkansas as home. She is a gypsy-hearted, fearless, road tripper, known to take off for epic adventures at a moments notice. Favorite family activities are hiking and camping (of the backpacking variety). She swims competitively and enjoys showing her children what it means to live a healthy life. Coffee is her drink of choice (all day long, and black). You can find her in the woods, probably up a creek, jumping off waterfalls.

You can find her at the following locations:

Instagram: @coleyraeh
Blog: Luckey Wanderers
CAMP, FALL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, RECIPES
Outdoor Cooking with Kids: 7 Kid-Friendly Ways to Make Camp Cookouts Fun and Fuss-Free
- September 5, 2018
As the weather finally starts to cool down, we’re entering my all-time favorite time of year to go camping and have family cook-outs. Today, we are so lucky to have the amazing Julia from Culinatour here with her tips on how to make camp cookouts with kids fun and fuss-free. Julia is not only a mom, but she runs a business all about helping families eat delicious and healthy food while outdoors and exploring the world! Talk about my dream job…I can’t believe I didn’t think of this first!

Camp food

Mmmm…camp food. Those two words make my heart sing with joy!

There’s something about outdoor cooking that adds a whole new flavor to food, right? As an outdoor adventure-loving mom, I’m constantly on a mission of sorts to pass on this love to my daughter. She may be just 2 years old, but that’s not going to stop me from equipping her with culinary skills. If, like me, you’d love your kids to be enthusiastic about outdoor cooking when you go camping the next time, you’re going to love this post.

Why teach outdoor cooking to kids

First, let’s look at why children of all ages can (and should!) learn outdoor cooking.
1. Increase self-sufficiency: When you know how to cook, you know you’ll never starve. Right? Equipping your kids with outdoor cooking skills gives them a solid head start on their self-sufficiency quotient.
1. Add more fun to family travel: Family travel is all about enjoying activities and time together. There’s nothing better than getting everyone involved in cutting, chopping, stirring and sautéing. Cooking is a fun bonding activity and perfect for when you’re traveling.
1. Encourage responsibility: When you assign a meal to a young chef, you’re instilling incredible responsibility in them. Even if it’s something as small as an evening snack, you’re sending a positive message to your child about your belief in their abilities to do the work and contribute to the family.
1. Foster creativity: Cooking is the ultimate art form and a fabulous way to foster creative thinking in kids. Let them use their imagination when plating a dish or even tweaking a recipe and enjoy their creative culinary experiments!
1. Excellent all-round education: Cooking is a great way to learn and master concepts for math, science and comprehension. That’s right. Reading and understanding a recipe is comprehension; making sense of measurements and portions is all about math; and, the process of cooking is the best way to learn about science! Plus, when you cook outdoors, you can teach the kids about foraging and plants as well!
Tips for enjoying outdoor cooking with kids

Now that I’ve sold you on the importance of teaching kids the art of outdoor cooking, let’s look at how you can get started without getting stressed (or umm… screaming your head off at them)! Yeah, mamas can have meltdowns, too!

1. Plan to succeed

The first and most important part is planning your camp meals. Sit down with the kids and involve them in deciding what you’ll make for the different meals.

If you have kids of different ages, let the younger ones pick snacks which are usually the easiest and encourage the older ones to decide on the major meals.

Cookbooks are a great way to make this process interactive and fun. For instance, I have Luisa sit with me and go through the photos in my cookbooks. She chooses her favorites and we menu plan together.

2. Shop before you chop

Once you’ve made your menu plans for your camping and outdoor adventure trip, it’s time to make a shopping list. Involve kids of all ages in the shopping process as well.

If you have older kids, then you can definitely send them off to the supermarket with a shopping list. For younger kids, take them with you to the store and encourage them to help you pick the produce and food products.

Since Luisa is 2 years old, this works best with picture cards. Before we go to the supermarket, I make a set of picture cards showing some of the key ingredients of the foods we plan to make at camp. I hand her one card at a time and then, help her find the ingredient. It’s like a mini foodie treasure hunt for her! SO much fun.

3. Prep work is key

Once you’re in your outdoor kitchen, get kids to help with food prep. Younger ones can help with washing the produce, lining up ingredients, measuring and counting. Older kids can help with chopping, peeling, dicing, grating, and slicing.

Be sure to pack kid-friendly chopping boards, knives, and graters. The Curious Chef makes a great set of kid-friendly cooking tools.

4. Kid-friendly recipes, for the win

If your kids are old enough, have a stash of kid-friendly recipes that your children can either make independently or with very little help from you. This is a step you may want to include when you’re doing the menu planning with your kid(s). Being able to contribute to the group will make your child feel both proud and helpful. And if they’ve made the recipe before and know what to do and how it’ll turn out, you’re setting them up for success.

Waffles are a family favorite for our camping trips so I have an easy orange waffle recipe that Luisa helps me mix. Need more inspiration? I got you covered. Check out these 8 campfire recipes that kids can make from the folks at Active Kids.

5. Yes, we did start the fire

You may not want to involve young kids in lighting the campfire but you can definitely get them to help collect and pile up the kindling. It’s a great physical activity and gets them involved with the cooking process. Older kids will love helping to select your fire site, digging the fire pit, lining it with stones and collecting wood and kindling.

6. Messes are welcome

Remember, when kids cook, messes will happen. Don’t stress about it and definitely don’t tell them to not make a mess because you’ll only curb their enthusiasm and creativity. Yes, I know that easier said than done, but trust me on this one.

Instead, make cleaning up any mess their responsibility as well so they know that if they spill, they wipe up!

Having said that, one of the joys of outdoor cooking is that the mess doesn’t hurt since the ground soaks up the liquids. Win-win!

7. Service, please!

Finally, don’t forget to involve kids in serving the food as well. Your kids will be proud of the food they cook. so allow them the opportunity to help dish and serve it. They can answer questions about ingredients and the cooking process. Cheer them on when they hand out their dishes and encourage them to get creative with the plating. My daughter Luisa beams like a ray of sunshine when we ask her to serve the food and share with others. It’s a wonderful way to allow kids to give the gift of service and sustenance to those they love.

Cooking with kids

Outdoor cooking is a wonderful activity for the whole family. Get your babies involved in outdoor cooking right from the start without fretting or fussing over them. You’ll be amazed at how much they enjoy it, how much they learn and how proud they are of their creations. Not to mention how wonderful you will feel when you don’t have to worry about cooking breakfast or dinner!

Do you cook with your kids when camping?
Share YOUR best tips with me in the comments below!

Julia is an outdoor culinary business consultant based in Frankfurt, Germany. She is super passionate about spending time outdoors with her loved ones. She’s made it her mission to help families worry less and enjoy more when it comes to traveling and eating outdoors.

You can check out Julia’s website and blog on https://culinatour.com or find out more about Culinatour by visiting Julia on Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest