NATURE SCHOOL

  • CAMP, INFORMATION, LESSONS, NATURE SCHOOL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, TEENS

    Wilderness Survival Skills for Teens and Tweens

    Getting kids outside to experience the wonders of nature isn’t limited to the early childhood years. In a world infused with technology and fast-paced demands, our teens and tweens need the great outdoors more than ever. However, by the time they’ve reached their teen years, our kids are often past the days of playing at the park for hours on end. So, how do we encourage them to continue to love nature, to explore its beauty, and appreciate its allure? Today, Leslie Alvis, Ohio homeschooling mom of four, shares some ideas for engaging your teens (and pre-teens) in the outdoors through the challenge of learning wilderness survival skills.

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    Survival skills are important

    Anyone who spends much time out in nature knows that your situation can change in an instant. A storm can blow in, an injury can occur, an insect can sting, or an animal could attack. What started out as a simple hike can quickly become dangerous.

    I’m not saying any of this to scare you or deter you from spending time outside. None of us really expect our kids (or ourselves) to be thrust into life-threatening situations in the wild–and maybe they never will be! But, as we raise our kids to love being outside, we should also be giving them the tools to face an emergency that could happen outside.

    A level head, an emergency kit, and some basic wilderness survival skills will help them be prepared for the unexpected, both now and throughout their lives. And in the meantime, bushcraft skills are just a lot of fun. Sure, they’re useful in a survival situation. But they’re also a fun challenge for you and your teen to enjoy!

    Wilderness Survival

    The need for survival skills

    Many years ago, wilderness survival skills were necessary for life. It’s hard for us to wrap our 21st-century brains around, but children from past centuries had to acquire survival skills early. They needed to know how to build a fire, to create a shelter, to forage for food—and many of them survived because of those skills.

    Today, although wilderness survival skills aren’t necessarily essential for everyday life, they are still good to know for emergency situations. In an emergency, previously acquired skills can mean the difference between life and death. Many of these skills can be useful in everyday situations as well. And wilderness survival skills provide an outdoors-based challenge for the developing minds and skills of our young adults. Plus, many of them are just fun to learn!

    KnifeSkills

    Building outdoors skills

    My husband’s younger brother was still in his late teens when our two oldest kids were small. Too old to go outside and just play, this favorite uncle still enjoyed gathering up his little sisters and my kids to “play scouts.” They would pack up some supplies and tromp around in the woods, studying nature, playing survival games, and building forts. They all loved and benefited from the hours they spent doing this.

    As kids get older, the way they “play” and spend time outside changes. Our son is thirteen now, and I’ve watched him make this same type of transition from purely imaginative nature play to constructive skill-building outside. Wilderness survival skills have given nature time a purpose and challenge as he’s grown up. It’s given him a reason to spend more time outside (and isn’t that what we all want for our kids, no matter what the age?).

    Survival Skills

    Developing outdoor survival skills is a gradual process

    For our kids, the development of these skills has happened gradually. As they aged and matured, they’d get access to an emergency kit and a pocketknife; they learned fort-building skills and fire safety. As our children express interest in these new challenges, we carefully and gradually introduce the tools and concepts for wilderness survival. There’s no magic age for this. In our family, it continues to vary based on interest and maturity. You know your kids best and can judge whether they’re ready or not. 

    At thirteen, our son is capable and independent with many of these skills. But, he’s not just picking them up right now. His training and experience started very early, working in the woods with his dad and grandpa, and playing with his uncle. He frequently reads woodsman and bushcraft books, and loves to head out to the woods to practice these skills.

    As he and I have collaborated on the material for this article, I’ve honestly been amazed at his knowledge of and passion for all things bushcraft. He’s become very proficient in these skills due to practice, persistence,  and merely spending time outside getting to know, understand and appreciate nature. 

    SurvivalShelter

    Growing maturity with wilderness survival skills

    Each of the wilderness survival skills here will require some level of adult supervision and responsibility, at least initially. Again, as the parent, you know your own children, with their unique abilities and maturity levels. Only you can decide how these skills should look for them. You get to determine what they can handle (and how) based on your own comfort level. 

    For instance, in the beginning, our children are only allowed to use pocketknives with our permission and supervision. When they have demonstrated capability and maturity with a knife, they may be allowed to carry and use it as they see fit. If we find that they ever use this tool unwisely, we put it away until they grow up a little more. We learn from our mistakes, just as they do.

    As parents, our children’s safety is our responsibility. But we also want to see them grow in wisdom and maturity. As they do, it’s amazing to see how a challenge like learning wilderness survival can help them develop and grow.

    KnifeSkills

    Wilderness survival skills for teens and tweens

    If you’re interested in encouraging your teens (or pre-teen) to spend more time outside and learn some valuable lifelong skills in the process, we’re here to help. Here are some wilderness survival skills that perfect for teens and tweens. 

    Make a survival kit

    Making a survival pack is a fun and simple way to begin developing wilderness survival skills. Even a younger child can create a survival kit for a family hike or for a solo adventure like building a fort in your own backyard. It’s a great way to help kids begin to be prepared for the unexpected in nature. A survival pack doesn’t have to be fancy—just a backpack or little pouch with some basic tools and provisions.

    Items you can include in a survival kit:

    • First aid kit (our kids have created their own)
    • Non-perishable snacks
    • Water
    • Flashlight
    • Emergency blanket or rain poncho
    • Rope
    • Compass
    • Knife or multi-tool (depending on age and maturity)
    • Fire-starting tool (also depending on age and maturity)

    I’ve been amazed at what my older kids pull out of their packs sometimes. They’re better than I am about carrying first aid supplies on outings and hikes. I can’t count the times our son has used his survival kit to supply or create something useful when we’re outdoors. When we’re working at our homestead property, I often find him unloading a small cast iron skillet and canned goods from his pack, building a fire, and heating a snack for himself and his sisters. Our girls haven’t reached that stage of independence yet, but I love how thinking ahead helps them be helpful and prepared for different circumstances on our nature adventures.

    Wilderness Survival Kit

    Teaching survival skills to teens (and learning yourself)

    Before we cover some key elements of wilderness survival, I’d like to mention that some bushcraft skills may sound intimidating. In particular, handling sharp tools and starting fires might be scary, especially if they are out of your own comfort zone! They sound even scarier when you consider your child doing them. I am in no way advocating turning your child loose with anything. All of these skills require a learning period, patient instruction, and some maturity. With time and practice, he or she can gain safety and competence. 

    If you’re not comfortable or knowledgeable about these skills, don’t let that stop you. You and your teen can learn together. Letting them see you learn something new is encouraging and shows them that learning a new skill can happen at any age. If you don’t know where (or how) to get started, don’t be afraid to ask for assistance! For instance, if your teen or tween is interested in learning more about safe knife handling, but you’re not comfortable teaching it, consider reaching out to a trusted adult for help. Somewhere in your circle of family and friends, you probably know someone who is a fisherman, a hunter, or a dedicated hiker.

    People with hobbies like these often have a keen interest in wilderness survival skills. Many of them also love to share this knowledge, especially with the next generation. So, if you feel insufficient to teach/supervise any of these skills, look around for someone you trust to help you. And try learning right alongside your teen! You will never regret the time you spend together, discovering new skills and spending time in nature.

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    The Five C’s of wilderness survival

    In Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival, author Dave Canterbury identifies the key elements of survival skills as the Five C’s. Here are the Five C’s of wilderness survival:

    1. cutting tools
    2. combustion
    3. cover
    4. containers
    5. cordage

    Other guides label them in different ways, but we think the Five C’s make a helpful and memorable presentation of these skills. So, with due credit to the author for his outline, we would like to share with you the first three key elements of wilderness survival.

    Wilderness Survival Fire Stick

    1. Cutting tools

    The first C of wilderness survival is a cutting tool. Once again, this is something that may initially require your supervision and participation with your child. But, a sturdy pocketknife, multi-tool, or hatchet is one of the top tools necessary in a wilderness survival situation.

    A knife should be attached to you, worn on a belt, or in a secure pocket. This is the one thing you never want to be without in an emergency. With a knife or other cutting tool, you can create a fire starter, cut materials for fire and for shelter, and recreate almost any other tool you will need to survive. A knife can also be vital in emergency medical situations (cutting bandaging, removing clothing) and rescues (cutting away obstructions or creating other tools to work with).

    In the meantime, gaining skill and competence with a pocketknife or hatchet is a fun challenge for any teen.

    WildernessSurvival Hatchet

    Cutting tool options

    Because a knife is essential for so many areas of wilderness survival, it’s important to own a good one. The Field and Stream Total Knife Manual is a complete guide to any and every kind of knife, its pros and cons, with every style and brand known to this modern world. On our shortlist of most useful knives, though, are these suggestions:

    • Pocketknife: Sturdy, simple, and compact, this knife has a strong blade that locks open, preventing it from accidentally closing on your hand. As a basic survival tool, this knife is adequate and effective for a number of tasks.
    • Multi-tool: A step up from a basic pocketknife, the multi-tool provides a number of useful features in one tool. Although this brand is pricey, the quality and durability of their tools is proven. In our experience, they last forever and work for everything.

    KnifeSkills

    Learning knife safety early

    We live in a rural area where many of our friends and family members carry a pocketknife or multi-tool at all times. A cutting tool is useful for so many tasks in our lifestyle. With that kind of mindset, our kids have asked for pocket knives pretty young.

    When we think they can handle a knife without being a danger to themselves, we let them start using one for some basic whittling or cutting. They’ve had to learn basic safety rules:

    • do not ever cut toward your body,
    • do not move around with an open blade, and
    • no using a knife with other kids close to you.

    Only after we see them demonstrating responsibility and maturity with those guidelines do we consider letting them carry the knife or using it on their own.

    Wilderness Survival Knife Skills

    2. Combustion: tools and skills to make a fire

    Another key element of wilderness survival is fire. Although it might sound a little scary, the skills and tools to create fire are essential in emergency situations. They also come in handy in many everyday situations throughout life. With proper instruction and supervision, your teen or preteen can learn these skills safely and gain efficiency in fire starting.

    Wilderness Survival Fire

    Start with fire safety

    Since we heat our home with wood, as well as burn a lot of outdoor fires, our kids have been exposed to fires and learned safety rules from toddlerhood. Early on, we teach them never to get near a fire, and never to mess with matches or lighters. But, as our son approached his preteen years, he was demonstrating carefulness, capability, and a lot of interest in fire starting. We’ve continued to emphasize fire safety, but allowed him greater responsibility in building and maintaining fires.

    For him, the rules of fire safety are now more focused on choosing a smart location when building a fire, helping his little sisters be careful around the fire, and making sure it is properly contained. It’s also important to know and follow local burning regulations wherever you are. Wilderness survival skills always include being aware, smart, and ethical about your choices.

    Wilderness Survival Fire

    Fire starting skills

    Building a fire in a sheltered area with dry kindling is a great way to start. But wilderness survival takes fire building much farther. If you’re ever in an emergency situation and need a fire, you might not have ideal conditions for starting it. Bushcraft skills teach you how to use the materials you have on hand to create fire for heat, protection, and cooking. It takes practice to learn to build fires with wet materials or without a lighter, but it can be done. And it’s a fun outdoor challenge for a teen to learn!

    Wilderness Survival Skills

    Choose a proper fire location

    To build a safe and efficient fire, find a location that is sheltered from the wind. Scrape away all debris, down to the dirt, in a wide ring around the fire area. If possible, build a stone ring around your fire to help contain it. (Use dry stones, since wet rocks can explode if they’re heated too rapidly!) If there aren’t any stones available, try digging a depression into the dirt or building a small dirt wall around the fire. Practicing wilderness survival skills always includes showing carefulness for the environment surrounding you. This includes keeping the fire contained and controlled.

    Wilderness Survival Feather stick

    Fire starting materials

    Look for small twigs, leaves, or dry grass for fire-starting material. If it has been raining or snowing, try to find an evergreen tree. In wild areas, the lower, dead limbs of evergreen trees haven’t been trimmed away. Sheltered by the overhanging branches, they provide the perfect source for dry fire materials in a wilderness survival situation. If you’re having a hard time finding dry starter material, you can use a knife to shave one end of a dry stick to carve a “feather stick” (pictured above) to help light your fire.  

    Ferrocerium Rod

    Starting the fire and choosing a firestarter

    Ideally, your wilderness survival kit will contain some way to create a spark. A small lighter, waterproof matches, a magnifying glass, or a ferrocerium rod can all serve as fire starters. While some are easier to use and/or more reliable than others, part of the fun of developing survival skills is learning to start a fire with what you have on hand.  I think the dramatic sparks from the ferrocerium rod (shown above) might be the most exciting way to try to start a fire!

    Once you have a flame going, gradually add small bits of dry leaves and twigs. Feed the fire slowly with lightweight materials until the flame is steady and strong. Be careful not to smother the fire or let the wind blow it out! With some patience and wilderness survival skills, you can have a strong fire to provide warmth, light, and protection in almost any situation.

    Wilderness Survival Fire

    3. Cover: shelter in the wilderness

    The third C of wilderness survival is cover. If you’re ever stranded in the woods, injured on a hike, or caught in a storm, you need to be able to take shelter. Survival may depend on you knowing the most efficient way to use the materials around you. This is a great challenge for teens and tweens! Survival skills add a whole new dimension to fort building. 

    First, look around for any natural cover. A cave, a crevice in a hillside, or a ravine can help provide shelter. But sometimes there isn’t a natural cover to be found. If you need to build a simple survival shelter, you can gather materials from around you and build this basic shelter. You need two stakes to drive into the ground, a ridge pole to run between them, and smaller branches to lean against them. The stakes determine the height of the shelter, and the ridgepole its width. 

    Wilderness Survival ShelterSurvival Shelter

    Shelter building basics and tools

    A hatchet really comes in handy for creating the point on the stakes, plus a notch in the top for the ridge pole. You can use the flat edge of the hatch to drive the stakes in or use a rock. Once you have your stakes set and the ridge pole set, lean the smaller branches against the ridge pole as thickly as possible. If there are evergreen trees nearby, evergreen branches make an ideal cover against wind and rain. But part of wilderness survival is learning to use what you can find. In the spring and summer, green leafy branches will also work. In the fall and winter, gather armfuls of fallen leaves to fill in the gaps in the wall.

    The thicker you pile the branches and leaves, the better shelter you will have.  Even dried leaves provide surprisingly good protection from the elements. Being able to build a shelter is one more skill your teen will enjoy learning as he or she gains proficiency in wilderness survival skills!

    Wilderness Survival Shelter

    Practicing wilderness survival skills

    Although all these wilderness survival skills are helpful in an emergency situation, they’re also just a lot of fun to practice throughout life. The basics aren’t hard to learn, and there are many ways to continue to develop better bushcraft skills. From how to light a fire without man-made materials to creating a drinking container out of natural materials, survival skills can present endless new challenges and encourage your kids to spend more time outside.

    So head outside with your teen, and see what skills you can learn together! 

    Is your teen interested in wilderness survival? 

    About the author

    Leslie is an Ohio farm girl and chaser of light, children, and sometimes chickens. She’s a lover of Jesus, wife to her high school sweetheart, and a homeschooling mom of four wild rascals who love the great outdoors as much as she does. As a family, they love hiking, camping, fishing, and just about any outdoor activity. She and her husband are just beginning the process of building a homestead from the ground up, doing most of the work themselves. Leslie has a lifelong obsession with writing and capturing everyday life from behind the lens. Follow along with their homesteading, homeschooling, and everyday adventures on her Instagram account.

    You can find more from Leslie in the following locations:
    Instagram: @c_l_allofus
    Client work: @lalvisphotography
    Leslie’s RWMC posts:

  • BOOKS, CRAFTS, FALL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

    Fall Leaf Fun for Kids: Leaf Crafts, Leaf Activities, Leaf Books, and More!

    Fall is the perfect time to get outside and have fun! The colorful changing fall leaves add an extra flair of excitement to the mix and create endless possibilities for outdoor fall leaf fun! Today, full-time RV mom of two, Katie Fox is here sharing all kinds of ways we can explore fall leaves and have fun (and maybe even learn something) while doing it! She’s sharing fall leaf craft ideas, fall leaf outdoor activities, science experiments, fall leaf jokes, books, and more! So, jump in our pile of fall leaf fun for kids! There’s room for all!

    Fall leaf fun for kids

    Fall arrives every year and demands our attention and awe with a beautiful display of colorful leaves. Children are particularly drawn to the vibrant colors of individual leaves and the tempting piles of leaves that can be found this time of year. The colors, sizes, and shapes ignite their imagination. Tap into this fascination and help your little nature explorers discover the magic of fall leaves.

    Do you need some ideas on how to have fun with fall leaves with your kids? We’ve got you covered. This post is filled with clever craft ideas, science experiments, books, jokes, and more all about LEAVES! 

    Fall leaf crafts for kids

    One great thing about fall leaves is that there is virtually an endless supply of them! And they’re completely free. That’s right as the beautifully colored leaves fall from the trees, you can gather them right on up and get your craft on with your kids.

    There are so many fun fall leaf crafts to do and make with kids. We’ve included a few crafts below, but don’t stop with this list. Let your children’s imaginations run wild and find new and exciting ways to create fall leaves crafts and have fall leaf fun with kids.

    How to make fall leaf crowns - fall leaf fun crafts for kids
    Photo credit: @sara_mccarty

    1. Leaf crown

    Foster some creative play with fall leaf crowns. There are a few simple ways to make fall leaf crowns and because most fall leaves have varying shapes and colors, the crowns are bound to be absolutely beautiful.

    Option 1: Upcycle a paper bag or scrap paper and cut a 3-5 inch wide strip in a length that will fit around your child’s head. If your paper isn’t long enough to fit around your child’s head, just cut as many as you need and tape, staple or glue them together to make the right length. Once you have the right length, glue or tape it together to create a paper crown. Then it is time to add all the beautiful leaves you collected. There is no wrong way to decorate these crowns with leaves. We used a stapler to adhere the leaves on the crowns featured in the photo above. Line up the leaves, tuck the bottoms/stems under the crown, and staple to secure! So easy, even kids can do it!

    Option 2: Use duct tape to create a crown. To do this, you simply cut the duct tape in the length you need to fit around your child’s head with an inch or two extra to stick it together at the end. Lay it flat on your work surface, sticky side up. Help your child lay their fall leaves on the sticky tape, being careful not to let the tape stick to itself. Make sure to not stick leaves too close to the ends of the tape. Once your child is happy with the number of leaves, take match up the sticky ends of the tape, with the leaves on the outside of the crown.

    DIY leaf fox tail for kids -fall leaf fun craft ideas
    Photo credit: @unlocking.fun

    2. Colorful leaf fox tail

    Another fun way to encourage pretend outdoor play is by making a leaf fox tail (pictured above). Our friends at @unlocking.fun say you simply need leaves, some cardboard (upcycling a paper bag would work too), white paint, and string.

    To make the fox tail shape, cut the cardboard in the shape you want. Then, paint the tip white, and then glue or tape leaves over the rest of the tail-shaped cardboard. Once it is dried, help your child add a string to the top of the tail and then tie it loosely around your child’s waist.

    FAll leaf fun for kids - leaf crafts - leaf dipping beeswax
    Photo credit: @discoverwildlearning

    3. Leaf dipping with beeswax

    Dipping your fall leaves into beeswax is a wonderful way to preserve the colors of fall leaves. All you need is some plain beeswax, a way to melt it, some leaves to dip into it, and a place to let the leaves dry. It really is that easy, though it is also a bit messy when doing it with children, so prepare for a mess. Let the leaves dry on a large piece of wax paper to catch all the drippings. A nice thin coat should work just fine! 

    4. Fall leaf wall hanging

    Need something to do with your preserved beeswax leaves? Or maybe you just have a ton of fall leaves scattered around your nature shelf or kitchen table. Make a fall leaf wall hanging with them! This is a beautiful way to keep them off the table and shelves, while also displaying them for all to see and admire.

    All to need to do to make a wall hanging is to attach your leaves to a piece of string or twine. You can hang them all at various lengths from a longer branch or tie them all together and attach to a pinecone. Or, you could even thread them and make a colorful leaf garland for the mantle. If you preserve your leaves in beeswax, your wall hanging will last a long time. If you prefer to create it without preserving them, it will still last a couple of weeks.

    5. Painted leaves and funny face leaves

    Painting leaves is a neat way to use up all the fall leaves you collect, while also creating fun holiday-themed decorations. You can create ghosts and pumpkins with ease and oak leaves make excellent Christmas trees and reindeer. These painted fall leaves make excellent decorations and even a fun annual activity to add to your holiday decor.

    You could also make funny faces on your leaves. Add expressions with paint or use stickers or googly eyes. Funny face leaves are so much fun to make and display. They could even be made into gifts! Paint, markers, cut-up leaves, googly eyes, crayons, construction paper, and pretty much any other craft supply you can think of would be perfect for creating these funny face fall leaves with kids.

    6. Leaf masks

    Leaf masks are another way to have fun with fall leaves. The masks can be as simple or as complicated as your children desire. Search for big leaves and simply cut eye holes into them and suddenly your child is camouflaged and can hide in plain sight. You could also use a variety of fall leaves to create elaborate masks with your kids. Create a mask shape with cardboard or a paper bag and then let your children glue the leaves on to create whimsical leaf masks.

    7. Leaf confetti

    Need something to keep little hands busy? Or are you needing confetti for an upcoming party or celebration? Fall leaves are perfect for making all-natural DIY biodegradable confetti! Plus, it is so very easy!

    Hand your kids some dry fall leaves, scissors, and a hand-held hole punch. Let them cut up and punch holes in the leaves to their heart’s content. If you have decorative edge scissors, kids can experiment with how it makes the leaf confetti look too. This is a wonderful way to enjoy throwing confetti, but without using plastics and glitter, which are harmful to our planet and are typically found in store-bought confetti.

    8. Pressed leaves

    A lot of the fall leaves kids collect quickly begin to dry and curl at the edges. An easy way to prolong the life of a fall leaf is to press it. If you have a flower or leaf press, use it. Sticking the leaves in the pages of a book will do pretty much the same thing. Pro tip: If you use a book, be sure to put a piece of paper between the leaves and the book pages to protect the book. If the leaves were not entirely dry before being placed in the book, you may find unwanted mold.

    9. Outdoor leaf art

    While you are out exploring your neighborhood or local trail, gather some leaves with your kids. Once you have a few (or a ton), use them to create a work of art on the ground near where you found all the leaves. Make a heart, spiral, funny face, maze, a blob, a line, a giant number (for how old they are), or anything else you and your child can think up. Not only will your artwork brighten someone’s day, but the supplies were literally collected right there so cleanup is not required.

    Photo credit: @getoutsidecapecod

    10. Leaf animals and people

    Ever heard of the book Leaf Man by Lois Elhert? The leaf art in this book is so wonderful and so much fun to try and create yourself. Creating leaf people and animals is a fun way to utilize fall leaves, while also incorporating family reading time. Bring the book outside and read it under a color fall tree and then collect some leaves to create your own leaf animals and people. You can try to recreate some of the scenes in the book or make up your own story. 

    11. Leaf lantern

    With it getting dark earlier and the ground covered in fall leaves, there is no better time to make a fall leaf lantern with your kids. Check out this leaf lantern tutorial on how to do it. Use your leaf lantern to go for a night hike or even just a twilight stroll around your neighborhood. Making your own lantern will make any evening outing that much more fun and magical! 

    12. Leaf rubbings

    This is probably an activity you are familiar with, but it is a classic for a reason. It is fun (and educational)! All you need to do to make leaf rubbings is put a piece of paper on top of a leaf and then rub the side of a crayon over the area of the leaf to make a rubbing of the leaf. You can try with different media (like oil pastels or colored pencils), experiment to see which colors work best, try out a variety of leaves, and see what several leaf rubbings look like together on one piece of paper. Once you have leaf rubbings, try identifying the leaves. Are they from a maple, oak, ash, aspen, dogwood, hawthorn? For extra credit, find the tree the leaf came from and make a bark rubbing as well! There are so many ways to take this classic activity and make it your own.

    13. Leaf bookmarks

    Looking for a fun craft that can also make the perfect gift? All you need is thick paper, leaves, and glue. You can use cardstock or upcycle paper bags, construction paper, or thin cardboard. Cut several rectangles in the general size of a standard bookmark (approximately 3 x 8 inches). Gather any fall leaves you want to use for your bookmarks and press them in a book or leaf press before you use them (see more on this below). Flat leaves are easier to glue down.

    After you have your paper bookmarks and your pressed fall leaves, all you do is glue them onto the paper. The best way to do this is to have your kids paint the glue on. Then, glue the leaves onto the paper and then paint the glue over the top of the entire bookmark. Once they are dry, you can trim the edges or leave them how they turned out. They really do look beautiful no matter what!

    If you have Modge Podge, this will work better at sealing the bookmarks to help preserve them.

    Fall leaf activities for kids

    Even if you are not feeling crafty, there are so many other ways to enjoy some fall leaf fun with kids! A lot of these activities are just good old-fashioned outdoor play! Here are a few of our favorite outdoor fall leaf fun ideas to get you started on your adventures.

    1. Collect leaves

    While out exploring nature in your local park or neighborhood simply collect some leaves. Some leaves are just begging to be admired! There are leaves that are mottled and polka-dotted. Some are so vibrant it’s crazy. Others look almost tie-dyed! You can collect one leaf that you found absolutely stunning. Or heck, collect a whole basketful! There is no wrong way to do it. Just make sure you have permission to collect them, as some parks (especially national parks) ask that you not collect any form of nature. You can put them in a collection bag, carry them or put them in a backpack to bring home and enjoy. 

    2. Rake leaves for a friend or neighbor

    I always like adding a few acts of service/kindness to any seasonal activity list. A great way to pay-it-forward in the fall is to rake the leaves out of the yard of a friend or neighbor. If you have an elderly or disabled neighbor or just know someone that could use a few extra hands, send the kids over with the rakes and leaf blower to help out. Not only will they feel good about helping, but they can make piles of leaves and have fun in the process (see below). Join forces with other neighborhood families and your good deed will go even faster with extra fun and laughter!

    3. Jump in a leaf pile

    If your kids are little, rake a pile of leaves into a safe location for them. Make sure the ground underneath is relatively soft (grass, not concrete) and remove any long/sharp twigs, sticks or branches. And then, let them jump! If your kids are older, hand them the rake and put them to work making their own piles! Raking leaves is a great gross motor activity and good for coordination.

    What to take it up a notch? Here are some other ways to make leaf raking and leaf piles extra fun for kids:

    • Make leaf raking a competition. Who can make the biggest pile the fastest? Ready, set, go!
    • Rake a pile of leaves into shapes (a number that represents their age, the year, or the grade they’re in) and take a photo of them next to the pile from above as a keepsake.
    • Take a photo of your child from above and try to capture the same shot year after year to document how much they’ve changed.
    • If you’ve got a large space, use the leaves to create a maze. Add obstacles and blocks that you have to go around. Or even a circular spiral leading to a prize (a giant leaf pile).
    • Make a leaf rainbow. Different trees make leaves of different colors. Sort your leaves into piles by color and then use them to make a rainbow!
    • The ground is lava! Instead of one big pile of leaves, make a bunch of smaller piles and let the kids jump from pile to pile without touching empty spaces.

     

    3. Throw leaves in the air

    Throwing leaves up into the air is a fun and super simple activity. It can also make for a great photo opportunity, though it can be hard to capture* sometimes. Plus, this activity couldn’t be any more simple. Gather some leaves, or better yet use an existing pile of leaves, and toss the leaves into the air. And yes, mom, YOU need to do it, too! It’s fun and you can do it until your kids tucker out or get bored.

    *Pro tip: Make sure your shutter speed is quick and your depth of field isn’t too narrow or you’ll get a bunch of blurry and out-of-focus photos. 

    Go on a fall leaf hike with kids - fun fall leaf activities

    4. Go for a fall leaf walk

    You do not have to collect leaves, craft, or do any sort of activity to enjoy fall leaves with your kids. Simply taking a fall hike is a great outdoor activity and a way to take advantage of the leaves. You can simply meader along a trail or through your neighborhood taking in the vibrant colors of the season. Hiking during the fall months is extra fun and beautiful! You usually don’t have to deal with the heat or mosquitoes, plus, there’s all that beautiful scenery to take in! 

    Ways to have fun outside in the fall leaves
    Photo credit: @seldabelda

    5. Lay under a tree

    Lying under a tree is a great way to enjoy fall with your kids. This is an especially fun activity when there is a gentle breeze knocking the leaves off the trees. Watching the fall leaves flutter to the ground is relaxing. And if your child is bored or needs to burn energy, they can see how many leaves they can catch before they hit the ground.

    Fall leaf fun crafts and activities for kids

    Fall leaf science for kids

    Just because we’re having some fall leaf fun, doesn’t mean we can learn while we’re at it! Fall leaf fun can be both a blast and educational. If you want to throw some learning into your fall leaf exploration, there are so many ways to do it. Here are a few easy science-based fall leaf activities you can do with your kids.

    1. Parts of a leaf

    Labeling the parts of a leaf is a simple way to add in some learning with your kids while out exploring nature. You can get formal and tape the leaf to a piece of paper and have your child label it, or you can simply do it verbally while you explore. Have your kids identify the stem, veins, lobes, base, and any serration. There is no wrong way to integrate this easy science activity.

    2. Compare leaves to seeds

    Autumn brings fall leaves, but it is also the season of acorns, conkers (horse chestnuts), pinecones, and more. Go on a hunt for both the leaves and the seeds of the trees. You can use both in crafts, plus matching them up is a great way to learn the lifecycle of a tree and learn to identify trees in your area. This science activity is fun to do year-round. If you have an abundance of conkers in your area, check out this post for some ideas on conker crafts to do with your kids. 

    3. Leaf identification

    Different trees create different shaped and colored leaves. A fun science-based activity is learning how to identify a tree by its leaves. In the fall, it’s even more fun because the leaves are not just green, but a variety of colors. Use nature books or apps and walk and explore and learn about trees together. Match the leaves to the tree and then identify the species. 

    Fall leaf science experiments for kids
    Photo credit: A Little Pinch of Perfection

    4. Why do leaves change colors?

    If you have a kid who really enjoys science experiments, this activity may be perfect for your family. A Little Pinch of Perfection provides a detailed tutorial on leaf color and chlorophyll. You really just need fall leaves, boiling water, rubbing alcohol, and a couple of jars. It’s a super easy experiment and one that will likely delight most children and their grownups.

    Fall leaf fun activities and crafts for kids

    Fall leaf jokes for kids

    Everyone can use a little more laughter in their life. Here are a few funny child-friendly jokes all about fall leaves.

    Q: What did one autumn leaf say to another?
    A: I’m falling for you!

     

    Q: What is the cutest of all seasons?
    A: Awwwtumn!

     

    Q: What happens when winter arrives?
    A: Autumn leaves!

     

    Q: Why do trees like to try new things each year?
    A: Because every autumn they turn over a new leaf!

     

    Q: What did autumn say to summer?
    A: Make like a tree and leave!

     

    Knock Knock
    Who’s there?
    Iva
    Iva who?
    Iva bunch of leaves that need raking!

     

    Knock Knock
    Who’s there?
    Olive
    Olive who?
    Olive looking at the autumn leaves!

    Best Fall Leaf Books for Kids

    Fall leaf books for kids

    Books are such a wonderful addition to any activity. Take a book with you on a nature walk and read it under a tree. Read a book while your children paint fall leaves or cut them up into tiny confetti pieces. As the seasons change, having seasonal books on hand for your children to explore and for you all to read together as a family can be fun. If you have personal libraries you are growing, here are some wonderful options all about fall leaves.

    How are you exploring fall leaves with your kids?

    About the author

    Katie lives in a tiny home on wheels and travels full-time with her two mostly wild children, tech-minded partner, two well-traveled pups, and adopted pet snails. As they wander the North American continent, Katie explores as much as possible, with a particular fondness for the adventures her family enjoys in state and national parks. When not trekking through the outdoors, Katie enjoys baking, homeschooling, consuming mochas from local coffee shops across the continent, practicing her photography skills, and soaking up as much knowledge as she can.

    As an advocate for families exploring the great outdoors, Katie co-founded a Hike it Baby branch in her hometown in Northern California and tries to encourage families to get outside whenever possible. Katie has a Master’s degree in human development from the University of Missouri, Columbia, but her passion is really history and humanities (which is coincidentally what her Bachelor’s degrees are in). She currently volunteers on the Hike it Baby National team as a contributing blogger.

    You can find more from Katie online in the following locations:
    Instagram: @familyinwanderland
    Website: http://www.familyinwanderland.com
    Facebook: @familyinwanderland
    RWMC posts: Katie Fox

  • BOOKS, LESSONS, NATURE SCHOOL

    10 Must Read Exploration & Adventure Chapter Books For Kids

    We’re BIG fans of books around here. We’ve featured the most beautiful picture books about nature, diverse nature books, the best nature-themed holiday books, and even a huge list of educational nature books. As our kids get older and want books that are more substantial than just pretty pictures, we’re moving our young readers into chapter books. But not all chapter books are equal. We love finding chapter books that have a nature theme, lovable characters, and showcase traits that are admirable like courage, curiosity, empathy, bravery, kindness, and tenacity. Today, California mom and founder of Wonder Club Explorers, Michelle Garret is here sharing her son’s favorite 10 chapter books that encourage adventure and exploration. These 10 adventure chapter books are sure to inspire your young reader to keep the pages turning and foster a love of reading (and nature) in your little one. 
    10 chapter books that encourage adventure and exploration
    {This post contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through a link on our website. Thank you for supporting a small business.}

    Raising a reader

    Developmental milestones are the landmarks of one’s childhood. Learning to crawl, learning to walk, speaking the first word are just a few of the milestones celebrated by parents and grandparents everywhere. As kids transition from their toddler years to early childhood, parents rejoice for the first days of school and the days when you can hike with your child and not carry them!
     
    One important milestone our family is currently experiencing is watching our child develop into a budding reader. We’ve moved past picture books and little stories, two types of books that were easy to source and read together. We’re now venturing into chapter books. We have been on the hunt for books that are not only at the right reading level but also capture our son’s imagination. On top of all of that, I’ve been in search of books that encourage a love for adventure and the outdoors.
     
    Kids reading outside

    Benefits of reading

    It goes without saying that the benefits of reading are enormous! It is often said that kids are like sponges- they absorb practically everything in their environments. Reading to your kids, with your kids, or having them read to you all boost brain development.  
     
    The act of reading helps to expand vocabulary, develop key concentration and self-discipline skills, can teach kids how to cope with difficult or stressful experiences, and model life lessons. For families that want to encourage their kids to be outdoorsy and adventurous, finding books with these lessons can help reinforce those values.

    You can do anything for 20 minutes!

    According to education and literacy experts, kids should read (or be read to) at least 20 minutes a day. In truth, there are recommended reading targets for children at different grade levels. In our school, we go by:
    • Pre-K to Kindergarten 10-15 minutes a day
    • Grades 1-3 15-20 minutes a day
    • Grades 4-5 20-30 minutes a day
    There are a number of ways kids can meet their target minutes. Kids can try reading before or after school, while traveling in a vehicle, reading aloud to parents, pets, or stuffed animals, or being read to by someone else. As parents, we should also do our part to encourage literacy by reading ourselves. Sadly, according to a BLS study, most American adults find time to read just 17 minutes per day. If we’re asking our kids to read 20 minutes a day, let’s join in on the fun and read, too!

    Adventure chapter books for curious courageous kids

    If you’re a parent like me, a little bit of a book worm who loves adventure stories, making lists, and gets a thrill from the outdoors, then I’ve got a treat for you. I enjoy picking out books with my seven-year-old (books to hold with your hands, not contained on an e-reader) and having a list of good reads on tap. I’ve compiled a list of books we’ve read together and books we will be tackling soon.

    10 outdoor exploration and adventure chapter books for young readers

    1. Kondo & Kezumi by David Goodner
    2. The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
    3. The Minpins by Roald Dahl
    4. Bear Grylls Adventures by Bear Grylls
    5. S.W.I.T.C.H. by Ali Sparkes 
    6. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lundgrin 
    7. The Boy Who Biked the World by Alastair Humphreys
    8. Alastair Humphreys’ Great Adventurers by Alastair Humphreys 
    9. National Parks of the USA by Kate Siber 
    10. Atlas Obscura for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid by Dylan Thuras & Rosemary Mosco
    Each of the adventure chapter books on this list encourages literacy but also features feel-good topics that inspire a love for exploration and the outdoors. There’s nothing like hearing a seven-year-old ask questions about what they read or giggle out loud when something is funny. These reactions may not be milestones in and of themselves, but they are music to a parent’s ears. I hope you take the time to experience the same!
     
    Adventure Chapter Books Fun Nature Book- Kondo & Kezumi

    Kondo & Kezumi by David Goodner

    This title is new on the scene and was first published in 2020. These early chapter books are full of colorful pictures and are great for young readers. The titular characters are complete opposites, but best friends. One friend is big, the other friend is little. One is adventurous, the other more reserved. Each of the books in the series follows these two lovable characters on outdoor adventures, exploring the unknown and learning how to navigate challenging situations while their friendship and understanding of one another deepen.
     

    Why did my seven-year-old love these books?

    The characters are sweet, their adventures are fun and they teach kids what it means to be brave whether in small moments or epic adventures.
     
    Nature Book Wild Robot - Adventure Chapter Books for Young Readers

    The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

    Kids today are more technologically savvy than ever. Their fluency with computers and electronics is impressive, if not a sign of the potential for the future. But what happens when nature collides with technology? In the Wild Robot, a robot learns how to survive in the wilderness. To survive anywhere, a person, animal, or thing has to adapt to its surroundings. Rossum, a.k.a. the wild robot, learns from other creatures, becomes part of their natural family, and goes on to foster and protect wildlings from predators or foes. In the process of doing so, the robot gains their trust and the feeling is reciprocated.
     

    Why did my seven-year-old love this book?

    First, it has a robot. Second, there’s a deserted island filled with talking creatures, each with their own unique personality. This is a beautifully written story and the chapters are short, making it very manageable for an early reader to tackle.
     
    Nature Chapter Books for Kids - Minpins

    The Minpins by Roald Dahl

    This was the last published book of beloved children’s author, Roald Dahl. The Minpins story follows the brave adventures of a little boy who yearns to explore but (gasp!) is discouraged by his mom. If childhood embodies the possibility of magic for you, then this imaginative story inspired by the countryside will delight you. Nature is meant to be experienced and explored, and The Minpins is a great reminder that there’s no better time than childhood to do that.

    Why did my seven-year-old love this book?

    He was hanging on to Dahl’s every word to see what surprising twist would happen next. Where was this story going? What would the little boy see next? While not a chapter book, this story is sentimental and features one of the author’s most memorable quotes about the magic of childhood.
     
    Nature Books Bear Grylls Adventures

    Bear Grylls Adventures by Bear Grylls

    In this 12-book series, Bear Grylls combines children’s fiction with outdoor survival skills. With locations and nature events ranging from rivers and blizzards to volcanos and earthquakes, kids will experience the energy and expert advice from one of the best-known modern-day adventures. Bear’s passion for empowering others to find their own adventure is evident in each short chapter of each book in the series.
     

    Why did my seven-year-old love this book?

    Who doesn’t live a little vicariously through Bear Grylls? He’s smart, knowledgeable, experienced, and has a very approachable manner for people of all ages- including, and especially, kids. Moreover, his message “In the wild, you’re stronger together” is another way of encouraging important life lessons like teamwork and collaboration.
     
    Best Chapter Books for Adventurous Kids - S.W.I.T.C.H. Series

    S.W.I.T.C.H. by Ali Sparkes

    If your kids like to bug out with nature and don’t mind creepy-crawlies, amphibians, and lizards of the sort, then the S.W.I.T.C.H. series will be perfect for your littles. If your child is into science, even better. The S.W.I.T.C.H. series follows the nature and science adventures of two twins and their best friend. The twins live next to a mad scientist who develops potions to switch humans into a variety of animals. The Serum Which Imitates Total Cellular Hijack (SWITCH) sets in motion these fast-paced chapter books. 
     

    Why did my seven-year-old love these books?

    Each book in the S.W.I.T.C.H. Series highlights a different creature- newts, geckos, turtles, anacondas, crazy flies, and chameleons. If you have a curious kid who is fascinated by nature then they’ll especially love these books because they are chock-full of fascinating facts about the natural world.
     
    Nature-Inspired Chapter Books for Kids - Pippi Longstocking

    Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lundgrin

    First published in 1945, Pippi Longstocking is an unconventional story about a nine-year-old girl named Pippi. She is the daughter of a pirate and lives by herself. Pippi Longstocking is bold, playful, unpredictable, and bears superhuman strength. The Pippi Longstocking adventure stories have entertained for decades. Pippi dances to the beat of her own drum and is as independent as they come.
     
    This might seem an unusual choice for a modern-day booklist, but if you want to pique your child’s interest in reading with tall tales about adventures, Pippi Longstocking is a fun addition to any bookshelf. If you’re lucky enough to find a copy of the 1969 television/movie series, watching these after reading the books is a fun treat to reward a young reader.

    Why did my seven-year-old enjoy these books?

    Pippi is hilariously funny and her adventures are madcap. These two qualities were enough to capture his attention and his imagination.
     
    Adventure Books for Young Reader - Boy Who Biked The World

    The Boy Who Biked the World by Alastair Humphreys

    This adventure chapter book is for the kids whose heads aren’t in the clouds but in an atlas!  This story follows a young kid who one day decides to cycle around the world. It’s actually a caricature of the author himself, British Adventurer Alastair Humphreys, and his own famous circumnavigation of the world on his bike. Both educational and entertaining, this book covers a variety of subjects including geography, religion, languages, and a number of other subjects all under one cover. It also demonstrates important life lessons like perseverance and following one’s dreams.
     

    Why does my seven-year-old like this book?

    This is a nice blend of biography interwoven with geography and history. My son loves Nat Geo documentaries so this is a great way to introduce new subjects in book form.
     
    Nature Books Alastair Humphreys Great Adventurers

    Alastair Humphreys’ Great Adventurers by Alastair Humphreys

    While not technically a chapter book, this is a fantastic book to read as a break from longer books. Alastair Humphrey’s Great Adventurers is a pictorial showcase of some of history’s greatest adventurers. The people profiled in this book include men and women who have ventured into space, oceans, deserts, and jungles. Profiles include people like Sacagawea and Amelia Earhart as well as Jacques Picard and Thor Heyerdahl, there are 20 profiles in total that retrace the steps of these great adventurers, their essential skills, and what they packed. It’s enough to inspire a little wanderlust in anybody.

    Why did my seven-year-old enjoy this book?

    It’s great to learn about new role models and how ordinary people can do extraordinary things.
     
    Nature Books National Parks of the USA

    National Parks of the USA by Kate Siber

    The National Parks of the USA book is beautiful enough for a coffee table collection. But books are meant to be read, not just sit on a table, so crack that book open! Inside readers take a tour of America’s great outdoors and discover America’s great parks. Each National Park highlighted features maps and facts about fauna and flora unique to the park’s location. This book is sure to spark an interest in travel and the outdoors.
     
    Accompanying activity book: National Parks of the USA: Activity Book

    Why did my seven-year-old enjoy this book?

    He is now at the age when he remembers our travels. He’s had the opportunity to visit the Grand Canyon,  Zion, and Mount Rushmore so his thirst for adventure travel is growing. I didn’t get to travel much as a kid myself, so to experience it with him is a blessing.
     
    Nature Books Atlas Obscura for the World's Most Adventurous Kid

    Atlas Obscura for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid by Dylan Thuras & Rosemary Mosco

    The Atlas Obscura for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid features 100 extraordinary places to visit in 47 countries. This was a book that my son and I read together. We would drop pins into a globe to track all of the countries we visited throughout the book.  It was remarkable to read about the unique and odd places that exist all over the world. Homeschooling parents will especially appreciate the companion educator’s guide to complement the passages in the book.

    Why did my seven-year-old enjoy this book?

    We eventually started making a game out of this book. He would read passages and the adults in his life would show him how to use context clues to guess the country or continent he read about. He loved it when he could stump us!
     
    Nature Books Boy Reading Outside

    Reading strategies

    As your emerging reader starts tackling chapter books, I’m here to say that some days are easier than others. To encourage your kids to stretch their reading abilities, sometimes we take turns reading pages. Or, maybe we take breaks and find a nice place to read outside, in the grass, on a bench, or perched atop a big rock.
     
    Even though my seven-year-old is learning to sound out more challenging words, developing cadence, and every once in a while incorporating character voices, I still like to read stories to him. Listening to stories read by someone else and checking for reading comprehension are great ways to build up a child’s literacy. At the end of the day, it is good to encourage reading as a fun activity and not a chore.
     
    Wonder Club Explorers Super Reader Patch

    Earn a Super Readers patch! 

    The benefits of reading are enormous! The benefits of being outdoors are huge! When you combine the two together, it’s like magic. It is an understatement to say that there are too many books and too little time to get through them all. 
     
    The knowledge, joy, and wonder contained inside the pages of books are just a few of the reasons why the Super Reader merit patch is one of the first 18 patches to be released as part of the Wonder Club Explorers program. Wonder Club Explorers is an independent scouting program for kids. Through Wonder Club Explorers, kids earn colorful patches doing age-appropriate activities with parents and caregivers. And, yep, reading is one of them! 

    Make reading fun

    Remember, reading is fundamental and should be fun! We hope you enjoy the adventure chapter books on this list and even more so, we hope they inspire your little one to get outdoors, go explore and find adventure! Have fun exploring and remember to tag #runwildmychild. Until next time!
     
     

    About the author

    Michelle spends her days working on projects to improve the quality of life for the citizens of her community and her nights reading books to her 6-year-old about every kind of dinosaur there ever was (there are 900 validated species, in case you’re wondering). Together with her son, Michelle created Wonder Club Explorers, a company to inspire wonder and curiosity in kids. She carves out time for herself on the weekends as an early morning exerciser and metalsmith of fine jewelry. Michelle is also the co-host of the Run Wild My Child podcast. She resides in Altadena with her husband and son amongst California Oak trees and a stone’s throw of the San Gabriel Mountains. 

    You can find Michelle online in the following locations:
    Instagram: @wonderclubexplorers
    Website: http://www.wonderclubexplorers.co
    RWMC posts: Outdoor Etiquette & Nature Manners for Kids, Outdoor Resolutions for Nature Kids, How to Cultivate Nature-Inspired Literacy in Kids, Sandcastle Building 101

     
  • BOOKS, FALL, GOOD FOR NATURE, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

    World Kindness Day: 20+ Outdoor Acts of Kindness for Kids & Ways to Be Kind to Nature

    World Kindness Day is November 13 and we can’t think of a more deserving recipient of our kindness than our planet. Nature is all around us and benefits us in more ways than we can imagine. Our planet needs our help, protection and kindness. This weekend, we hope to inspire you to get outside with your kids and perform some of these outdoor acts of kindness and discover new ways to be kind to nature. 

    20+ Outdoor Acts of Kindness for Kids & Ways to Be Kind to Nature

    Celebrating World Kindness Day outside

    World Kindness Day is right around the corner and what better way to inspire kindness than to take a moment and be kind to our planet. Each year on November 13th, people all over the world come together and give kindness to each other, themselves, and the world.

    World Kindness Day was designed to highlight good deeds in the community focusing on the positive power and the common thread of kindness for good. Kindness is a fundamental part of the human condition which bridges the divides of race, religion, politics, gender, and location. 

    This shared movement reminds us all that compassion really does bind us together on this planet. This year, we encourage you to reach out with acts of kindness to your families, neighborhoods, communities, and to our shared planet.

    Photo credit: @kidsdelmundo

     

    20+ kid-friendly ways to be kind to nature

    Of course, we want you to be kind to everyone, but since we’re all about getting kids outside and into nature, today we’re going to share some ways that you and your kids can be kind to nature and our planet. If you are in need of a little inspiration and some ideas for ways you can be kind to nature, we’re sharing over 20 ideas to get you and your kids started. And the best part…you can do a lot of these acts of kindness outside! 

    1. Pick up trash

    This is probably one of the easiest ways to get your kids involved in giving back to your community and nature. As you walk through your neighborhood and local parks, pick up the trash you see. Make a point to go out on a hike or walk with the sole intention of cleaning up. Kids love being helpful and it really is so beneficial to the maintenance of the natural areas we all love and enjoy. Plus, you’re setting an example of a lifelong love of their planet and instilling a personal responsibility to take care of nature.

    2. Practice Leave No Trace principles

    While out in nature, teach your kids Leave No Trace principles and practice them together. Unless you have specific permission to do otherwise, stay on the trail, leave nature treasures where you found them, don’t build rock cairns, don’t litter, and respect wildlife. Always leave a place better than you found it. Make sure that you also explain why you should (or should not) do things when you’re with your kids so they understand the implications of your actions and the reasoning behind them. Not sure where to start? Learn more about outdoor etiquette and manners for kids with this post.

    3. Join a community cleanup

    Bring your kids along and join in on a local community trash cleanup. These are almost always kid-friendly and event coordinators will be happy to find a child-safe area for you to help in the cleanup efforts. Kids love to be involved in adult projects and they are sure to be rewarded for their volunteer efforts with smiles and kind words by other adult volunteers. If you don’t have a community clean-up project in place, organize your own! Gather some friends and go out together to make a difference. 

    4. Plant a tree

    Give back directly, by planting a native tree or shrub in your yard. Fall is a great time to plant trees. Visit a local nursery to get the best advice on which tree to plant and how to care for it. Let your kids be part of the process from beginning to end. Not only will kids love digging the hole and helping care for the tree, but they get to watch their tree grow for years. 

    Photo credit: @dimples.and.the.blonde

    5. Plant a wildflower garden

    The bees, butterflies, and other pollinators love native flowers. Planting (or planning if it is the wrong time of year) which flowers are beneficial to your local environment is one wonderful way to spread a little kindness to nature. Here’s a great post on planting a pollinator garden with lots of native plants and flowers.

    Or, if you’re looking for a fun way to explore native wildflowers with your kids or make a fun homemade gift, you can create seed bombs with your kids (in paper or ball form): DIY Eco-friendly Plantable Seed Paper and How to Make DIY Wildflower Seed Bombs with Kids.

    Photo credit: @c_l_allofus

    6. Feed the birds

    Winter can be rough on wildlife, especially birds. Spread some kindness by feeding the birds this fall and winter. It’s simple and even provides hours of entertainment. Make your own bird feeders and then watch the birds together. Gather some ideas on making bird feeders for your backyard birds with these two posts: Eco-friendly Bird Feeders to Make with Kids and Easy Bird Feeders to Make with Kids.

    7. Compost

    Anytime is a great time to dive into the world of composting and recycling your food waste scraps. Your kids will learn all about food waste, get to see how food breaks down, and less food waste ends up in the landfill. If you have space, you can create a composting station directly on the ground. If you don’t (or if you live in a city or neighborhood), this composting tumbler is a great option. When you start your compost project, make sure to include a few bins for little hands so the kids can help out, too! Mother Nature and your local landfill will gladly accept that kindness. 

    Outdoor Acts of Kindness for Kids & Ways to Be Kind to Nature
    Photo credit: @robbs_rule

    8. Start a wormery

    Kids love worms! And so does the earth. If your kids are super into worms, we have a great project that will be fun and beneficial. Creating a wormery with kids is the perfect way to learn about food scraps and food waste with kids. Your kids will learn a ton, the worms will be well-fed, and keeping food waste out of trash helps our planet. It’s a win-win kindness activity for all.

    9. Join a seed swap

    If you garden every year, then you know that you never (or rarely) use all the seeds you buy! Or maybe you have varieties of plants that are wonderful and you save the seeds each year. Instead of tossing the extra seeds in the trash, donate your extra seeds to your local seed swap. Seed swaps are very educational and are a great way to teach kids the difference between plant hybrids and heirlooms. Heirloom seeds are often handed down through families and might hail from other parts of the world. Take your kids with you to the swap and let them help you find the perfect seeds to plant in your garden. 

    World Kindness Day for Kids - outdoor edition
    Photo credit: @kirsten_alice_photography

    10. Join or start a community garden

    Interested in gardening and don’t have the space or have no idea where to begin? Join a community garden! If one doesn’t exist, you could even start one. This is a great way to volunteer with your kids, learn about growing your own food, and even eat locally grown food.

    11. Reduce your use of single-use plastics

    Teach your children all about how single-use plastics end up in giant piles of trash and how cutting back (or eliminating) these types of plastics is beneficial to nature. Not only will your family be helping the Earth right now, but you are helping to teach the next generation a better way to care for our planet. Examples of single-use plastics are straws and plastic utensils, water bottles, baggies, single-use coffee pods, takeout containers, coffee cup lids, etc.

    Learn more about how to dive into the topic of sustainability with your kids with this post: Garbage Collecting, Recycling, and Sustainability for Kids.

    celebrate world kindness day in nature outside
    Photo credit: @okoshifarm

    12. Volunteer with your kids

    There are so many ways to be kind to nature and volunteering with your kids is one of the best. Your community likely has environmental groups, animal rescues, wildlife conservation groups, and other nature-focused organizations you can spend your time helping. If your kids are not enough to tag along, set an example by volunteering yourself and sharing your experiences with your kids. Learn more on how to volunteer with kids here.

    13. Save water

    The little efforts we put into our everyday activities really do add up. Teach your kids all the little ways they can reduce the amount of water they use each day. Water is a precious resource on our planet and learning how to conserve it is a kindness our Earth and everyone on it will appreciate. Some quick ideas for conserving water: turn off the water when you brush your teeth, take shorter showers, wash the dishes at least once a week by hand instead of using the dishwasher, and don’t water your lawn during the summer (or better yet replace your lawn with native plants or a wonderful garden).

    14. Reduce electricity usage

    As with water, reducing electricity usage is beneficial to our planet and kids can learn a lot of ways to do it. Easy ways include turning off the light when you leave a room, spending an hour each evening together in one room (or outside) with all the other lights and devices off, installing energy-efficient light bulbs, not standing with the refrigerator door open (keep warm air out), hang drying laundry, unplugging unused devices, and using natural light when possible.

    Shop local and small - ways for kids to care for the planet
    Photo credit: @sage.and.summit

    15. Shop at a farmer’s markets and u-pick farms

    Shopping local and small is a wonderful way to spread kindness in your community and help out our planet too. When you buy food and other goodies from farmer’s markets or local farms, you are reducing the carbon footprint of the food you eat. Local food travels significantly less far from the farm to your plate. Plus, children get to interact with local farmers and food vendors, which spreads smiles and good cheer. Learn more about exploring farmer’s markets with kids here.

    16. Raise and donate money to the local environmental group

    Spending time raising money for a good cause is such a great way to spend time with your kids. Maybe you bake cookies and make hot chocolate together and sell them on your street corner. Rake leaves and donate the money. Host a yard sale. Maybe have your children come up with a goal and use social media to help them reach it. There are so many options out there and plenty of time to make it happen. After all, teaching and learning kindness through giving is a wonderful life lesson.

    Outdoor Acts of Kindness for Kids
    Photo credit: @jannaprange

     

    17. Write a letter to elected officials

    Get your children involved in politics and help them write letters to elected officials sharing their thoughts on ways to help our environment. Everyone likes to get mail, especially from kids, right?

    18. Carpool

    This time of year is incredibly busy with sports and school. Offer to carpool with another family to reduce car emissions. Not only will you be helping another family, but you are being kind to Mother Nature too.

    Ride Your Bike - ways for kids to be kind to nature
    Photo credit: @stacey.raising.boys

    19. Ride your bikes

    If you live close enough to school or community businesses and events, consider riding your bikes instead of taking the car. Talk to your kids about why you are opting for the bike lane and set an example by using your bike whenever you can. Biking or walking just one mile a day for a year could save 330 pounds of carbon dioxide—that’s the same as planting four trees and letting them grow for 10 years! This also helps kids be active, connect with their neighborhood and gain a sense of direction.

    20. Use public transportation

    Not all of us have this option, but you absolutely should give it a go if you can. Kids love riding buses, trams, subways, other public transportation options. This is especially true for little kids who require car seats in the car but get some freedom when taking public transit. Not only are you reducing emissions (for which nature thanks you), but you get to spend time with your family and give your kids an eco-friendly adventure.

    21. Shop second-hand shops

    There is so much clothing, toys, and other products sitting in trash dumps all over the world. Our consumer culture creates a ton of waste. Did you know that so many things you want and need can be bought second-hand? Instead of buying a bunch of new gifts for the holidays this year, buy some gently used items instead and encourage your children to do the same. Or when your children need new clothing or your family wants a new board game, puzzle, or book, go to a thrift store or used book store and see what you find. You are helping to reduce waste by reusing items and that is a kindness nature needs.

    20+ Outdoor Acts of Kindness for Kids & Ways to Be Kind to Nature
    Photo credit: @jhennyloouuu

    22. Use libraries and Little Free Libraries

    Sharing is caring and what better way to spread kindness than through sharing books? Instead of buying new books, utilize libraries to find new-to-you books. Your local library is sure to carry the majority of books you could ever want to read and almost all of them have ways to request books they do not yet carry. Plus, Little Free Libraries are all over the place and are such a fun way to share books you are done with and grab new books too.

    23. Help your kids organize a clothing and toy swap

    So many of the toys we buy our kids and the clothing we wear are in great shape when we are done with them. This is especially true of children’s clothing because kids outgrow them so quickly. Your kids will love to spread kindness by helping you organize a clothing or toy swap between their friends and families. Maybe a school, your place of employment, or a local community organization would like to host or you have space in your garage or yard. It can be between friends or a whole community event. Get the kids involved with sorting and set up and then let them find some new-to-them items for all their hard work.

    24. Organize a craft supply exchange

    Similar to a clothing and toy swap, a craft supply exchange is a great way to be kind to nature and lets you re-distribute craft supplies you are no longer using. Your kids will love to help organize, sort, and find new craft supplies. Not only are these sorts of exchanges spreading kindness within your community, but Mother Nature will be happy the items were utilized instead of tossed in the trash.

    Photo credit: @thespencersadventures

    25. Set up a scrap paper station

    So much paper gets thrown away that could still be put to good use. Be kind to nature by getting more use out of scrap paper. Instead of throwing out (or even recycling) perfectly good paper that’s only been used on one side, set up a scrap paper station in your home. Add all the worksheets and papers that come home with your kids from school. Add printed paper that you no longer need. If the paper has a blank side, you can still use it for lists, notes, drawing, coloring, and jotting down messages. It’ll give that paper a little extra life before going into the recycle bin.

    26. Know what’s recyclable (and what’s not)

    Knowing what can and cannot be recycled in your area is one of the smartest things you can do to ensure that you are diverting as much of your waste from landfills as possible, while avoiding recycling contamination through proper separation. Here are the different categories of waste. Some of these categories can be recycled and others cannot. (1) Organic waste: food waste, grass, leaves, eggshells, coffee grinds, tea bags. (2) Glass: white and colored glass. (3) Plastic/metal: plastic bottles, plastic packages, jars, cans. (4) Paper: cardboard, paper bags, paper cups, paper. (5) Toxic waste: printer ink, lightbulb, batteries, electronic waste. (6) Residue: whatever doesn’t fit the others, such as used diapers, animal waste. 

    27. Spend time outside

    Yup, even just spending time outside as a family in all the green spaces is being kind to nature. The more time you spend outside learning about nature and being a part of it, the more you’ll learn to respect and appreciate it. Just make sure to leave the areas you enjoy better than you found it and Mother Nature will be happy.

    Kindness and nature books for kids

    If you want to help inspire your children to find ways to give back and be kind to nature on their own, reading them books about kindness and the ways our planet needs help is sure to set them on the right track. Here are just a few of the many wonderful books available to get you started.

    How do you plan to be kind to nature with your kids?

  • CRAFTS, FALL, GOOD FOR NATURE, NATURE SCHOOL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

    Conker Crafts for Kids

    Have you ever found a conker? Conkers are the nuts from the horse chestnut tree (not to be confused with the chestnuts that you can eat). Also called buckeyes, conkers are ripe and ready for fun in the fall. Today, UK mom, teacher, and YouTube host Hannah Martin shares her family’s favorite conker crafts for kids. She’ll tell you where to find conkers, when to look for them and how to use them for fun fall crafts that you can do with your little ones. Let’s get crafty! 

    All about Conker Crafts with Kids

    Conker season

    It’s that time of year where we lose the warmth of summer and the long evenings. But, nature has a lovely way of reminding us of the beauty of the next season. Autumn appears and shows off her loveliness, with colours changing every day on a woodland walk, cool crispy air, fewer pesky bugs, and so many treasures falling from trees.

    Our favorite fall nature treasure by far the round, brown shiny balls called conkers! (In the US, you may call these “buckeyes” or “horse chestnuts.”) Conkers are not only good for the fun traditional game of “conkers” but are great for fall-themed crafts and activities with your children. Once you think of one idea, if you are like us, you will get carried away in creating an array of conker animals, insects, reptiles and spooky decorations for your house or garden!

    Finding conkers

    One of the best things about using conkers for crafts is that it’s basically a whole day’s activity! Before you can start crafting, you have to get outdoors to discover and collect the conkers. Finding them is definitely a big part of the fun! And Autumn is by far the best season for woodland walks and exploring. There is so much to entertain little minds; colorful leaves, piles of crispy brown leaves to stamp in, fruits, nut,s and seeds from trees.

    Horse Chestnut trees

    Your first mission is to find the right tree. Horse Chestnuts trees are easy to spot in the autumn, as they are one of the first trees to change colors. Horse Chestnut tree leaves turn brown slightly before all the other trees around them, which is a great way to get kids paying attention and observing the colors. This is especially the case if there has been a wet spring.  Horse Chestnut trees are usually pretty big, growing up to 25m tall and in their own space. They’re frequently planted along roadsides.  The Horse Chestnut leaves have five or more lobes whose midribs come from one point.

    Horse Chestnut Leaf

    When and where to find conkers

    In the UK, conker season starts in August and continues through September and October. However, the climate and weather in any particular area can have an effect on the conkers and when they’re ready.

    The best place to spot conkers is looking at the ground for their green, spiky capsule close to Horse Chestnut trees. Conkers are ready when fall from the tree. This is when they’re harden and ripen in the middle. But if you leave them on the ground for too long, conkers can become weak and soggy.

    On our conker quest this year, we discovered that we were quite late to the party. By the time we went out, lots of the Horse Chestnut trees in our area had already dropped their conkers and had been found and collected by someone else. We had a very dry, windy summer, so we think they dropped their nuts earlier than usual.

    *Note: Don’t get confused by a Horse Chestnut and a Sweet Chestnut. Sweet Chestnuts are the nut that once cooked you can eat (a la “chestnuts roasting on an open fire”), they have a much softer, pricklier shell than conkers. Conkers are not edible. Both come in green shells, but conker cases have short, stumpy spikes all over.

    Horse Chestnut and Conker

    Make collecting conkers fun

    Finding and collecting conkers on it’s own is a really fun outdoor activity for kids and families. We always like to spice things up a bit, so sometimes we’ll make concker collecting a competition! Who can collect the most conkers in a set amount of time, or who can find the biggest or smallest conker. While collecting, we also start imagining what we will make each one into.  It’s so interesting seeing all the different shapes and sizes that you collect.

    Conker craft supplies and safety

    When you do crafts with children, it’s important that the child gets to be hands-on for the majority of the activity. This means you should choose tools that are safe, or just ensure you give clear, simple instructions for safe use.

    When working with conkers, the hardest part of the crafting activity is usually making a hole  in the conker. We find a child’s hand drill the easiest and safest way. Howver, you can also use a palm drill or just a skewer. Be advised that this requires strength and risk awareness, particularly thinking about hands in the right place and eyes if leaning over.

    Equipment for Conker Crafts

    Conker crafts for kids

    Conker crafts are fun for the whole family and really easy to make! You can turn conkers into so many different things; your only limit is your imagination! Today, we’re sharing a few of our favorite conker crafts for kids. All of these conker crafts have been tried and approved by my 5 year old! And the good news is, you don’t need much in the way of supplies other than what you can find in nature! So, let’s get outside, find some conkers and start getting crafty! 

    Conker spider

    For our first conker craft, we are going to make a creepy conker spider! This is a really simple craft activity (and quite ironic, as old wives tales say that spiders hate conkers). These crafts make cute decorations for the corner of your house — and who know, maybe they will scare the spiders away!

    Conker spider supplies:

    •  2 conkers
    • 1 cocktail stick/toothpick
    • hot glue
    • 1-2 pipe cleaners
    • wire cutter
    • goggly eyes

    Conker spider instructions:

    1. Use your drill or skewer to make a hole in the head of the spider and the body. Cut the cocktail stick in half and put it into the hole on body. Squirt with some hot glue and attach another (smaller) conker as the head.
    2. Make 4 holes on either side of the spider’s body. Decide how long you want his legs to be, and cut pipe cleaners to size. Squirt glue into the hole one at a time and insert the pipe cleaner legs.  (Use parental supervision/help, as the glue is hot!)
    3. Stick on your googly eyes and decorate your spider as you wish.

    Spooky Conker Spider

    Conker spider web

    Every spider needs a web so we decided to create our little conker spiders a home.

    Conker spider web supplies:

    • 1 large conker
    • 8 sticks (you could use wooden skewers, whittled sticks or bamboo)
    • white string; twine
    • glue

    Conker spider web instructions:

    1. Make 8 holes the size of your sticks, equally spaced out around the perimeter of the conker.
    2. If the sticks are slightly smaller than the hole, fill the hole with hot glue.
    3. Tie one end of the string to the bottom (near the conker) of one upright stick.
    4. Take the string and wrap it around the next stick once and on the second turn pull it tight and cross over the first wrap so the string stays in place.
    5. Continue doing the same in a circular motion. When you get back to the first stick move up slightly and continue to wrap around each stick twice.
    6. When you get to the outside end of the sticks on the one you started, tie off the string leaving a length to hang.

    It’s that simple, but looks very effective, especially when you attach your conker spider and hang it from a tree or ceiling!

    Weaving conker spider websWeaved conker spiders web

    Conker bat craft

    Conker bat supplies:

    • 1 conker
    • black cardstock paper
    • half a pipe cleaner
    • googly eyes
    • string

    Conker bat instructions:

    1. Make two holes on either side of your conker for the bat’s wings.
    2. Make two smaller holes on the bottom of the face of the conker for bat teeth.
    3. Make a hole all the way through your conker and using string or wire insert a length and tie a knot at the bottom. This is to hang your bat.
    4. Cut your wings out of the black cardstock paper making sure one end is narrow enough to fit in the holes. Gently create a crease long ways and fold in half widthways to make it look like a batwing.
    5. Squirt glue into the holes and insert one end of the wing.
    6. Cut your pipe cleaners for the size teeth you want, squirt glue into the holes, and insert pipe cleaners.
    7. Add your googly eyes and using paint pens or permanent markers add any decorations.

    We have our bat hanging from the web on a tree in the garden.

    How to make a conker bat

    Making conker animals 

    As soon as you get started making conker crafts, I guarantee that your children will start coming up with their own imaginative ideas! My son wanted to carry on the “creepy” theme and do his own monster. That lead to us making conker pumpkins.

    Next, we moved on to other animals. He has been studying the jungle at school, so his next idea was for the monkey, which I love. We just added some beads to his hands to give him some weight to hang.

    We made porcupines with toothpicks. We made snails with playdough. We still had a lot of conkers leftover, so we made snakes! For the snake, you will need quite a lot of conkers. We used wire to thread them onto so that it would bend. We now use this snake as an arithmetic bead string when adding and subtracting up to 10.

    Pro tip: If you want to paint the conkers, just add PVA glue to the paint mixture. Conker HedgehogConker Crafts

    Conker Snake

    Conker tic-tac-toe

    Our last conker craft idea was to create a game of noughts and crosses (or tic-tac-toe). All you need is a solid base (we used a sliced stump of an old tree) and 4 sticks. Mark up to 5 conkers with a “O” and 5 with an “X.” We used acrylic paint pens for this. Place two sticks parallel and two stick perpendicular and your tic tac toe board is all set up and ready to play! 

    We love having this fun and easy game board at our disposal. It’s great for keeping outside and being able to access at any time with the family. We pull it out anytime we’re outside and have some time to play. BUT! Beware of squirrels stealing your conkers!

    Conker Tic-Tac-Toe

    Conker crafts for the win

    There are so many fun ways to use conkers. They’re fun to collect, fun to play with, and a lot of fun to use in crafts. So, next time you are out on a family, autumn woodland walk, don’t forget to keep looking down for conker treasures and enjoy making your conker crafts and creations together.

    Have you created any other conker crafts?
    Share your photos on Instagram and use the hashtag #runwildmychild to be featured!

    About the author

    Hannah Martin has worked as a PE Teacher in the UK for 15 years. She has always loved being active outdoors. However, she discovered a new passion for nature and appreciating the environment when she had her son Hobie (now 5 years old). Hannah and Hobie’s vision is to inspire parents to spend time doing fun, creative, nature activities outdoors with their children; no matter where they live and whatever the weather. They believe spending time together outdoors as a family will encourage future generations to love and care for the world, wildlife, and environment.

    Find more from Hannah (and Hobie) in the following locations:
    Instagram: @hobies_nature_club
    Website: hobiesnatureclub.co.uk
    YouTube channel: Hobie’s Nature Club
    RWMC Posts: Hannah Martin

  • CRAFTS, FALL, LESSONS

    Pumpkin Science Experiments for Kids

    Looking for a fun way to utilize those pumpkins from the patch, while teaching kids about science? Look no further! Today, Texas homeschooling mom Lauren Cain is here sharing four amazing pumpkin science experiments for kids. She’ll walk you through how to make pumpkin bubbles, pumpkin slime, pumpkin elephant toothpaste, and how to dissect a pumpkin. Get your little scientists excited for fall and Halloween with these fun experiments. 

    Pumpkin Science Experiments for Kids

    Pumpkin science experiments for kids

    ‘Tis the season of the pumpkin. There are many clues that tell us that Fall is officially here. For some of us, we know that Fall is here because of the change in weather or leaves turning from green to brown. Well, in our house we know that Fall is officially here when we are suddenly surrounded by pumpkin–EVERYTHING.

    There’s something about pumpkins that piques the interest of children and adults alike. They’re just fun. Do you know what else is fun? Easy-to-follow science experiments that you can do with your children.

    So, why not combine the two and try some fun pumpkin science experiments with your kids? This post features simple and low prep pumpkin science experiments that I have done with my children. They absolutely loved it, and I am sure your children will too!

    Pumpkin Bubbles Experiment Kindergarten

    The bubbles, oh the bubbles!

    Who doesn’t love bubbles?! There’s a really interesting science behind the making of bubbles that is fascinating to learn. If you want to turn this activity into a fun lesson I would suggest watching a few YouTube videos on bubble science for kids. My children especially liked Fun with Bubbles by SciShow Kids. Or, you could just get straight to the bubble blowing.

    Did you ever blow bubbles in your drink as a child (even though your parents would constantly ask you to stop)? Well, the pumpkin bubbles experiment is just like that. What’s great about this experiment is that it is very low prep and aside from the pumpkin, you probably already have everything that you need for this activity.

    How to make pumpkin bubbles

    Materials needed are:

    • Pumpkin (smaller pumpkins work best for this activity)
    • 2 tablespoons dish soap (any brand will work)
    • Straw
    • Dash of water

    Put the soap in your hollowed-out pumpkin and add a dash of water. Insert the straw and then let your children blow bubbles until they spill out the top of the pumpkin. 

    Remind your little one to blow OUT and not suck in because a mouth full of soapy water is no fun at all. My son got a small taste of the soapy water and was not pleased.

    Also, note that the quantities of the ingredients aren’t exact. Experiment with less or more soap/water to see if the outcome changes.

    Pumpkin slime

    Ok, I know that slime is like Voldermort ( I mean “He Who Must Not Be Named”) in some households. But, hear me out.  Can it be messy? Yes. Is messy play important to the development of our kids? Also, yes!

    Making slime can be a lot of fun and promotes great sensory learning which is important especially for early learners. This pumpkin slime recipe is made with the fibrous strands and seeds from the pumpkin which gives it a cool textural feel that is unique from the typical slime. So, give it a try!

    Here’s what you need to make pumpkin slime:

    • Pumpkin guts (aka the seeds and such from inside your pumpkin)
    • Clear glue (about two small bottles or 18 oz )
    • Liquid starch (1 cup)
    • Water (1 cup)

    How to make pumpkin slime:

    Scoop out the seeds and fibrous strands from your pumpkin and set them aside. Pour the glue into your empty pumpkin and then add the water. Add the pumpkin guts back to the pumpkin. Carefully, mix them together. Grab your liquid starch and it to the glue and pumpkin mixture slowly.

    At this point, we mixed with our hands because it seemed easier. But, if stirring with a spoon works for you then go for it. Keep stirring or mixing with your hands until the slime begins to come together as one and is not sticking to your hands or spoon. If it is still sticky, add more liquid starch a tablespoon at a time until the right consistency is achieved.

    That’s it! Now you have pumpkin gut slime!

    Pumpkin Slime

    Pumpkin science investigation

    You’ll be hard-pressed to find a child who cannot recognize a pumpkin. However, opening a pumpkin up and discussing the parts of a pumpkin and the pumpkin life cycle make for a fun learning experiment.

    You can take it a step further and have your kid(s) separate the seeds from the fibrous strands and discuss how they are different, but still work together. For this activity, all you will need is a pumpkin (a smaller one may work best for this purpose) and a knife to cut it in half.

    It’s simple, but it is also a very interesting activity and allows kids to have a different perspective and perhaps a new appreciation for the pumpkin.

    Pumpkin Investigation

    Pumpkin elephant toothpaste

    In discussing pumpkin science experiments, this one reigns supreme. We love making elephant toothpaste because it is such a fun high-impact experiment. Doing the experiment in a pumpkin makes an already fun experiment that much more exciting!

    The level of reaction that you will get from the combination of ingredients really depends on the type of hydrogen peroxide. We have done this experiment many times using the typical 3% hydrogen peroxide that you find in stores and the reaction was pretty mild (which is great for younger kids).

    However, with this pumpkin elephant toothpaste, I opted for a higher concentration at 6%. The reaction was bigger than it has been before without being out of control. If you have not tried to make elephant toothpaste before I 100% recommend that you give it a try, it is such a fun experiment!

    Pumpkin Elephant Toothpaste

    Here’s what you will need to make pumpkin elephant toothpaste:

    • Hollowed out pumpkin
    • 1 cup (4 oz) 6% hydrogen peroxide. I used a 20 volume clear developer (liquid) that I purchased from Sally’s Beauty Supply.
    • Food coloring
    • 6 tablespoons of  warm water
    • 2 packets of active yeast
    • ~ 2 tablespoons of dish soap
    • Recycled plastic water bottle, jar, beaker, etc.
    • Funnel
    • Tray
    • Measuring cups and spoons
    • Safety goggles

    How to make your pumpkin erupt

    In your empty pumpkin place your empty bottle, jar, beaker, etc. I actually used a 2 cup measuring cup in our pumpkin, which worked perfectly.
     
    Pour in the hydrogen peroxide. Add the dish soap and several drops of the food coloring of your choice. Pour the yeast in an empty bowl and add the warm water; stir with a fork for about 1 minute or until the yeast has dissolved.
     
    Using a funnel, pour the yeast into the hydrogen peroxide mixture and step back and watch the reaction!
     
    Please note that this reaction may be very hot and can irritant the skin. It’s typically fine to touch after it has had time to cool down, however, to be extra cautious you should steer clear of letting your little ones play with it.pumpkin science STEM experiments for kids

    Pumpkin STEM activity

    While this activity does not call for the use of real pumpkins, it is an engaging themed activity nonetheless. Kids can channel their inner engineer as they build amazing pumpkin structures using two materials: pumpkin candy and toothpicks. That’s it!

    At this time of year, pumpkin candy should not be hard to find. They are semi-soft and definitely related to candy corn. I purchased mine from Sprout’s Farmers Market, but I am sure they are available at other grocery stores as well.

    I love this activity so much because as I mentioned, it is so engaging and encourages focus and creativity. My almost 5 year old spent a solid 30 minutes building his structure and was so proud of the end result. This is a great activity that can be recreated time and time again using different materials. The pumpkin candy can be swapped for marshmallows, candy peanuts, or any other semi-soft material. So, get building!

    Pumpkin STEM Activities

    Don’t just be a pumpkin eater this season!

    There are so many awesome pumpkin science experiments for kids. This is a great time to engage, learn, and have fun with an item that kids may only know as an ingredient for their favorite pie. So, which pumpkin science experiment will you try with your kids?

    About the author

    Lauren is a California native turned Texan, who loves to get out in nature and discover hidden gems all around the Dallas/Fort Worth area. She is a wife and homeschooling mama to three kids who definitely keep her on her toes. She truly believes in the value of homeschooling and that there are learning opportunities available all around us. In addition to homeschooling, Lauren is also an entrepreneur; she’s the co-owner of Crunchy Boutique (a natural-living/eco-friendly boutique). 

    You can find more from Lauren in the following places:
    Instagram: @crunchymamadfw
    Facebook: @crunchymamadfw
    RWMC Posts: Lauren Cain

  • ANIMALS/WILDLIFE, CRAFTS, GOOD FOR NATURE, NATURE SCHOOL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, URBAN NATURE

    How to Build a Bat House with Kids

    October is the perfect time of year to think about bats! If your kids are curious about bats and would love to learn more about these fascinating (and really beneficial) creatures, this post is for you! Today, Lissy Perna, Massachusetts mom of two and founder of Get Outside Cape Cod, is here to discuss all things BAT! Lissy walks us through the benefits and importance of bats and provides step-by-step instructions on how to build a bat house with kids. This hands-on DIY is easier to do than you might think! She also includes additional bat resources, bat book recommendations for kids, and some really interesting bat facts. 

    How to build a bat house with kids

    Have you ever thought about building a bat house with your kids, but you weren’t sure if it would be too much work? Well, I want you to know that you can totally do it! Building a bat house is an easy project that can be done in an afternoon. The shallow design of a bat box is perfect for bats because they like cramped, dark spaces for nesting. Get your kids involved in the planning and the work. Kids can help with picking the location, measuring the wood, cutting the pieces, driving nails, and decorating the bat house. Follow these steps while including your kids, and you’ll not only have built a bat house but will have formed a lasting memory together too!

    Benefits of bats

    Bats get a bad rap, as they are often associated with Halloween, vampires, and even the most recent pandemic. But, bats are crucial to their ecosystems and are generally not harmful or dangerous to humans. Here are some of the many valuable aspects of bats that you might not have been aware of.

    Bats that consume insects provide a critical amount of pest control – $3.7 billion worth in the United States alone each year. And, in a bittersweet way, these bats become sustenance for larger predators such as hawks, raccoons, and snakes. (Did anyone else start to sing “The Circle of Life” from the Lion King?)

    When you think of pollinators, bats probably aren’t the first creature that comes to mind. Bees, butterflies, or birds might top your list. But, some bats, like the Mexican long-tongued bat, are perfectly adapted to pollinate the agave plant in the Southwestern US. Sweet!

    Bat guano is rich in nutrients. Did you know that bat excrement (or bat droppings), also known as guano, is high in nitrogen and can be used as organic fertilizer? It’s more effective than cow manure, so moo-ve over heifers, we have a new way to fertilize our gardens.

    Flying bat in the evening skyPhoto credit: Stephen Ghio            

    What do bats eat?

    Bats eat various things, like fruit, nectar, pollen, and insects. Some even drink blood! However, out of 1400 species of bats, only 3 are vampire bats species that survive by consuming blood.

    Did you know that bats are the prime pollinator for the agave plant, an ingredient in tequila? So the next time you’re drinking a margarita, make a toast to a bat!

    The bat populations in our area in Massachusetts are all insectivores, meaning they only feed on insects. In just one hour, a single little brown bat can eat up to 1,000 insects. A nursing mother bat can eat up to 4,000 insects in one night; isn’t that wild?

    More amazing bat facts for kids

    Let’s face it, bats are pretty interesting creatures. Here are ten more facts about our winged friends that I thought were unusual that might interest your kids:

    • Bats are the only mammal that can truly fly.
    • The oldest living bat on record was found in Siberia; it lived to be 41 years old!
    • Bats have lived on earth for over 50 million years, and the oldest fossil was found in Wyoming near Yellowstone National Park.
    • The saying “blind as a bat” doesn’t hold much weight, as bats can actually see. Some bats that eat fruit rely almost entirely on their vision to find their food.
    • The largest known colony of bats is in Texas at the Bracken Bat Cave. There are more than 20 million bats living together!
    • Bats are a symbol of happiness in Japan.
    • Bat excrement or guano was used to make gun powder during the Civil War.
    • There is species of bat in West Africa that live in spider webs!
    • Bats’ echolocation is so precise that it can detect an object as thin as human hair.
    • The smallest known bat is Kitti’s Hog-nose bat also known as the Bumblebee Bat because it only weighs 2 grams.

    Now that you’ve learned so much about these truly magnificent mammals and the critical role they play in our ecosystem, are you ready to build your bat house? Great! Just hang in there because I have all the information you need up next.

    Flying batPhoto credit: Adam Olliver

    Bat house design

    Typically, bat house design is pretty straightforward. Bat houses are usually in the shape of a narrow flat box, with an opening at the bottom for the bats to fly in and out of. The goal for bat house design is to make a bat house that mimics the space between tree bark and a tree trunk. The space inside a bat house should be very narrow, unlike a birdhouse, which would house a round nest. Bats like tight spaces. They also like warm spaces when raising their young. The open bottom designs allow the bats easy entrance/exit. 

    Gathering materials to build your bat house

    First, you will need to gather all materials to build the bat house with your kids.

    Tools needed:

    • Hammer
    • (24) 2-inch nails, aka “6-penny nails”, or galvanized screws
    • Circular saw
    • Compound miter saw
    • Power drill
    • Tape measure
    • Pencil for marking measurements and straight edge
    • Safety goggles
    • (2) 3″ exterior screws for mounting
    • Paint and paintbrush (optional)
    • Plastic mesh netting and staple gun (optional)
    • Wood boards (preferably cedar boards)

    Pieces of wood cut into the following sizes:

    You’ll need to cut 6 separate pieces of wood to assemble the house. Measuring the boards is a great project for kids. I’ve included the dimensions for a basic bat house below, but you can certainly make a bigger bat house if you’d like; adjust the sizes accordingly. 

    • Front panel – 18.25″x12″x1″
    • Sides (2) – 22″x4″x.1″, make 30-degree cuts on one end of each
    • Back panel – 25″x 12″x1″
    • Roof – 16.5″x7″x1″, you can make a 30-degree angle on the roof if you choose to, not necessary
    • Predator Buffer – 12″x 1.5″x 1″

    Also, cedar is generally recommended but tends to be expensive. We chose to build with rough-sawn native white pine from a local mill, as it was less costly and has worked fine in bat boxes that we have made in the past. Whichever wood you decide to use, remember that it must not be treated with any chemicals, as they can be harmful to the bats. Purchasing an 8-foot by 1-foot plank of wood from a lumberyard should give you enough material to build your entire bat house.

    Drill, saw, hammer, nails, staple gunWood pieces needed to build bat house

    How to assemble a bat house

    Create kerfs in the wood

    The first step in assembling your bat house is to make sure that the interior sections of the house are not planed or smooth. As you can see on our back piece, we created multiple horizontal lines with the saw. These “kerfs” were a quarter-inch deep and made with the compound miter saw. (This step would most likely be a job for an older child, but using power tools can be an empowering skill to learn!)

    These kerfs make it easier for the bats to hang when sleeping upside down in the house. Another option is to use plastic netting and staple it onto the interior of the bat house. Carefully trim any excess edges to avoid injuring the bats while inside the house. Bat houses should not contain fabric or plastic mesh. 

    Keep the predators out

    Next, nail the predator buffer to the bottom of the inside of the front piece. This piece of wood is vital to prevent predators from climbing inside the bat house and create a safe home for the bats. However, the small opening is still big enough for the bats to squeeze through. The gap at the bottom should be three-quarters to one inch.

    Nailing this piece of wood is a great way for the kids to get involved in building the bat house. You can help stabilize the pieces using wood glue, but that’s not necessary. Kids can use a hammer to pound in a few nails, and it’s great for hand-eye coordination! Pro-tip: Holding the hammer farther down on the grip, away from the head, will give you more force and more “BANG” for your buck.

    Hammering on predator buffer

    Add the sides to the bat house

    Next, use the power drill to start the holes in the sides of the house. We made three evenly spaced pilot holes along the edge. Pre-drilled holes made it easier for the kids to bang in the nails. These side pieces then get nailed to the back of the bat house.Drilling holes in side piece of bat houseNailing in side piece of bat house

    Add the front and landing areas

    The next steps are to slide the front piece into place and add the landing area. A little gap along the upper edge is a good thing – it’s necessary for ventilation. Use three more nails on each side. The overhang on the bottom is called the “landing area” this is where the bats land and climb up inside the house. A four-inch landing zone is sufficient for the bats to perch and climb comfortably.

    Attach roof and mount

    The last piece to attach is the roof. We used four nails after pre-drilling holes.

    Finally, drill a hole in the bottom center of the back piece & the top center of the roof for the exterior screws to mount to the side of a building or the side of a house. 

    Done building the bat house!

    And with that last step, you just built your very own bat house with your kids! Pat yourself on the bat- I mean, back. Great work!

    Decorating your bat house

    While it’s not necessary to paint your bat house, paint color can affect the inside temperature, which in turn can either attract or repel bats. You should either paint your bat house a light color or dark color depending on the temperature where you live. Here is a trusty map I found from Bat Conservation and Management that will guide you to what color you should paint your bat house based on your location if you decide to paint. Colder climates need darker colors to absorb warmth. 

    When painting your bat house, the most important rule is to choose non-toxic water or oil-based paint that will withstand natural elements such as snow and rain. You can use a drop cloth or old sheet to protect any surfaces from paint splatter. Remember to let the paint dry fully before hanging your house! 

    We decided not to paint our bat house and hung it up as-is. However, we did make another one and added a bat stencil to the front. The little brown bat stencil was initially drawn by my younger brother about twenty-five years ago when he first made a bat house with my dad. Can you believe my dad still had the stencil in his barn? This project ended up being incredibly special because my kids got to make this house with my dad and me, and he passed some of his carpentry skills on to them!

    Finished bat house with bat stencil

    bat stencil

    Where to hang a bat house

    Choosing a place to attach your bat house is very important and depends on whether bats will decide to move into your newly constructed dwelling. There are a few factors to keep in mind when choosing the best location and mounting your bat house.

    • The bat house should face south or south-east and get 6-8 hours of sun per day.
    • Mounting the house at least 12 to 20 feet from the ground is ideal.
    • The bat house should be away from bright lights.
    • Trees are not the best option for mounting a bat house because they are usually too shaded and predators can more easily access the house.
    • A fresh water source should be within a quarter-mile from where you place your bat house.
    • Multiple bat houses can be grouped side-by-side on a home or building or back-to-back on a pole mount.

    These seem like many requirements, but they are just general guidelines for the most successful bat houses. The goal is to do your best. If you only have a tree to mount it on, then try that. Or, if you don’t have a water source nearby, it’s still worth it to build a bat house!

    Attracting bats to your bat house

    Another thing to mention is building and hanging a homemade bat house does not guarantee that bats will decide to move in. Many factors are beyond your control that will determine whether or not you have a successful bat house. Some factors include predators nearby, other established roosts in the area, temperature and location of your bat house, etc. Ninety percent of bat houses become occupied by local bats within two years of installation, so practice patience. Hopefully, you will see some bat action sooner rather than later.

    Hanging the bat house

    “When day fades away, bats come out to play”

    Best times to look for bats

    If you want to look for bats in your backyard or a local park, choose a clear dry evening. Bats mainly come out at about dusk to feed, so find out when the sun sets and head out around that time. Where we live in New England, Spring, Summer, and early Fall are the best seasons to look for these flying mammals, as they hibernate during the colder months.

    When we set out to look for bats in our yard, we lay blankets on the lawn and ensured all outdoor lights were off. Then, staring up into the sky as the sunlight slowly fades away, we keep our eyes peeled for any movement above the trees. There’s certainly no shortage of mosquitos, so we hope the bats will soon follow. 

    SWOOP! We saw our first bat! It was a flash of jagged flight, looking almost uncoordinated, but we knew better. These winged mammals are precise hunters and we had front-row seats.

    My kids are always so excited to count bats. They love pointing at the sky and yelling out – “There’s one!” “I see another!” “Did you see those big brown bats, Mommy?!” It’s awesome. I try to capture photos of these insectivores, but they are too fast. As a result, only blurs of black in the early night sky showed up on my screen. The memory of this experience, however, is clear as a bell.

    Looking for bats at dusk in the back yard

    Become a bat-tivist (bat-activist)

    Now that you’ve built a sturdy bat house to help support the bats in your neighborhood, there are other ways that you can help protect and support bat populations.

    • Keep those dead trees up on your property! If they aren’t going to be a safety hazard, let them stay. Their natural cavities create the perfect habitat for bats, as well as many other creatures.
    • Refrain from using dangerous pesticides, as these can unintentionally harm bats and other animals. There are all kinds of natural alternatives that are safer for the animals and our planet, too.
    • Keep domesticated cats indoors, as they are dangerous to bats. House cats kill over 250,000 bats each year. Also, bat rehabilitators report that about one-third of injured bats are due to house cat attacks.
    • Share your knowledge! Tell your friends that you know how to build a bat house and how beneficial these winged animals are.

    Learning about bats

    Effortless options for a bat house build

    Here are some alternatives for certified bat house kits for kids. They come with pre-measured and cut wood pieces that are easy to assemble, creating safe and attractive homes for bats without needing to use power tools. 

    Reading about bats

    Bat book recommendations for kids

    If you’d like to read more about these marvelous flying mammals that will hopefully soon be living in your bat house, here are some beautiful books that you can find at your local library or book store. Who knows, maybe you’ll have a bat-tivist on your hands in the future!

    Learn more about bats

    If you (or your kids) are super interested in learning more about bats, check out Bat Conservation International. Their website is filled with amazing bat-tastic information including the latest bat news, bat facts, bat conservation efforts, and how you can help the cause. They also have free plans for building a bat house. 

    Are you ready to build a bat house with your kids?

    Lissy Perna

    About the author

    Lissy lives near the ocean on Cape Cod, Massachusetts with her husband, 2 rambunctious boys (aged 4 & 7), and an ever-growing number of pets. She grew up walking nature trails and finding joy in the beauty of nature. She now shares that love for local adventures with her community through her blog, “Get Outside Cape Cod”. Lissy knows that everyone can benefit from spending more time outdoors, and wants to inspire and support families to do just that!

    You can find more from Lissy in the following online locations:
    Instagram: @getoutsidecapecod
    Website: Get Outside Cape Cod
    Facebook: @getoutsidecapecod
    RWMC Posts: Lissy Perna

  • FALL, GARDENING, INFORMATION, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

    Tips for Fall Gardening with Kids

    Have you ever been the recipient of a giant zucchini or bowl of tomatoes from a friend’s garden? Have you received those tasty veggies and thought, “I wish I would have planted a garden.” I’m here to tell you that it’s not too late to start! Fall is typically thought of as the harvest season, but it’s also a good time to get some seeds planted that you can harvest before winter. Wendy Cox, California mom and gardening teacher is here to help us get started with gardening this fall. These tips will break it down for you in easy-to-implement action items that you can do with your kids. So, grab your gardening gloves, your kids, and let’s get to planting that fall garden!

    Gardening in all shapes and sizes

    One of my favorite things about gardening is that it can usually be done anywhere, with whatever you have available. There are so many different ways to have a garden! You might have an in-ground garden in the backyard, raised beds in a community garden, pots/containers sitting on a windowsill, or maybe you’re lucky enough to have a greenhouse. All of these are great choices and there’s no one right way to garden. Don’t feel that you need to have acres and acres of land to be a gardener. Even containers on your patio can produce more than you might think during the fall season. 

    How to prep your soil for a fall garden

    The first thing you need to do to get ready for planting a fall garden is to get your soil ready. You’ll want to start with good soil so that your plants have what they need to grow strong. For a raised bed or in-ground garden, you’ll want to amend your soil. To amend soil means to improve it with additional materials. Soil amendments improve the physical nature of your soil. They reduce compaction, aerating the soil to allow water and nutrients to more easily move through it and reach plant roots. Some soil amendments also add nutrients to the soil, help retain moisture and help maintain the correct pH balance. Examples of soil amendments are potting soil, compost, peat moss, etc. 

    In San Diego, the city dump sells a truck bed full of compost for $12 and it’s AMAZING! I mix the compost into my existing garden soil and have had great success with it. If you are planting in pots or other containers, don’t scrimp on the potting soil. You get what you pay for in this situation. Go to your local nursery and ask them what brand of potting soil they recommend for vegetables. In my experience, employees at local nurseries are quite knowledgeable or can at least direct you to someone who has answers. That hasn’t been the case for me at bigger chain stores. If you end up there, look for a potting soil specifically made for container vegetable gardening. 

    Planting your fall garden

    Now you’re sitting there looking at your beautiful, possibly smelly soil, and wondering what to plant. My number one recommendation is radishes. Radishes are so much fun to grow with kids! They sprout in 3 – 6 days. This is perfect for little ones who lose interest in things very easily. Every day after it sprouts you will notice a little bit of growth in the radish. Some varieties of radishes are even ready to harvest in just 21 days!

    Here are a couple of the varieties I planted with my kids this fall. Don’t they look like something fun to eat?

    Cool-season vegetables for fall gardening

    Here’s a list of fall/cool-season vegetables that do well in a fall garden:

    • lettuces
    • beets
    • kale
    • broccoli
    • carrots
    • spinach
    • peas
    • turnips
    • parsnips
    • onions
    • mustard greens
    • endive
    • arugula
    • bok choy
    • cabbage
    • cauliflower
    • Brussel sprouts
    • rhubarb
    • celery
    • radishes

    Peas are definitely favorites with my kids. We planted three different varieties of peas in our fall garden this year. One variety has an edible pod, one snow pea variety, and one with purple pods.

    Get to know your growing zone

    I live in San Diego, California, USA. We have a very mild climate. When it hits 65 degrees Fahrenheit I’m probably going to bring out my down jacket. You might live somewhere where even 50 degrees means shorts and a t-shirt. You and I won’t have the same success growing the same plants.

    The climate you live in will determine what plants you will be most successful at growing right now. This is something known as a growing zone, planting zone, or hardiness zone. If you live in the United States you can find the zone you live in by your zip code. If you live outside the US, you can find your zone as well. Once you know your zone you can get a list of specified plants that will thrive in your climate. Choosing plants that grow well in your planting zone will set you up for gardening success. 

    How to pick seeds for your fall garden

    I love picking out my seeds for my garden. I order my seeds from a company called Baker Creek Seeds. This company has a large selection of heirloom seeds. The term “heirloom” is usually applied to fruit, flower, or vegetable varieties that were being grown before World War II. Heirloom varieties are open-pollinated, meaning that, unlike hybrids, seeds you collect from one year will produce plants with most of the characteristics of the parent plant. And that’s key to their survival. Many heirloom varieties were preserved by home gardeners who saved seeds from their family gardens from year to year. 

    It’s also fun to plant new varieties of common veggies because they look and taste a little different. My kids get so excited when they pull a purple carrot out of the ground! The photos above show the seeds that we planted this fall. Pumpkins aren’t really considered a cool-weather crop, but all of my previous attempts with pumpkins this year were sabotaged by pests. I threw a few pumpkin seeds in the ground hoping I might have something to show by Thanksgiving!

    Sometimes gardening is just trial and error friends. You never know what will happen (grow or fail) year over year. A fall garden doesn’t need to be perfect. Never take it too seriously! Let your kids get involved in the process of picking out seeds to plant. They’ll be more excited about growing fruits and veggies if they were part of the process. 

    Getting started now with your fall garden

    Are you feeling inspired to get your fall garden started, yet? Great! Don’t worry about having everything ready right away. To get started, you just need a few small paper cups, soil, and seeds! 

    You can get your seeds started growing long before your garden space or beds are ready for the plants. Last fall, I didn’t have my raised beds ready to plant just yet but I really wanted to get my seeds going. I poked a hole in some Dixie cups and started germinating some sugar snap peas.

    Putting the cups in a plastic or cardboard container will help keep the soil in the cups moist. I wouldn’t recommend doing this with any root vegetables, but lettuces or peas grow well when started in smaller containers. You can even put them indoors for a couple of weeks if you have to.

    The garden classroom

    One of my favorite shirts is from Nature Supply Co and it says, “Not all classrooms have four walls.” Gardens are proof of that and can serve as amazing classrooms! Your kids will learn not only the life cycle of plants and the cyclical nature of the seasons, but also important life skills. Kids need patience when waiting for seeds to sprout or for a vegetable to mature. They learn vigilance by going to the garden daily and checking for pests. Their self-control increases by not watering the soaking wet soil even though watering is so much fun.

    They will get outside, see the sun coming up in the east and setting in the west as they work in the garden this fall. They will pay attention to shadows and sunshine and rainy days, but only if you give them the opportunity. A garden is a beautiful way to reconnect together over a common project. 

    Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I will understand.” Confucius

    Involve your kids

    You’ve probably heard the quote by Confucius above. That holds true in the fall garden. You could make your soil rich and beautiful on your own, choose and purchase all the seeds, set up timed irrigation, and just let your kids help plant the seeds. This would still be a good experience, but imagine how much more meaningful that garden would be if you involved your children in all aspects of the planning. Planning! There’s a life skill I forgot to mention.

    Let them find the volume of the raised bed. Ask them to calculate how many bags of garden soil and compost you will need to fill those beds. Let them get their hands dirty mixing the soil. Browse the seed catalog together and let them choose what they want to plant. Read the back of the seed packet with them and figure out together if you have enough space to plant an entire packet of radish seeds. Buy a special gardening notebook and keep track of the days you planted. Then research together when you can expect your harvest. Gosh, the possibilities here are endless! 

    Even the smallest kids can get involved in gardening

    Think your kids are too young to garden? There are chores for all ages when it comes to fall gardening! My youngest isn’t super young anymore, but he does love to bring his spray bottle out to the garden and water for me. Even a toddler can manage a small spray bottle. Just plan on changing clothes afterward, if you need to! If your kids are anything like mine, they won’t stay dry for long. And if you have cats, they’ll find somewhere to hide pretty quickly.

    Additional benefits of gardening for kids

    I could go on and on about the benefits of gardening with your kids. We didn’t even talk about the whole nutrition aspect, learning about where food comes from, or the positive impact playing in the dirt has on a child. Cornell University has a wealth of information detailing what researchers have found in relation to kids and gardening. Statistics are great and all, but on a personal level I have found that being in the garden provides me with a great way to spend quality time with my kids. We do taste tests, find bugs, get dirty, and have a lot of fun.

    There’s no time like the present to start something new, so get growing!
    What will you plant in your garden this fall?

    About the author

    Wendy is a married momma living in central San Diego, CA, raising 4 human kids, 2 goat kids, 4 chickens, and one grumpy cat. She enjoys gardening, hiking, camping, backpacking, going to the beach, and generally getting out-of-doors. Wendy is a family photographer and also works at several local elementary schools as a garden educator. She dreams of traveling to all 50 states and beyond, and believes that there is great beauty to be found in all parts of the earth, we just have to open our eyes to see it.

    You can find more from Wendy online in the following locations:
    Instagram: @wendycoxphotography
    RWMC posts: Wendy Cox

  • CRAFTS, HIKE, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

    Rock Painting Fun with Kids

    Are you looking for a way to encourage your kids’ creativity and keep their little feet moving on the hiking trail? Maybe those two things don’t seem related, but they are! Today, adventure travel and homeschooling mom of three, Rebecca Jimenez, is sharing her tried and true secret to getting kids excited about hiking – rock painting! Not only put all those rock nature treasures your children adore to good use, but your kids will have artistic and creative fun, and will be begging you to hit the trails so that they can leave them behind! This is a game-changer, my friends! Hiking with kids “ROCKS!”

    A child is excited to draw, paint, and create rock art! She is going to take the painted rocks out hiking so she can hide them for other hikers. Children love to get creative and go outside.

    Family hiking

    Our family loves to hike. We are always looking for the best trails to hike and the best mountains to climb. If your kids are like mine, they have tons of energy, and they are always ready to run around, be loud, and explore their surroundings.  Spending time hiking is a great way for kids of all ages to get outside in nature. Children need to exercise and breathe in the fresh clean air. Kids can be themselves outside! They can be loud, and they are free to run around, explore, and see what kinds of treasures they can find in nature.

    Hiking with kids can be an amazing adventure and a great way to spend quality time as a family in the great outdoors. But, sometimes kids get bored on hikes, or easily distracted. A perfectly planned family hike can quickly become a literal uphill battle both mentally and physically. That’s no fun for parents or kids. Even my kids that love hiking only have “so much” they can take. Sometimes we need an activity to keep those little feet moving down the trail. That’s when we discovered the beautiful simplicity of leaving painted rocks on our hikes. This simple activity made our hiking adventures so much more fun for the kids. Let me explain…

    Kids love rocks

    My children have always been fascinated by rocks. Big rocks, small rocks, smooth or rough. It does not usually seem to matter. It makes me smile whenever my child hands me a rock, and says, “Look, mommy! Isn’t this the best, most colorful rock you’ve ever seen?! I bet it’s super old! Maybe as old as the dinosaurs!”

    Sometimes I can see them feeling shy holding what they perceive as a “special rock” and they want to ask me more about it. My kids have sometimes asked me if the rocks could be “real gold” since there is often a fleck of shine to them. Maybe silver? Maybe a diamond? It must be a special mineral of some sort, right? Kids are always daydreaming of striking it rich with their miraculous finds. 

    A child hiking and finding rocks on the trail. Streams and Rivers are a great place to find rocks!

    “When a child gives you a gift, even if it is a rock they just picked up, exude gratitude. It may be the only thing they have to give, and they have chosen to give it to you.” -Dean Jackson

    Rocks are everywhere

    If you’re like me, you love everything your child gives you. I always want to “exude gratitude” when they give me a present. Since our family spends most of our time outdoors, the presents my kids kept giving me were rocks. Yep, rocks.

    Lots and lots of rocks. Small rocks. Big rocks. Heavy rocks. Dirty rocks. Sometimes rocks with little creepy crawlies on them. Sometimes rocks with a unique shape, a smooth spot, a special color, or a cool fossil.  Our pockets and packs are always filled full of rocks, and still… the rocks kept coming. I’m just as guilty – I love looking for unique rocks and showing them to the kids. Every now and then, one ends up in my pocket, too!

    When we come home from a day outside, the kids empty their nature treasures onto the table. Sometimes we have other nature goodies like leaves, acorns, and sticks, too. But always rocks. They are a constant. Rocks are always fun and so easy for kids to find. We then and sort, count, and often times clean the rocks that the kids found. 

    Children playing with rocks at a lake in the mountains

    What to do with all these rocks?

    Our rock collection was starting to get a bit unwieldy. With so many rocks at home, this got me thinking about how could I make finding (and getting rid of) rocks even more fun for kids? I got the idea to paint the rocks to look like real gold, silver, or diamonds. More fun than that would be painting rocks with bright colors, fun designs, inspirational quotes.  We’d seen “kindness rocks” around and loved the idea of making our own to place in fun spots on our hikes. I had a feeling my kids would love this. And I was right! 

    Creating rock art with kids is as easy as 1, 2, 3

    1. Your kids will have a blast finding rocks (they probably already do).
    2. Everyone has a super fun time painting rocks and coming up with unique designs.
    3. It’s even more fun hiding, and (re-finding!) beautifully painted rocks.

    A painted rock with a sunflower that reads "You are my sunshine"

    Painted rocks and hiking

    Now instead of bringing rocks home to live in our house forever, we were turning them into art and taking our painted rocks with us to leave on the trails. A hide and seek of sorts. Now the kids were actually asking me to go hiking! Yep! You heard that right. They were actually begging me to take them on long hikes to hide and look for more rocks!

    Share the rock painting fun

    Do you know what makes hiding rocks even more fun? Including others. People you don’t even know. We loved the idea other rock painters and rock painting groups did to brighten people’s days and share their painted rock art. So we started leaving messages on the bottom of the rocks for other people to take photos of the rocks! We make it easy by using a hashtag so we can see where the rock will ‘travel’!

    If you’re impatient like me, the hashtag is #RunWildRocks, but more on that later.

    A rainbow painted rock with beautiful intricate designs.

    Rock painting ideas for kids

    What is your child really into right now? Maybe it is dinosaurs, cars, fairies, superhero characters, space, rainbows, unicorns, bugs, or monsters. Try easy ways to incorporate what your children love into your rock art.

    You can also do seasonal rock art. Creating ghost rocks around Halloween or ladybug rocks in Spring are both super simple and they look cool too. 

    Remember, you don’t have to be a Picasso to have fun painting rocks! If drawing a dinosaur sounds like a daunting task, simple words work great! “Beep beep” for cars, “bam” for a superhero, or the word “magic” for fairies work great too. Write your favorite quote or saying. Paint rocks with words of encouragement for people to find on the trail – things like “keep going” or “you’re doing great!” You can also paint one letter on each rock and hide them in order to spell out a secret message! 

    If all else fails, it is hard to go wrong with a smiley face, heart, sunshine, cloud, or rainbow.

    A Curious George painted rock. It says Stay Curious

    Getting started painting rocks with kids

    Getting started painting rocks is easy! All you really need are some rocks, some paint, and some creativity! The main thing to keep in mind is these rocks will be outside. So, washable paint or other supplies that are easily cleaned up is not ideal. I also would not recommend using crayons, washable markers, watercolors, chalk, or colored pencils. If it can wash out of your clothes, it can wash off your rocks. So dress for mess and let’s get started!

    A rock painted with a beautiful night time camping scene with a lit tent and a little campfire

    Supplies for rock painting with kids

    1. Rocks – Large, flat, smooth stones work best for rock painting. Include the kids when you’re finding/collecting your rocks. Make sure your rocks are also washed and dried before painting. Kids are great at washing rocks!
    2. Waterproof paint – I like to use inexpensive craft paints such as acrylic paint. Acrylic paint comes in squeeze bottles, tubes, paint pens, and little paint craft kits. You could also use nail polish, permanent markers, or paint pens. 
    3. Brushes for each color – Acrylic does not wash off easily between colors, so I suggest buying a cheap pack of brushes to keep things simple and clean. 
    4. A paint holder – I like using plastic paint wells to keep the paint separate. 
    5. Paint smock or messy clothes – Painting can be fun, but let’s remember to dress for mess. Don’t dress your kids in anything that you wouldn’t mind getting ruined or covered in paint. 
    6. A flat surface that will be painted on – I suggest a paper plate, table cloth, or even a poster board. All these items can also be turned into works of art.  
    7. Stencils – Stencils are optional, but they can be a tremendous help if you are intimated by art or want to make something more intricate.

    If you are looking for additional supplies suggestions or a full list of recommended rock painting art supplies, I’ve got you covered. Just click this link and see all my rock painting supplies suggestions.

    Art Supplies Needed for Successful Rock Painting

    Every child is an artist.” -Pablo Picasso

    Tips for successful rock painting with kids

    Rock painting with kids will be most successful if you ensure the following key points are met:

    1. Make sure to have your “art studio” ready.
    2. Have all your art supplies ready.
    3. Dress for mess and tons of fun!
    4. Come prepared with some creative ideas for art.

    Spark creativity with a comfortable studio

    Kids love to be independent. Especially with all things messy, right? Set your child up for rock painting success by creating an “art studio”. Get creative with your studio setup. An outdoor art studio on the back patio or on a picnic table at the park can be an amazing way to spend a day outside. Let your child take charge with their paint and creativity. I promise you will be rewarded with lots of smiles. 

    Where is your child most comfortable? Sitting in a chair? Lying on the floor? Bouncing up and down? Find the spot that works best for you and your child. Giving your child the space to stretch out may keep the creative juices flowing, and the rock painting fun lasting longer. 

    A child painting a rainbow on a rock with a paintpenA child laying down while painting rocksRock Painting Fun Rainbows and Art Supplies

    Ideas for rock art

    Everyone enters creating rock art at different artistic stages. There is absolutely no wrong place to start rock painting. Younger children and beginning artists will likely fall under the beginner’s section below, but they may be interested in trying more advanced ideas. There’s no right or wrong way to paint rocks – it’s more about the fun than anything! Roll with it and enjoy painting rocks with your kids.

    Beginner rock painting ideas

    Small children love to get messy and create their own work of art. With your young artist, I’d suggest just letting them have fun making whatever they want. Super messy toddler rocks oftentimes are the sweetest rocks to find on the trail. Here are some examples of easy to do beginner rock painter

    • Thumbprint art works well at this age. You can assist by making thumbprint hearts, bugs, and butterflies.
    • Children who are beginner painters do great with simple art projects such as suns, hearts, smiley faces, and rainbows.
    • Simple words are always fun too. One of my favorite rocks we made had the word “hi” and a smiley face.
    • Splatter art can also be really fun for beginner painters. Jackson Pollock is a famous abstract expression artist that is famous for his “splatter art.” 

    Splatter art is easy!  All you need to do to create amazing splatter art is:

    1. Start by placing your rock in a shallow box to prevent mess.
    2. Paint your rock completely in any solid color, and let it dry.
    3. Splatter contrasting colors onto the dry painted rock!

    Child Painting a Sunshine on a rock

    Intermediate rock painters

    For the intermediate painters, I’d suggest more slightly more elaborate painting and longer words. For example, add a cloud above the rainbow, snow on top of the mountain, a sparkle on the water, or trees in the forest.

    Words of inspiration are also amazing on intermediate rocks. Some words we like to use are: love, hope, smile, dream, wish, peace, and happy. If you’ll be leaving your rocks on hiking trails, consider adding hiking words like: keep going, you’re doing great, almost there, hike away, or hiking rocks.

    Extra decor on rocks is also fun! Don’t be afraid to add a little glitter, sparkles, feathers, pom poms, or glue on some google eyes to those little bugs or monster rocks!

    little girl with painted lady bug rocks

    Advanced rock painters 

    For the advanced artist, there are so many fun things you can do with your rocks. What inspires you? Longer quotes or messages of hope and inspiration can be a magical way to adorn your rocks. Intricate patterns, flowers, scenery, nature, and animals are also an amazing way to express your creativity. Draw your favorite cartoon character, book character, animal or portrait. Mandala-style rocks are a fun way to introduce intricate patterns onto rocks.  

    colorful rock art painted in a variety of colors, rainbows, mountains curious george and Bluey

    Hiding rocks for others to find – #RunWildRocks

    A really fun aspect of painting rocks with kids and then hiding your painted rocks is leaving them for other people to find! I’m so excited to help you with that! Follow these easy instructions so that we here at Run Wild My Child can see your rocks!

    Using a permanent marker or paint pen write the following on the back of your rock: 

    1. Take a pic and post to #RunWildRocks
    2.  If there is room on your rock, you can add: “Keep, move, or hide me!”
    3.  Take a picture of your rocks and use the hashtag #RunWildRocks on Instagram so we can see your beautiful works of art!

    painted ladybug rocks and #runwildrocks painted rockChild hiking and leaving painted rocks on a trail

    Tips for hiding painted rocks with kids

    Once you’ve painted your rocks, hiding rocks is just as much fun as painting and finding them!

    • We like to leave rocks in obvious places so that the youngest hikers can easily spot them.
    • A child’s eyes are low to the ground, so make sure to leave your rocks so that a child can easily find them.
    • Avoid bushes or placing the rocks where they could easily fall over.
    • It’s fun to leave the rocks at the beginning, middle, and toward the end of the hike. That way the children feel that extra reward when finishing a hike.
    • We like to leave rocks at obvious bends in the trail, and significant stopping points or views.
    • Position the rocks so that they can be seen from far away.
    • We often prop our painted rocks on other rocks or trail signs. 

    Art book recommendations for kids

    If you want some extra fun reading material about art, painting, and even rock painting, here are a few of our favorite art books for kids:

    Let’s rock

    I hope you and your family are motivated and excited to make amazing rock art with your kids! Your family is going to have the best time hiding and finding your beautiful works of art outside! Don’t forget to use the hashtag #RunWildRocks on the back of your rocks so we can see your beautiful works of art! Post them to Instagram so we can share!

    Are you ready to hit the trail with painted rocks?

    About the author

    Rebecca is a wife, and mom to 3 thrill-seeking, hiking-addicted, and healthy-living kids. But..it wasn’t always that way. This multicultural family was living the fast-paced city lifestyle outside of Miami, Florida. After seeing so many screen-addicted indoor kids, Rebecca and her husband decided to make some drastic changes. They began an epic homeschool road trip across the United States! Now, based in the Rocky Mountains of Utah, you can find Rebecca and her family exploring and seeking adventures in the great outdoors. They are always finding the best mountains to climb, and the most epic trails to hike. They particularly love finding adventures in the US State and National Parks. The family enjoys all outdoor activities and spending time in nature. They enjoy hiking, camping, rock climbing, paddleboarding, and looking for native plants and animals. She is passionate about creating an active and healthy lifestyle for her family and getting kids (and adults!) off screens and outside!

    You can find Rebecca online in the following locations:
    Instagram: @familyonthetrail

  • CRAFTS, HIKE, NATURE SCHOOL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, RECIPES, SPRING

    How to Make Foraged Tree Tip Syrup with Kids

    Are you curious about foraging? Have you ever made anything edible with foraged materials you found in nature? Well, today’s post just may inspire you to get outside with your kids, collect a simple item from nature and then take it home to create a delicious simple syrup. Today, Sarah Warburton, photographer and mom of 2 living in the Swiss Alps, is here sharing advice on how to collect fir tree tips and make a forage tree tip syrup with your kids. She’s included the recipe, plus everything you need to know to get started on your foraging adventure! 

    How to make DIY foraged evergreen tree tip syrup with kids

    Foraged tree tip syrup

    If, like me, you like to find simple but fun activities to motivate your kids to go hiking, then this tree tip syrup is for you! From foraging the fresh spring growth of fir, spruce or pine trees to making the syrup, the process is so easy that kids can do it all by themselves. Although traditionally used to soothe coughs and sore throats, the syrup also tastes amazing in both sweet and savory dishes and makes a useful and original gift. 

    Since discovering the recipe a few years ago, making this delicious, tangy syrup has become an annual tradition. My kids get excited and remind me of our activity as soon as they spot the bright green tips appearing on the trees in spring.  They are always excited to scout out the best trees for harvesting, and armed with just a few basic supplies the syrup can even be prepared straight after foraging for the tips out on the trail. As the tips are generally plentiful and the process so simple, even younger children can proudly make their own jar. 

    Children running along a hiking trail in the forest in the mountains

    What you will need to make the syrup

    • Something to collect the tips in – a tub, small basket, bag, etc.
    • A glass jar with a tight-fitting lid (we use screw-top mason jars)
    • Brown sugar 
    • Spoon
    • Sieve
    • A bit of time and patience! 

    bright green fir spruce tree tips on a tree in spring - tips for foraging evergreen tips

    Foraging conifers

    Conifers are widely found in the forests of the temperate and sub-arctic climates of the Northern hemisphere. Did you know that spruce, fir, and pine trees all have edible needles, each with a slightly different taste. However, before eating anything wild, ALWAYS make sure you know how to identify exactly what it is that you’re foraging. This article on how to recognize the different conifer species will help you if you’re not sure what’s what! 

    Where to forage the tree tips

    The tree’s new spring growth is used to make the syrup. As the weather warms up after winter the trees grow fresh needles at the end of each branch. The new growth is easy to spot – it’s bright lime green and much softer than the mature needles. This is the portion that you’ll forage to make your syrup. 

    When and where to forage evergreen tree tips for syrup

    How to choose trees for foraging

    As with any kind of foraged food, select trees that are away from roads (at least 100m is best) and other sources of pollution. Also, be sure to check that you are outside of any protected zones and not on private land. Also be sure to spread out your foraging and not to collect everything you need from the same tree, in order to ensure you don’t put too much stress on the tree. 

    Children picking spruce tips from a fir tree in the mountains - foraging evergreen with kids

    When to collect the tree tips

    Here in our alpine region of Switzerland new growth starts to appear in early May, but latitude and altitude have an important role in determining the timing of this. This past year I left it a bit late to collect the tips in our immediate area, so we had to take a gondola up the mountain to find them. We were still able to find lots of tips at higher altitudes as late as the end of June but they were starting to get quite large. As a general rule, the younger the tips the better for this particular recipe.

    a child's hand foraging tree tips from a fir tree - how to pick tree tips for making syrupBoy picking tree tips from a fir tree in springCollecting foraged tree tips for making syrup - harvesting evergreen tips

    Harvesting the tree tips

    Now comes the fun part! My kids LOVE to have a ‘mission’ while they are outside and get really excited about finding the best trees and the nicest tips. If you are planning on making the syrup once you return home (rather than while out hiking), all you need to pack is a container to put them in.

    Before we get started, I make sure to remind my kids how to forage responsibly. Removing the tree tips is essentially pruning the tree so aim to collect tips from several trees rather than one, and choose mature rather than young trees. It’s especially important to avoid removing the top tip of a young tree as this can stunt its growth. 

    Green spruce or fir tree tips on the tree

    Tree tips are easy for young children to harvest

    Plucking the tips off the trees is a straightforward process and even little hands can manage it. You don’t need scissors or any special equipment.

    Select tips from the lower branches and make sure that you only take as many as you need. I find that if each child loosely fills the jar that they will eventually use to make the syrup this works out quite well. Once we’ve finished collecting the tips, we say thank you to the trees for sharing them with us. 

    Freshly picked spruce or fir tree tips in a tub

    Storing the foraged tree tips for later use

    If you can’t prepare the syrup right away, then the tips store really well in the fridge or freezer. I have kept tips in the fridge for up to a month but freezing is best for longer-term storage. When refrigerated, keep the tips in a tub or a bag with a damp paper towel to ensure that they don’t start to dry out. 

    brown sugar for making tree tip syrupTree tips and sugar layered in a jar to make syrup

    How to prepare the tree tip syrup

    If we can, I like to plan to do prepare the tree tip syrup on the same day as collecting the tips while we’re still out hiking. Often we’ll find a spot for lunch and do it there. Bear in mind that to do this, you’ll need to carry the sugar and glass jars with you. This is only really practical if you aren’t hiking too far! 

    Start by putting a good layer of tree tips in the bottom of the jar. Follow this with a layer of brown sugar, and then repeat the process until you’ve completely filled the jar. Use a spoon to really pack down the layers, and finish with a thick layer of sugar on the top. Screw on the lid and voilà, you’re done! 

    Combining the sugar and the tree tips is so simple that even small children can do it by themselves. Pouring or spooning the sugar is great for exercising their fine motor skills. Try providing a variety of different brown sugars for an even more fun and tactile experience! 

    tree tip syrup in a jar after 7 daystree tip syrup in a jar on a sunny windowsill

    The best tasting tree tip syrup needs time

    Once you’re home, place your jar(s) somewhere warm and wait for the magic to happen! A bright windowsill is perfect, but a warm cupboard such as an airing cupboard would work well too. The jar can also be left outside in the sun.

    As the sugar melts, it draws out the natural moisture from the tree tips and gets infused with their aromatic goodness.  After a week or so, most of the sugar should have melted and the contents of the jar will have reduced by about a half.

    This is a good time to give the mixture a stir to break up any remaining lumps of sugar and push any stray tips down under the accumulating syrup. At this point, the jar doesn’t look very pretty as the tips will have discolored. But don’t worry about this – it’s perfectly normal!

    We then wait at least another few weeks for more of the goodness to leach out of the tips but some traditional recipes call for waiting months or even up to a year! 

    A sealed bottle of finished tree tip syrup on a bed of green spruce fir tips

    Bottling and storing the tree tip syrup

    When you’re ready to bottle the syrup, simply strain off the tree tips with a sieve, using a spoon to squeeze out all of the beautiful, fragrant liquid. Discard the spent tips, and pour the syrup into clean glass bottles or jars.

    You can also boil the syrup before bottling or can the jars in a water bath to increase its shelf-life. For ultimate freshness and flavor, store the syrup in the fridge. Failing that, a cool, dark cupboard is best. Reports vary as to how long it can be kept, but as it’s pretty much pure sugar it’s very shelf-stable. 

    Tree tip syrup in a metal spoon on a bed of spruce or fir tree tips

    How to use tree tip syrup

    The first bottle of tree tip syrup that we made we used exclusively as a natural remedy to soothe coughs and sore throats. It’s safe to say we had no problem convincing the kids to take it! Soon I began looking into how else it could be used.

    Here are a few suggestions on ways to use evergreen tree tip syrup:

    • drizzle over cheese (my personal favorite – soft cheese and goat’s cheese were made for this!)
    • pour a little over your favorite pancakes
    • glaze or marinate meat, fish, or vegetables
    • add a spoonful to a hot herbal tea
    • sweeten cold drinks and cocktails – mix with still or sparkling water and add a splash of lemon juice for an easy summer drink

    Small bottles also make an interesting homemade gift for friends, neighbors, teachers, or family members. Your children will be so proud to gift a bottle of something they worked to make. 

    two cupped handfuls of spruce fir tree tips for making syrup

    The health benefits of tree tip syrup

    There are so many amazing benefits of foraging conifers and evergreen trees. The needles and cones of conifers have traditionally been used for medicinal purposes by Native Americans and Eastern and Northern Europeans. The needles contain potassium and magnesium and are a potent source of Vitamins A and C. 

    Using alternate sugars for making the syrup

    It’s entirely possible to replace the brown sugar with honey or maple syrup. The ratio of tips to sugar would need adjusting to account for the difference in water content. This is not something that I myself have tried but I have heard that the result is equally delicious!

    two children foraging tree tips from a large fir tree to make syrup

    Other uses for foraged conifer tips

    If you have tree tips left over after making the syrup, don’t throw them away! The tips can be used to garnish a variety of dishes, eaten raw in salads, and even pickled! There are so many amazing uses for your foraged finds! 

    Have you tried making tree tip syrup?
    What’s your favorite way to use it?

    About the author

    Sarah is originally from the UK but moved to Switzerland 14 years ago and never looked back! She lives with her Swiss partner and 2 children, aged 8 and 5, in a beautiful corner of the Swiss Alps. Together they run a large chalet and are kept busy looking after the groups and guests that stay there. Sarah enjoys anything that gets herself and her family out into nature. Skiing, hiking, and paddling on local lakes are favourite family activities, and annual camper van trips are always highlights of the year. Hugely inspired by the landscapes around her, she loves nothing more than taking her camera along to photograph or film their adventures and capture all the beautiful details of the natural world around them.

    Find Sarah online in the following locations:
    Instagram: @swissmountainlife
    Website: http://www.sarahbach.ch
    Chalet: @bnbvieuxchalet

  • ANIMALS/WILDLIFE, GOOD FOR NATURE, HIKE, LESSONS, OUTDOOR SCHOOLS, WATER

    Discovering the Wonders of Salamanders with Kids

    Exploring nature with kids is always an adventure. There are so many things for them to discover and learn with their senses. Sometimes, they find new plants and creatures that even we parents know very little about. This can be unnerving because we don’t always know if it is safe for our children to explore. Salamanders, with their bright colors, potential toxicity, teeth, and generally strong ability to remain unseen, are one such creature many parents may be wary of when stumbling upon one in nature. Not to fear, Somer Pickel, Creative Team member, and nature-loving Tennessee mom shares everything you will ever need to know about discovering salamanders with kids.

    Discovering Salamanders with Kids
    Eastern newts, in the juvenile red eft stage, are strikingly red-orange.

    Teaching kids to love nature through sensory experiences

    The cognitive, emotional, and physical benefits for kids spending unstructured time outdoors are well documented. And I am guessing you wouldn’t be on this website if you didn’t already believe in the wonders of time spent outside. But how do we get our kids to defy the allure of screens and seek more time outdoors?

    What if we could help our children foster a personal relationship with the natural world? If our kids develop a passion for being outside, they’ll take more interest in leaving the screens behind. I’d argue the most long-lasting (and fun) way to encourage your child’s love for the outdoors is through complete and total immersive play. Our kids are sensory beings. They learn most easily when they’re having fun and allowed to explore.

    In less fragile areas (and where you have permission), let them venture off-trail to experience the thrill of wandering and independent discovery. Let’s encourage them to literally delve in and make their own connections. Mother nature is tough, surely she can handle a bit of child’s play.

    It may seem like it on the surface, however, I’m not promoting the abandonment of leave no trace (LNT) principles. LNT values have their place. But too, if all our kids are never granted the freedom to roam or learn as their little heart’s desire, how will they connect with the natural world? So, from time to time, seek balance. Let your child run wild and discover salamanders in their natural habitats.

    Why salamanders?

    I am sure some of you are wondering what any of this has to do with salamanders. Why should you discover salamanders with kids? Well, these adorable little creatures are a great means to actively engage and immerse your children in nature.  Salamanders are a mostly harmless, yet abundant, class of critters that your kids can explore safely (with supervision).

    They’re also quite elusive. To have any luck finding them, kids will have to put in effort learning about their habitat, behavior, and activity. They’ll need to get out and trek through the animals’ natural habitats if they are to have the honor of eyeing one of these guys up close. Discovering salamanders could be your child’s window into the wonders of nature. 

    discovering Salamanders with kids
    Salamanders love fresh pollution-free creeks under tree canopies.

    What are salamanders?

    Salamanders are in the amphibia class along with frogs. Within the amphibia class, they are members of the Caudata order, meaning “tail” in Latin. Like other amphibians they are cold-blooded critters who (mostly) remain tied to water.

    Salamanders either live wholly aquatic lives and/or lay their shell-less eggs in it. Their eggs hatch into larvae, which resemble tadpoles, and stay in the water until they metamorphosize weeks or months later. During this process, they grow limbs and tails.

    Once mature, most salamanders are like lizards in shape. They tend to have elongated necks and bodies with lengthy tails. But unlike lizards, they lack claws and scales. In lieu of scales, they sport thin permeable skin. And instead of claws, most have adorable little toes. Though, some species lack legs altogether and tend to look more like eels.

    discovering a White spotted slimy salamander.
    Discovering salamanders can be a great introduction to your area’s local fauna.

    Where do salamanders live?

    Salamanders can be found all over the world, with Australia and Antarctica being the exceptions. But, they are most abundant in the northern hemispheres. Those found in the southern hemisphere tend to be in mountainous regions or the Amazon basin.

    Like all amphibians, salamanders’ permeable skin makes them unable to survive saltwater. So, while salamanders do boast quite an impressive range (from nearly the arctic circle of Russia to Bolivia’s Andean Mountains!) they aren’t found in oceans, salt marshes, estuaries, or tidal creeks.

    Discovering a Terrestrial white spotted slimy salamander
    When teaching kids where and how to find these critters, they learn and discover about salamanders’ habitats.

    Salamander diversity in the US

    The United States is home to 186 distinct species of salamanders, which is about a third of the world’s salamanders! Though salamanders can be found almost anywhere in the U.S., four regions contain particularly high concentrations and diversity. The areas are the Pacific Coast; Edwards Plateau region in Texas; Ozark and Ouachita mountains in AR, MO, and OK; and the Southeast.

    As a fourth-generation Tennessean, I was shocked to learn the American Southeast has the highest genetic diversity of salamanders in the world (who knew?!). On that note, all photos in this article are of salamanders native to the southern Appalachian region.

    Discovering an aquatic salamander in souther Appalachia
    Salamanders come in all shapes and sizes, making each species a fun new discovery for children.

    Salamander habitat

    Salamanders are extremely diverse across species, including the habitats they call home. Some salamander species are aquatic and spend their whole lives submerged in creeks, bogs, swamps, ponds, rivers, or lakes. Others live in caves, freshwater seeps, terrestrially in forests, or burrowed within moist forest soil.

    Many terrestrial species tend to return to the same water source each breeding season.  Some salamander species have been known to travel up to nine miles back to the vernal pond where they were born. Imagine traveling that far on teeny legs! After breeding, the new generation hatches and metamorphosizes within the water source. Then they find their way onto land.

    Kid discovering salamanders in nature
    Teaching kids about salamanders in their natural habitats gets them outdoors exploring and discovering.

    Salamander size

    In case you weren’t already thoroughly impressed with these under-rated amphibians, they also have huge variants in size. And I am not talking about a pound or two’s difference. While some salamanders only ring in at a couple of inches, others grow upwards of 6 feet and >60lbs! (I know, crazy right?!)

    The Southeastern U.S. has a species called the Hellbender that can grow up to a couple of feet long (though unfortunately, they’ve become quite rare). The largest terrestrial species are members of the mole salamander suborder and endemic to North America. Some of these species, such as the tiger salamander, can be more than 8 inches long. However, most salamanders that you’re likely to find on your adventures will be less than 6 inches.

    Discovering how small salamanders can be with kids
    Salamanders come in all shapes and sizes. Discovering just how teeny they can be is fun! 

    Salamanders are carnivores

    Salamanders are carnivores from the larval stage through adulthood. Adult terrestrial species tend to consume a wide variety of invertebrates including millipedes, centipedes, insects and their larvae, snails, and earthworms. But large mole salamanders may go as far as to eat small mice, shrews, and snakes. Aquatic species feed on fish, crawdads, zooplankton, mosquito larvae, and even other salamanders.

    Some North American mole salamander species, such as the tiger salamander, require only a few meals a year. Uniquely for cold-blooded animals, they tend to function better at lower temperatures. They’re able to conserve energy and go long periods between meals because they’re more active in colder temperatures. Some species go into a mostly dormant state in their burrows during the hot summer months.

    Toddlers exploring
    Don’t discount toddlers! Kids of any age can explore their surroundings.

    Salamander color diversity

    There’s an incredible amount of body coloration diversity within the >575 known species of salamanders. They come in a myriad of colors, ranging from camouflaging browns, dramatic neons, and even translucent in some cave-dwelling species.

    Biologists who study reptiles and amphibians believe the brightly colored salamanders evolved their beautiful tones as a toxicity warning to their potential predators. As shown in some of the photos within this article, the Eastern U.S. has some strikingly bright species.

    discovering Eastern newt salamander in the juvenile red eft phase.
    Some eastern newts, in their juvenile red eft phase, are so bright they seriously do not look real.

    Salamander toxicity

    On that note, yes, some salamanders are poisonous. However, you must ingest the salamander for it to be of any harm. I don’t think this article will lead folks to run off into the forests to catch and eat salamanders, but let’s just throw it out there, *salamanders are not safe for human consumption*.

    For all practical purposes, if your kids wash their hands after handling, they’ll be alright. However, it’s worth noting some of the larger species, namely Hellbenders, pack a mouth full of teeth and can bite. If you and your kids find the motivation to explore and discover these critters, you may want to stick to the smaller species.

    Child discovering eastern newt salamander in red eft phase.
    Kids love hands-on discovery. As long as you and the kids are careful it can be a safe learning experience for all involved.

    Salamander lifespans

    If you’re anything like me, then you may equate a critter’s small size with a short life span. That’s not the case with salamanders. These typically small vertebrates have uncharacteristically long lives. Some span decades.

    Hellbender lifespans can be upwards of 30 years, and spotted mole salamanders can live up to 20 years. There are accounts of giant salamander specimens in Japan and China living 60-70 years! With such long lives, I guess it’s not surprising that some species, like the eastern newt, spend years in their juvenile stages before metamorphosizing into their adult forms.

    discovering an Aquatic salamander native to the southern Appalachian region.
    Aquatic salamanders are typically less brightly colored than their terrestrial cousins.

    Salamander skin

    Another distinctly amphibian characteristic is the salamanders’ skin. They sport thin permeable skin that must be kept moist. Even so, there’s a lot of diversity in how a salamander’s skin can feel. Some are mucous-covered and slimy. Others (especially juvenile newts called efts) feel more dry, bumpy, and granular.

    Salamanders also differ across species in how they breathe or participate in gas exchange. Some oxygenate through their permeable skin, others through gills or lungs, and still others using a combination thereof.

    Small child discovering salamander
    Children love discovering and learning about the world around them.

    Where to look for salamanders

    One thing that all salamanders seem to have in common, is that they are very sneaky. Depending on species, they may burrow under the ground, logs, rocks, boulders, or leaf litter. With such a wide range, while you are out discovering salamanders with your kids it’s probably best to look up what species are native to your area and where they tend to reside.

    Terrestrial salamanders

    If your local salamanders are terrestrial, take to forests, especially on wet days. Once under the tree canopy, very slowly and carefully look under rocks, fallen logs, or freshwater seepage areas. Just take care to return whatever rocks or logs are moved. You may also want to research your native salamanders’ breeding seasons and seek out seasonal/vernal ponds.

    If you do find a salamander, be mindful to not return the log or rock on top of the creature, as they can be easily crushed. One tactic is to return the rock or log first, then gently release the salamander next to where you found it. You’ll be amazed at how quickly their short legs can get them back undercover! If you and the kids are up for it, you can also go forest exploring on a rainy night when salamanders tend to be more active.

    Aquatic salamanders

    If your area has native aquatic species, go exploring creek beds, bogs, swamps, springs, and ponds. Aquatic salamanders are often easier to find, but harder to catch. They are faster than their land-dwelling cousins. The aquatic salamanders use their tails to propel themselves through the water like little missiles. They also tend to be more camouflaged as compared to the brighter colored terrestrial counterparts.

    If you go searching in freshwater habitats, look under rocks near the bank or in creek beds. Lift the rocks slowly and carefully to limit siltation (murky water), which decreases water visibility. And just like you do for terrestrial species, take care to replace all potential cover back into place prior to leaving. Salamanders may be stealthy, but they need the natural cover of rocks, logs, of organic debris for protection and hunting.

    Discovering salamanders with kids
    Teaching kids from an early age about the environment gets them to care about conservation as they grow.

    How to handle salamanders

    When you are lucky enough to find salamanders, please take care in handling them. Their permeable skin makes them delicate and quite sensitive. Try to remember to wash your hands with soap and water before going out. Make an extra effort to not have any chemicals on your hands including sunblock, bug spray, sanitizer, scented lotions, or any other substances that could be potentially harmful to the amphibians. Many species breathe through their skin and need to stay moist. So, it may be beneficial to wet your hands before touching them.

    When attempting to hold them, keep in mind that they can also be very fast. They will squirm and squiggle right out of kids’ paws if given the opportunity. Try to prepare your kids. You don’t want them to clamp down on the fragile critters should they make for an escape. A gentle loose grip is best.

    For smaller kids, who may not have the dexterity to safely hold small salamanders, bring along a small cup to put them in temporarily. That way your child can see them up close without harming or overstressing them. After you all have gotten a good look, help empower your kiddos to be good nature stewards by releasing the salamanders right where they were found.

    Of note: Some terrestrial species secrete a very sticky mucus when handled as a defense mechanism. The mucus tends to not wash off for a day or two, although in my experience it lost the stickiness within a couple of hours.

    Child discovering Eastern newt salamanders in red eft stage
    Bringing a small cup ca help small children explore salamanders more safely.

    Salamander conservation

    Scientists consider all amphibians, including salamanders, as sentinels or bio-indicators. This means that the health of an area’s species, or group of species, is considered an indicator of the overall wellbeing of that habitat or environment. This is because amphibians are extremely sensitive to environmental change. Due to this sensitivity, amphibian populations seem to be declining globally.

    discovering Aquatic shovel nosed salamander
    Note how camouflaged its skin is with its environment.

    Salamander vulnerability

    Salamanders, like frogs, lay unshelled eggs in water. Without outer shells, the eggs are easily damaged by pollutants, ultraviolet radiation, and other disturbing factors. It’s more complicated for terrestrial species who depend on vernal ponds to lay eggs, as seasonal water sources are being increasingly affected by climate change. And as mentioned earlier, salamander’s permeable skin also makes them quite fragile to chemical pollutants. They can’t survive in polluted waterways.

    Child discovering eastern newt salamander in red eft stage.
    Even very young children can learn how to be gentle and respectful of small critters.

    How to help salamanders

    All is not lost; we can help protect these amazing creatures. There are simple things we can do to benefit salamanders no matter where we are.

    • We can help by ensuring they have shelter. When you see rocks stacked into (unnecessary) “cairns”, dismantle them by gently dispersing the rocks. Removing rocks from creeks and streams to form stacks, causes over-siltation of the waterway and loss of protective shelter for salamanders and other little beasties like crawdads.
    • Advocate against using salamanders for fishing bait, and for the humane release of Hellbenders caught by anglers.
    • Collect litter we come across while out adventuring, especially trash you can reach at the edges of water sources.
    • And if your family is really looking to be a force of change, investigate how you can engage in local habitat restoration efforts in your community.
    • Last but certainly not least, help us spread the joy and wonder of these clandestine critters! The more folks know about them, the more folks will care, and the more likely we’ll be able to make a difference.
    child discovering a salamander
    The more you expose kids to nature the more they learn about the interconnectedness of the world around them.

    Cool salamander facts for kids

    • Salamanders are older than dinosaurs! The earliest found fossil records of salamanders are more than 250 million years old. That’s 40 million years older than the first fossil records of dinos. That means these incredible creatures survived the great extinction events that killed the dinosaurs. No wonder some species (particularly in the cryptobranchidae family) look so prehistoric.
    • “Salamander” is Greek for “fire lizard”. The name has its origin in the myth that salamanders can walk through fire. This myth came about in ancient times. People would often see salamanders as they crawled out from logs that had been thrown onto the fire.
    • A group of salamanders is referred to as a herd or a congress.
    • The axolotl, a native Mexican species, can regenerate missing limbs, eyes, gills, and some organs (cool, right!).
    • Colloquial names for salamanders include snot otter, devil dog, lasagna lizard, walking fish, fire lizards, Allegheny alligators, mudpuppies, waterdogs, and baby dragons.
    • The biomass of salamanders in America’s southeastern Appalachian forests is greater than all mammals and birds combined.
    Child discovering a red eft salamander.
    Teaching children about small creatures is also extremely adorable. Did I mention that yet?

    Salamander fun for young children

    Bring the outdoors in with salamander toys and books!

    Salamander toys

    • Beautiful handmade salamander toys by OutsideEverywhere.
    • Salamander puppets are a good option too. Folkmanis has a couple options; a mud salamander finger puppet and axolotl.
    Kids handmade salamander toy. Discovering salamanders with kids.
    Kids learn through play. So bring the outdoors in through toys!
    child discovering salamander
    Salamanders are beautiful creatures that can teach kids and parents alike so much about our local environments.

    Children’s books about salamanders

    References

    How are your kids developing a passion for the outdoors?

    About the author

    Somer is a mama living in southern Appalachia. Somer’s motherhood journey began when her oldest daughter was born with severe congenital heart disease. Avelyn spent the majority of her 18 months of life within a pediatric ICU. Though she lived her life chronically critically ill, Avie was an incredibly loving and joyous child. After her death, Somer and her husband sought solace backpacking a section of the Appalachian Trail. Before long, they discovered their ability to cope seemed to correspond with time spent outdoors.

    When it came time to add another kiddo to the mix, bringing the baby along was never a question. In an effort to celebrate the freedom provided by healthy bodies, Somer has hiked her second-born 2k+ miles. Even so, she doesn’t believe grand adventures are necessary to reap nature’s wonder. They just as often revel in mundane evenings in their backyard. The family believes it’s prioritizing time spent outdoors that’s important.

    Professionally, Somer has spent the last decade caring for veterans on an acute psychiatric unit as a clinical nurse educator. Over the years she’s become a passionate advocate within the intersectional relationships of mental health, wellness, and the natural world. She truly believes there’s healing and strength to be found outdoors for those who seek it.

    You can find Somer online in the following locations:
    Instagram: @somerpickel

  • ANIMALS/WILDLIFE, BEACH, BOOKS, GOOD FOR NATURE, INFORMATION, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

    Tips for Fossil Hunting with Kids

    Are your kids dinosaur-obsessed?  Do they love treasure hunts? Do they enjoy using tools? Then this outdoor activity is going to blow you away! Today, teacher and UK mom, Hannah Martin, is sharing all the best tips and advice on how to go fossil hunting with kids. Fossil hunting is a fun, exciting, and educational activity for the entire family!  You can do it nearly anywhere and it doesn’t take a lot of fancy gear or equipment. Just a love of learning and exploring. Let’s go fossil hunting!

    The case for dinosaur-obsessed kids

    Before I had a child, I didn’t have a clue about dinosaurs or fossil hunting. Another confession, despite hours upon hours of reading dinosaur books and taking all things dinosaur, I am still no dinosaur expert. However, I admit that I have enjoyed learning all about them with my son. From the armored Ankylosaurus to the sea-dwelling Plesiosaurus, we have played, watched, and read about what feels like every dinosaur possible.

    Interest in dinosaurs not only evokes questions and learning about history, geography and nature: a study by the University of Indiana and the University of Wisconsin reported that interest in dinosaurs as a child, leads to enhanced perseverance (definitely a skill needed when fossil hunting!), improved attention and “enhanced skills of complex thinking, such as processing information.” Turns out that your child’s dino-obsession just might be good for them! 

    Child using magnifying glass to examine leaf fossil imprint

    Benefits of fossil hunting with kids 

    While I’m not expecting my son’s interest in dinosaurs to turn him into an archeologist or paleontologist, I like that it’s made him curious about the world around him (and what came before us). Fossil hunting is an activity that we use to connect the past (and his interest in dinosaurs) to the present (and our interest in nature and outdoor activities).

    Fossil hunting takes patience and perseverance. This is an activity that definitely suits his characteristics; he’s calm and always interested in facts. Fossil hunting is a fun outdoor family activity with many benefits for children: improving their fine-motor skills when selecting small treasures amongst pebbles, risk management when working with tools along the coastline and under cliffs, sorting and ordering, encouraging reading about and researching what you collect, and best of all, it seems to have a positive effect on mental well-being.

    In my son’s own words “Fossil hunting makes me feel calm.”

    Fossil Hunting encourages reading to discover what treasures you've found

    Where and when to go fossil hunting with kids?

    We are very lucky to live near the Jurassic Coast in the UK. It’s a coastline where thousands of sea-dwelling creatures and dinosaur fossils have been discovered over the years. It is a UNESCO site for its outstanding value of rocks, fossils, and land formations.

    But don’t worry! You don’t have to live in a UNESCO site to enjoy fossil hunting and find fossils. Every continent on earth has many fossils. And new species are yet to be discovered in all areas. So, no matter where you live, you can go fossil hunting.

    From research (but sadly not personal experience), I learned that there are tons of amazing fossil hunting locations across the US. There have been hundreds of great dinosaur and ancient discoveries from Texas to Montana, Alaska to Hawaii. The Morrison Formation in the Western part of the US is a great place to be inspired, with Aptasaurus, Allosaurus and Stegosaurus fossils on display.

    There are many other amazing places across the US where you can actually fossil yourself, check out this website for an array of destinations.

    Fossil hunting can be done at any time of year but in the UK, the best months are between November and April. This is due to the rough seas churning up the beach and revealing more fossils. In the US, more fossils are found inland so, lucky for you, it can be an all-year-round activity!

    How to get started fossil hunting with kids

    Fossil hunting books for kids

    The only thing you really need to get started fossil hunting with kids is an interest in the activity! If you have a dino-loving kid, the interest has already been ignited. In order to help your kids make the connection between dinosaurs of the past and the rocks they can find today, check out Fossils for Kids or Dino Dana Both will help your child identify and understand dinosaurs and how they’re still relevant (and being discovered) today. 

    We set the scene for our first fossil hunting day out by using a story by Linda Skeers titled Dinosaur Lady. It’s about the historical figure, Mary Annings, who is now known as one of the most successful palaeontologists in UK history. What excited our son was that the story was based in the place we were planning to visit so he was expecting to find a whole dinosaur, just like Annings did!

    Best fossil hunting dinosaur books for kids

    Fossil hunting songs, games, and activities

    On the journey to our destination, we carry on the fossil theme and, as a family, we sing along to “I’m a Palaeontologist” by They Might Be Giants. It’s a fun and catchy tune that will get kids excited about fossil hunting and the fun things they can potentially find.

    We also play a game where we named a dinosaur for every letter of the alphabet. I warn you this gets pretty tricky at N and O but we had help from our 199 Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals book. 

    The Etches Museum, inspiring kids about fossils

    Dinosaur museums

    In order to give your child a better understanding of what they are looking for and how cool fossil hunting is, consider taking them to a local, child-friendly dinosaur museum. We are lucky since where we fossil hunt, there is a small museum set up by a local man who started fossil hunting at the age of 6 and now, 50 years on, he has a great collection of fossils including a whole Pliosaur and an Ichthyosaur. Our son was very inspired by The Etches Museum and was definitely in the mood to find his own fossils once we left.

    There are loads of museums around the world with great collections of fossils and dinosaur bones. If you’re lucky enough to be near any of these places, they were listed as the 10 best Dinosaur Museums in the world by http://www.thetravel.com:

    1.  Zigong Dinosaur Museum (Zigong, China)
    2. Natural History Museum (Paris, France)
    3. Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Science (Brussels, Belgium)
    4. Royal Tyrell Museum of Paleontology (Alberta, Canada)
    5. Natural History Museum (London, England)
    6. The Field Museum (Chicago, Illinois, USA)
    7. Fukui Dinosaur Museum (Katsuyama, Japan)
    8. Badlands Dinosaur Museum (Dickinson, North Dakota, USA)
    9. Smithsonian Museum of Natural History (Washington D.C, USA)
    10. National Dinosaur Museum (Canberra, Australia)

    Fossils we collected on day out fossil hunting

    Fossil hunting gear and equipment

    There’s really not a lot of gear or equipment you need when fossil hunting with kids. There are a few things that help make the experience safer and feel more legitimate for kids, though. I’ve included a list of optional fossil hunting gear below. 

    Fossil Hammer – While not essential, a fossil hammer will make the fossil hunting experience more of an adventure for your child and give him/her more independence and responsibility.  Our son was very excited that he had his own fossil hammer, but of course, always make sure you talk through safety with them and supervise them while using it.

    Eye Protection – If you’ll be using a hammer and smashing rocks and chipping away at stone and dirt, safety goggles are a good idea to protect their eyes from flying stone and debris. Nothing spoils fossil hunting like a piece of stone in a little eye.

    Collection Tools – Another great thing to have is a little tin or a small collection bag so the children can collect and look after their own treasures. Our son also enjoyed using a small brush to clear away the dust (a paintbrush will work just fine), and a magnifying glass to inspect his findings.

    Hammers make fossil hunting super fun

    What else to bring on a fossil hunting outing

    That’s all the essentials tools you’ll need for fossil hunting; however, there are a few other things you should bring along on your outing. Make sure to pack and dress for the weather. A spare change of clothes is always useful whenever you’re out near the water We’ve learned this lesson the hard way – once we fossil hunted around rock pools and it was a rather soggy affair. We now take our lightweight waterproof suit whenever we’re out and about. Then again, we do live in England!

    Shoes with a good grip are also recommended as some areas can be slippery under cliffs. Also, don’t forget lots of snacks and a picnic for a day trip. In the winter we always take our Kelly kettle so we can have a hot chocolate to warm up and refuel.

    Keep the kids energy and motivation high with regular snack breaks when fossil hunting

    Where and how to look for fossils

    The most important tool you need for fossil hunting is your eyes! While you can find lots of tips on where to look for fossils, fossil hunting success is largely down to luck. The longer you spend on the activity, the more chance you have of spotting some cool finds. Here are a few of the places we tend to find the most and best fossils.

    Look for fossils in and at the bottom of cliffs

    Look for sedimentary rock in the cliffs, so anything from sandstone to limestone or shale. On our last fossil-hunting expedition, there was slate which is composed of volcanic ash and clay. It is soft and can be flaked apart or gently tapped with the hammer, which was ideal for fossil hunting with kids. The main fossil you want to look out for in the cliffs are ammonites. But, also look out for Coprolites (dino poop) and leaf imprints. We discovered lots of imprints when splitting rocks apart and along the coastline on large rocks. Sadly, many of these rocks were way too big to take home!

    Make sure that you do not hammer the cliffs, as this can cause landslides and displace large amounts of earth. Just hammer the rocks that have already fallen from the cliffs on the beach. Sometimes, when you look along the side of a rock you can see different layers of earth. This is a good sign that there might be a fossil inside. We didn’t spend too much time under the cliffs as they were constantly falling around us as we had rain the night before.

    Ammonite imprint in rock - fossil hunting with kids

    Fossil hunting in shingle and sand

    When fossil hunting, we enjoy sitting down amongst the shingle and just gently moving the sand and pebbles back. This is usually when some chill-out time is needed. Some of our most successful finds have been here!

    Keep a lookout for “precious jewels”, or sea glass gemstones (small pieces of different colored glass).  Occasionally, you can find semi-precious gemstones such as Rhodonite.  All of these treasures have history and we enjoy looking in our rocks and fossils book to see what they are and learning about them.

    We love looking in the shingle for sea glass gemstonesfossil hunting tips for kids

    Shoreline fossil hunting adventures

    During our shoreline fossil hunt, we play a game we call ‘dinosaur footprints.’ We follow behind our son, walking like dinosaurs, and whenever he turns around we have to freeze. While you’re playing, keep your eyes down and look out for black or white stone-looking objects. You will probably need to pick in the sand with your hands to find them.

    When you’re at the shore, it’s also worth looking for sea snails, echinoids (fossilized sea urchins – they are quite rare), Belemnites (sea creatures similar to modern-day squids), and Crinoid stems (ancient animals related to sea urchins and starfish).

    If you are unsure what you are looking for, there are loads of websites specific to certain areas that you can look up and research before leaving for your fossil hunting adventure.

    The great thing about fossil hunting on the coast is that if you or your kids get bored, impatient, or tired of searching there are rock pools and the sea to splash in and explore, too! Activities on the beach are endless, we love making rock towers (but remember to put rocks back when you leave), and why not have a sandcastle competition or look for wildlife in a rock pool.

    Searching along the shore line for smaller fossils and shark teethThere are loads of things to look out for along the shorelineRock pooling

    Sorting and displaying your treasures

    One of our favorite parts of fossil hunting is coming back home and seeing all the treasures we found. We put our fossils into a collection box and have even made a little resin display for them. Hobie loves taking his collection to school for show and tell and even gets them out sometimes when playing with his dinosaurs.

    Idea for displaying and presenting fossil treasures found

    Fossil fun for the whole family

    Fossil hunting is a great activity for all the whole family. We always come back from our fossil hunting adventures invigorated by the fresh air, with a good feeling of tiredness from walking and playing. We go home feeling a sense of achievement and with a tin full of historical, educational, free goodies!

    I hope this post has inspired you to get outside and see what fossils you can find in your area. We hope to see you out fossil hunting sometime soon!

    Are your kids into dinosaurs?
    Have you ever gone fossil hunting?

    About the author

    Hannah Martin has worked as a PE Teacher in the UK for 15 years. She has always loved being active outdoors. However, she discovered a new passion for nature and appreciating the environment when she had her son Hobie (now 5 years old). Hannah and Hobie’s vision is to inspire parents to spend time doing fun, creative, nature activities outdoors with their children; no matter where they live and whatever the weather. They believe spending time together outdoors as a family will encourage future generations to love and care for the world, wildlife, and environment.

    Find more from Hannah (and Hobie) in the following locations:
    Instagram: @hobies_nature_club
    Website: hobiesnatureclub.co.uk
    YouTube channel: Hobie’s Nature Club

  • CRAFTS, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, PARK, PRINTABLES, SUMMER

    How to Make a DIY Park Tour Guidebook

    Parks and playgrounds offer endless opportunities for outdoor active and creative play for kids. From swing sets to sporting areas, picnic places, and lakes and streams, exploring new parks with kids can be so much fun! If your local park has lost its appeal and you’re ready to find something new (or you just love new experiences and want to find some fun new places to explore), we’ve got the answer for you…a park tour! Today, photographer and Minnesota mom of three, Angie Mahlke shares how to create your very own DIY park tour guidebook to use while exploring new (to you) playgrounds in your area and ranking them for fun! Give your children the chance to become park connoisseurs on a quest to find their favorite playground!

    How to make a diy park tour guidebook

    Why parks and playgrounds?

    Being active outdoors doesn’t have to be complicated or require a lot of gear or planning – it can be as easy as exploring a local park or playground with your kids. Checking out a new park allows parents and kids to be adventurous, without needing to travel far or spend a lot of time researching or packing for an exotic outing. Most of the parks near us have wooded areas, lakes or ponds, hiking trails, and a playground, of course, which is always the most attractive feature for my kids and the first thing they want to check out upon arrival.

    Like probably most families with small kids, we spend a lot of time at our local parks and playgrounds. They are free and easily accessible and provide endless hours of entertainment for the kids. I wonder what the hour count would be if I had started logging the amount of time we actually spend at parks from that first visit with our new baby 12 years ago? It feels like we’re probably into the millions by now!

    Last year, when COVID restrictions hit and indoor places closed, suddenly, parks were one of the only things available to many families (after the brief window during quarantine when they weren’t, of course). Our parks got more crowded than ever and we got an itch to try branching out to find fun new places to explore. This is what prompted the idea (read: necessity) to spice up our playground adventures! 

    The importance of play and playgrounds for kids how to plan a local playground tour Benefits of playgrounds for kids

    Benefits of playgrounds 

    Playgrounds are safe spaces where children can be themselves and express their fun-loving nature while developing crucial cognitive, physical, social, and emotional skills. Play is a spontaneous activity that children engage in to have fun. But it’s much more than that. Experts in a variety of fields have conducted a multitude of studies on the concept of childhood play all proving the same critical fact —play is an essential aspect of learning. 

    As a child grows, their play becomes more complex. Without being able to play, children’s ability to develop and learn is stunted. Playgrounds provide a place for children to get a full-body workout, including exercises that strengthen their arms, legs, torso, and so on. From the cardiovascular system to the circulatory system, each is nurtured and benefited through vigorous and active outdoor play.

    Exploring new playgruonds and parks with kidsexploring local park tour

    A park tour adventure

    As our local parks got busy (and started becoming a bit boring to us), we decided to venture out. We started talking about plans to explore more parks. And then, we had an idea! What if we hit up all the parks in our area? We could make a list of every park, map them all out and start park hopping. We could call it a park tour! Doesn’t it sound more exciting to give it a fancy name instead of just saying we’re going to hit up a ton of playgrounds?

    But that’s not the big idea. We can go bigger! Let’s not just check out the parks and play, but let’s turn it into a bigger activity. We can record what we liked (and disliked) about each park we visit. We can use a park rating system —similar to a movie rating system—to determine how much fun each park is. Who doesn’t like giving things a thumbs up or thumbs down? What would it take for a park to be worthy of the full five stars?

    It’s time to be an official park critic!

    DIY park tour guidebooks

    And then, we decided to go all out and take it one step further. Why not create our own DIY Park Tour Guidebooks complete with a rating system to fill out after each park visit? Then at the end of the tour, we can look back at our ratings to determine which park is our favorite.

    So, that is exactly what we did! All last summer we carried our homemade guidebooks with us from playground to playground, diligently recording our every like and dislike. Each kid made their own park tour guidebook because they all have varying opinions on what made a particular park great. What one rated a “good” park, another deemed a “bad” one. 

    diy park guide booksdiy park tour filler pages

    To be fancy or not to be fancy

    Making a park tour guidebook is easier than you think. They do not need to be fancy! (Although, if fancy is your thing, you can certainly do that!) When we started making our park tour guide books, I simply wrote out a quick rating system on a piece of white printer paper. Then I made several copies and stapled them together in a bundle for each of us. Everyone decorated their cover page. Then we were off! Easy peasy.

    Your park tour guidebook can be that easy, or you take it up a notch and get a bit more creative. This summer, we decided to do another park tour and make books, but we wanted to do something a bit more fun. Our guidebooks now involve recycled brown paper grocery bags, so of course, the fancy meter is off the charts.

    You can choose to make your books however you want and be as creative or as simple as you would like. If you have older kids, they’ll love making their books personalized to their favorite interests and colors. Little ones might need a bit more help, but they’ll love making it theirs. Cater your books and style to your family and what works best for you.

    If you’d like to make our oh-so-fancy paper bag guide books, I detail the process below.

    diy park tour book

    Paper bag DIY park tour guidebook supplies

    • Brown paper shopping bag (one for each person)
    • Filler paper with a rating system (print my PDF if you’d like) 
    • Hole punch
    • String, yarn, or ribbon
    • Scissors
    • Markers, crayons, paints, or other art supplies

    exploring local playgrounds

    How to make a park guidebook

    I’ve learned after many years of doing arts and crafts projects with my children that it goes much smoother to do all the prep work before calling them in to help. If your kids are little (and maybe not the best with scissors), I would suggest doing steps 1 – 2 on your own before including them in on the fun decorating parts.

    So, gather your supplies and have them ready. For the filler paper, you can either use pre-printed pages (use our free PDF above) or plain ol’ blank paper. If you’re using our template, print out your pages (one for every park you plan on visiting).

    Step 1: Cut the paper bag

    You will need to cut the bag to create two separate panels—a front and a back. You can leave the handles of the bag attached for a fun way to tote it around. Like a briefcase.

    The bags have a natural fold about a fourth of the way up from the bottom. I cut right across the horizontal fold and discarded the bottom half of the bag. Then I cut off both the “sides” of the remaining top half of the bag. This left me with two panels, both containing a handle.

    Step 2: Punch the holes

    If you have a three-hole punch, lucky you. You are set for this next step. But if you’re like me and only have a regular ol’ single-hole punch, you may want to follow the steps below.

    1. Find a scrap piece of paper the same size as your filler paper and punch three holes (as evenly spaced as possible) along the left side. Use this scrap piece of paper as your hole punching template.
    2. Put your front and back panel from the paper bag on top of each other, the handles touching.
    3. Then place your hole punching template on the top and punch the same three holes.
    4. Do step 2 for the filler paper as well.

    Voila! You just took thrice as long to do the same job as the three-hole punch, but you still got the job done!

     

    diy park tour bookdiy park tour book

    Step 3: Decorate the cover page

    What work of art is complete without some actual art? Spruce up the front cover of your park tour guidebook any way you want! This is the perfect step to bring in the little kids.

    My kids chose to draw some pictures and label their park guide books with their names. You could use paint, stickers, stamps, or (gasp) glitter (cue horrified moms everywhere). Be as creative or as simplistic as you’d like.

    DIY Playground books - park ranking system and guidebookshow to create and assemble a park ranking guidebook for kids

    Step 4: Assemble the pages

    Now that all the leg work is done, it’s time to assemble these babies!

    You will need to cut three pieces of string (or yarn, ribbon, twine, etc.) to use to bind the pages together. Loop the string through all the layers (front cover, filler pages, then back cover) for all three of the holes and tie them loosely. You will want to leave a little give so the pages can open and close with ease.

    And with that, your DIY park guidebooks are now done and ready to be tested!

    diy park tour filler pages - free PDF template for ranking favorite parks

    Creating your park ranking system

    So what exactly do the filler pages of the park tour guidebook contain? Other than the park name (that’s important), everything else is really up to you! Last year we listed out and ranked pretty much every single thing we could think of that we may find at a park (slides, swings, climbers, shade trees, picnic area, water features (ponds, creeks), hiking and biking trails, wildlife, parking, uniqueness, etc.). This year, though, we kept it a bit simpler and only included the basics. 

    As the creator of your park tour guidebook, you (and your kids) get to determine what you want to include in your books to judge and how you want to judge/rank it. Think about what’s most important to you when finding a new park. Is it the playground equipment? Fishing pond? Is it a soccer or baseball field? Or maybe other things like size, distance from home, location, privacy, and remoteness?

    And now you get to determine what your ranking system will be. Do you want to give points? Hearts or stars? Thumbs-up and thumbs-down?

    We use a five-star rating system, with five stars being the best. We individually rank each of the items, then we tally the number of stars to determine the final score the park earned. This year we added the fun “thumbs up, thumbs down” rating system as well, to give the park as a whole. Thumbs-up means we’ll come back.

    playground swinging - exploring new parks with kids

    How to create the park tour guidebook ranking pages

    How you want to create the filler pages with the ranking system is completely up to you and your kids. Older kids may want to create their own pages. They can either do that with pen/marker or maybe on a computer. Then you can make as many copies of the page as you need. Or, maybe each page is recreated on the spot and individualized to the park? For younger kids, maybe you create a page for them and make copies. 

    Like I noted earlier, last year I simply hand-wrote the categories and drew the stars. Then I made copies on my home photocopier for each of our guidebooks. This year, I created the template on Microsoft word. I searched Google for some free clipart since my five-year-old can’t read yet. Then I set to work creating a rating system.

    Feel free to use my park tour guidebook rating page template or use it as inspiration to create your own!

    Other fun additions to your park tour guidebook

    Your guidebooks don’t have to be exclusively filled with ranking pages. Include a few blank pages in there for journaling or drawing. Maybe your kids want to draw a picture of the playground equipment so they remember the park. Or maybe they find a pretty leaf or flower that they press and glue on a page. Let them use pages to take notes or write down a funny thing that happened at each park. 

    Think about including a map of your area in your park tour guidebook and letting them plot out the parks they visit. Or a checklist of all the parks they want to visit (or have visited). Encourage them to can draw their own maps of the park, to work on their mapping and spatial awareness skills. Check out this post for more info on map reading skills for kids.

    DIY park books - how to create a park ranking system

    Take your park tour guide books out and play

    Now that your park tour guide books are complete, it’s time to get out and explore! Make a list of all the playgrounds in your area and start hitting up as many as you can.  Maybe you do a park a week over the next few months. Or maybe you plan a full day of park hopping and visit 10 parks in one day! There’s no right or wrong way to do this! Just have fun and don’t forget to bring your park tour guidebooks and take a few seconds (or minutes) before going home to rate your experience.

    If your kids are like mine, they will love expressing their opinions. Sit back and watch their differences roll out! What one kid loves, the other is bound to hate. By the end of your park tour, you just might find one park that the whole family can agree they love and then you have a new family favorite! 

    What makes a park good for you?
    Can you predict which park will be the family favorite?

    Angie Mahlke

    About the author

    Angie is a wife and stay-at-home-mom of three wild hyenas. She resides in rural Minnesota, where there are more cows and cornfields than people. She is an introvert with a creative itch that needs to be scratched, whether it is photographing her children in their daily lives or coming up with fun ways to explore nature in their backyard. Messy hair, dirty faces, mismatched clothing, wild and free children—all these things fuel her creativity and the desire to preserve these fleeting moments. Angie and her family can be found camping, biking, and sitting around a campfire during the summer months and sledding and ice fishing in a million layers during the winter.

    You can find Chelsea online in the following locations:
    Instagram: @angie_mahlke
    RWMC posts: Angie Mahlke

  • INFORMATION, LESSONS, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

    Teaching Map Reading Skills to Kids: Toddlers thru Teens

    Knowing how to read a map is an essential skill for kids and adults. Not only do you need to know how to find out where you are, but you need to be able to navigate safely to your destination. Now more than ever we’ve become heavily reliant on technology. Our phones and GPS devices are great (when they work), but you shouldn’t be fully dependent on devices when you’re out adventuring. Knowing how to read a map could save your life! Today, we have South Carolina mom of three, Jen Barnes, here sharing how to teach map reading skills to kids. She covers everything you need to get started teaching toddlers about maps, all the way through what teens need to know. 

    Map with a pin to mark a location with text

    The importance of map reading

    What do you do if cell coverage drops can you can’t access the map on your phone? What if your GPS information is incomplete? How will your kids know where to go (or how to get where they need to be) if they can’t read a map. Map reading skills for kids are important. They will help you and your kids gain confidence and have fun as you adventure outdoors.

    Maps are an essential part of any adventure. While many people have come to rely heavily on GPS technology, the ability to read a map is an important skill for kids (and adults) to learn. Whether you head out on a family road trip, hit an unfamiliar hiking trail, or do a self-guided walking tour of a big city, you need a map! Technology has made it easier to get around, but it has certainly not eliminated the need to know where you are and where you are going. 

    Learning to read and use a map teaches kids spatial skills. Spatial thinking and spatial awareness are some of the most important skills that students will develop as they learn how to read a map and about geography, Kids who develop robust spatial thinking skills will be at an advantage in our increasingly global and technological society. 

    Learning to love maps

    As memory serves, there is not one family vacation in my past where a map didn’t have its place. As my dad packed up the station wagon and my sister and I crammed in the back on our sleeping bag pallets (yes, it was the 80s), we set off to explore new places. Never once did we leave home without our trusty atlas full of every road map we would need.

    Admittedly, my dad is a bit of a geography nerd. He loves to pass along his interest and skills to his kids. When the Chicago Tribune published its Geography Challenge Quiz each year it was a family affair. We all participated and we all looked forward to boasting with our tidbits of trivia knowledge. At the time it was just a fun game, but now that I’m an adult, I realize how useful those skills have been and how well they still serve me today. I’m always the navigator in the family. I have an excellent sense of direction and can grasp the context of a place more quickly than others. These are skills everyone can learn, even starting at a young age and building from there.

    History of the map

    Maps have journeyed a long way over the last 3,000 years. From the first written maps to what we now know as GPS (right in our pockets). The oldest surviving map comes from a clay tablet depicting Babylon at the center surrounded by the ocean. The purpose of this map was not for navigation, but for the map reader to place himself at the center with an idea of a bigger world around him.

    The Romans created maps that were largely unrealistic, done to prove a point that their empire was cohesive. First attempts at realistic map-making came from Claudius Ptolemy who was keenly interested in giving lines (longitude and latitude) to distinguish areas. From that maps evolved as economies developed and empires expanded and contracted. Sea voyages that led to exploration and new land discoveries through travel-filled in details of how the world is shaped. Lands and bodies of water could be related to other lands. Fast forward to today and we can still find how maps are useful and helpful even with the technology we have access to.

    teaching map reading skills to kids

    Types of maps

    Most of these maps can be placed into one of two groups: reference maps; and, thematic maps.

    Reference maps show the location of geographic boundaries, physical features of the earth, or cultural features (such as places, cities, and roads). Examples of reference maps include political maps, physical maps, road maps, topographic maps, time zone maps, geologic maps, and zip code maps. Political maps are the most widely used reference maps. These are the types of physical maps that are mounted on the walls of classrooms and found in road maps. They show the geographic boundaries between governmental units such as countries, states, and counties. They show roads, cities, and major water features such as oceans, rivers, and lakes.

    Thematic maps are different. They show the variation of a topic (the “theme”) across a geographic area. Examples of thematic maps include weather maps, income maps, and resource maps.

    Making map reading for kids fun

    Most kids will learn the very basics of how to read a map during their elementary school years. However, if you want to create a proficient map-reader, you will want to start young and then reinforce those map-reading skills when you are out in the real world with your kids. Children of all ages can learn about maps. It’s never too soon (or too late) to teach this fundamental skill. There are lots of creative ways to weave map reading into your playtime and outdoor adventures. 

    You can start to teach map reading skills to kids as young as toddlers and continue to work on building those survival skills out of it as your kids move into the teen years. The key, like most educational things in life, is to keep it relaxed and make it fun. 

    I am a firm believer that kids learn best via experience so this gives them a chance to explore and learn at the same time. Whether that’s incorporating maps in your outdoor adventures or using them to aid in fun imagination play with treasure hunts, geocaching, and scavenger hunts. They’re having fun, being active outside, and learning an essential outdoor skill. As a parent, you are rewarded with watching those skills develop and evolve!

    Kid sitting and reading a map - how to teach kids about maps

    Introduction to map reading skill (toddlers and preschoolers)

    When your kids are very young, the best way to learn map reading is to start with books and pictures. When language is limited and concepts such as space and distance is hard to grasp, you can find other ways to introduce the idea of a map. Books are a great introduction to maps. By reading out loud to young children and showing them pictures of simple maps, they’ll begin to understand the concept that maps are a visual representation of a place.

    Start with books like There’s a Map on My Lap and Follow that Map!, which use pictures and storytelling to teach fundamental map skills without kids even realizing it. A map book will begin to open up your toddler’s world and get their little sponge-like minds grasping that there is more beyond what they can see and experience.

    Find pictures of maps that are beautiful and simple to keep the attention of younger kids. Point to where they are in that moment and then show them where Grandma or Aunt Jane lives so they can see the space between. The scale does not matter at this age, but toddlers can begin to understand place and space and distance.

    Also, start using directional words around your young kids to establish a rich vocabulary around map reading. When you’re out walking (or even driving), note the direction you’re traveling so they get used to hearing North, South, East, and West. Ask them whether you’re turning left or right and help them figure that out. Point out landmarks, street names, etc. 

    Practical applications for toddlers

    As a way to reinforce some of what they have learned, try an activity with a basic treasure map. First, hide a small treasure in your yard or nearby park. Then draw a treasure map using only pictures and symbols. Use landmarks they are very familiar with like the swing set or garbage can or fence so they can follow along easily and not get frustrated.

    Take advantage of showing your toddler maps as you travel or when you visit the zoo, etc. If you are open to involving technology, you can use Google Maps as a more interactive map activity. As usual with toddlers, keep it light and short to match their mood and attention span!

    Kid pointing at a map

    Map reading basics for elementary school ages

    Kids in elementary school still love books, so continue to read aloud and check out books about maps from the library that they can learn from and enjoy at the same time. There are loads books that can help teach and establish basic map skills. For example, there are so many amazing National Geographic atlases, beautifully illustrated books with pictures, fun map trivia and activity books, interesting kids’ road atlases, interactive world atlases, state map coloring books, and more. Your kids at this age will learn more distinct map reading skills as they learn the elements of a map (see below) and how to use them. 

    This is also a great age to introduce puzzle maps, globes, and maps of places they know (like their hometown) or want to know about (like Hogwarts). Let them check out Google maps to find their house and Google Earth to visit far-away interesting places. 

    Basic elements of a map

    The basic map elements of a map include title, scale, legend, compass, and longitude & latitude. Here’s an overview of map symbols, parts of a map, and how elements of a map will help your child learn basic map reading skills.

    Title – The title lets you know exactly what the map is portraying. You definitely need to make sure you have the right map and the title helps you know that you have the best tool.

    Scale – The scale gives you the ratio of a distance on a map to the corresponding distance on the ground. Maps are a tool to give relationship of where you are to where you are going. Map scale helps you decipher the tool and give context to what you actually need to do and how far you need to go.

    Legend – A map legend defines the features of a map by displaying a symbol followed by a text description of what the symbol represents. It all begins to make sense by using the legend on a map. The map key is part of the map legend.

    Compass –  Often also called the compass rose, the map compass is a figure on a map to display the orientation of the cardinal directions North, South, East, and West. The map orientation symbol allows you to understand how the map was drawn in relation to direction.

    Longitude and latitude – The system of lines that describe the location of any place on Earth. Latitude lines run East and West while Longitude lines run North and South. 

    Detailed Trail Map Shenandoah National Park

    How to practice map reading with kids

    There are loads of map reading practice worksheets for your elementary student to learn how to use the map elements. You can find some like these maps and geography worksheets online. That’s fine to start, but I think the best way to learn is by bringing the map to life!

    I suggest choosing an outside activity your kids enjoy that requires covering some distance — biking, hiking, or kayaking. Next, find a map that matches a location where you can do that activity. Study the map together and locate each of the main elements. Try to map out your route on the map and practice the distance with the scale. Make note of any landmarks that may you may be able to utilize.

    Also, consider purchasing a large colorful world map or a large map of your home country (or city or state) that you can display on the wall in your home where you kids have easy access to it. Mark home and then begin making places you visit. Show the kids the distance, use your finger to trace the route you took to get there. Perhaps you can also mark places you wish to visit someday.

    They can also practice making their own map. They can create a treasure hunt map (x marks the spot) or a scavenger hunt map for siblings or friends. They can draw a map of their neighborhood or plan out their route to school. Creating their own maps will help them conceptually visualize their area and think about spatial design, distance, the map key, and directions. 

    Practicing map skills with a travel guide book

    Map reading skills for middle school ages (tweens)

    Reading a map will become more and more natural the more practice your kids get. Tween map reading skills will be reinforced in school with greater detail in their geography curriculum, social studies, and history classes. This will further their study of map key symbols and basic concepts, as well as develop their depth in map reading activities.

    At this age, for more exposure at home, I suggest helping to build their map reading skills through travel guide books. This may seem strange, but having your tween choose some destinations that intrigue him/her will capture the interest even more. All of the great guides like Lonely Planet Kids and Moon Travel Guides have map inserts for every destination they highlight. From detailed city maps to hiking trails within National Parks, these travel guide books will be another excellent practice tool. Finding a place or area that piques their interest and having them read about it is a fun way of teaching map skills that doesn’t feel like work. 

    Tween map skills practice

    If you have an outdoor adventure coming up, task your tween with some map research by giving them specific goals. Older kids love being involved in the planning process and having a say in what you do and where you go. There are fun and simple ways to put this desire to be involved to use in building map reading skills. For example, ask them to locate any interesting pit stops along a road trip route. Hand them a paper map and have them help plan the route from point A to point B during your road trips. Ask them to calculate how far your campsite is from the hike you want to do.

    The main idea at this age is to foster leadership skills and build confidence as your tween ventures more outdoors. These are also opportunities to show your tweens how to be less tech-dependent. They need to know how to use a map when technology isn’t necessary or even possible. Technology sometimes fails, either because you’re in a remote area or maybe your phone dies. Developing your child’s map reading skills now will lead to a time when kids can use their map reading skills to help themselves and others, which will build and grow their independence and confidence. 

    Map reading skills for teens using a guide book

    Map reading for teenagers

    I truly believe that map reading falls under basic life skills for kids. By the time they reach their teen years, your kids should be able to identify the right map to use and know how to properly navigate their adventure. However, if your teen is not yet proficient at map reading, it’s never too late to learn new things.

    It’s definitely never too late to practice and hone those skills. Every teen, whether introverted or extroverted is looking to establish themselves in the world. They are out to prove themselves capable. If your teen does not yet fully grasp the purposes and elements of a map, go backwards and start from where you need to (see the steps listed above).

    You can assign practical map reading tasks to your teen based on their personality and interests. If your teenager is showing signs of leadership and wants to take charge, it’s time to let them fly. When you have a teen that is more reserved or cautious, you can encourage him/her to be the route planner. He/She can take a crucial behind-the-scenes role.  

    Adding elevation to your teen’s map reading skills

    During the teen years, you can introduce topographical maps and contour maps that show not just space, but the land relationship. Elevation is a big deal and very important to know and be aware of before choosing a hiking trail. You will want your teen to be able to read a map that has those markings. Contour lines will help you do this and learn about elevation. 

    A topographic map legend will show natural features and include wavy-like lines that will extend from a peak. These contour lines let you know how much elevation gain there will be on a trail. Understanding how to read elevation on a map will help you determine if you can safely accomplish a hike. Maps provide guidance and navigation by showing what to expect and guide you in assessing specific routes. 

    Washington guide books with maps

    City streets and transportation maps

    Another next step at this age can be very detailed city maps and transportation maps including an MTA subway map or a city bus route map. Knowing how to navigate around a city or plan out your transportation route is a very important skill for everyone to learn and great skills to teach teens.

    One of the best ways to experience a city is on foot and using public transportation. So, this is an awesome opportunity to let your teenager take charge and exercise his/her maps skills. Study the map before you leave home and mark your lodging and main points of interest before you drop in. Note the places you’ll be traveling to and how you’ll get there. Being prepared gives your teen all the more confidence. 

    Tokyo street map great for kids - teaching kids how to read a city map

    Detailed city map of Tokyo perfect for teens

    teenager reading a map in Mt. Rainier National Park

    Dealing with pushback

    Sometimes it can be difficult to convince kids (especially teenagers) that map reading is a necessary skill. They will argue that they can just use their phones or the car navigation system. Much of the time that is true, but not always. Technology can fail. Phones can die. Knowing where you are and how to get where you need to go via an alternate method is imperative. 

    Recently, our family was out adventuring deep in the wilderness areas of Olympic National Park in Washington. It’s an incredibly beautiful, dense, and remote location. It’s also incredibly difficult to get a cell signal for any aid on roads or trails in the area. There were quite a few times when we were unable to access maps on our phones or use our GPS.

    I felt very proud that my kids had the life skills to use a map to locate where we started, where we are, and where we want to go. And while it feels nice as a mom to watch them figure it out, it’s even more meaningful to them. To have the confidence and the maturity to use a tool and trust that their practice led them to a place of security. It gave us all more confidence and independence when out adventuring. I promise you; maps are not dead. 

    Other map reading activities

    If you are looking for other outdoor activities to practice your map reading skills, check out Geocaching with Kids. Geocaching is a real-life treasure hunt, where you find small caches (filled with trinkets and prizes) using your GPS-enabled smartphone. It’s a great way to teach kids about map reading while having fun and getting outside.

    Can you kids read a map?
    How will your kids use map reading skills on your next outdoor adventure?

    About the author

    Jen has been married to her original adventure partner, John, for 20 years. She is a mama to 3 teenagers who, although they have busy and independent lives, love to adventure in the outdoors when they can. Jen is a native of Chicago, but has lived in South Carolina for two decades and calls it home. She’s always planning the next adventure for herself or her friends, whether near or far. Hiking, kayaking, sailing with her family, or traveling the world is all about the experience and the journey. Her extroverted nature keeps her talking and smiling with anyone she meets along the way. She’s on a mission to show other busy families that traveling with teenagers is possible and fun!

    You can find Jen online in the following locations:
    Instagram: @gofamilyadventure
    Website: Go Family Adventure

  • BOOKS, HIKE, NATURE SCHOOL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

    Full Moon Frolics: Evening Moon Activities for Families

    Do you have full moon fever? Are your kids howling at the moon? Do they love staying up late and catching fireflies? Do you ever want to find new and exciting activities to do together as a family in the long summer evenings? Look no further! This post filled with fun full moon frolics for families will give you lots of ideas for creating the perfect evening full of moon-related activities for your kids. Today, Georgia homeschooling mom of three, SarahRuth Owens describes how to frolic under the moon with your kids. You will not only learn why full moon frolics are a wonderful addition to your evening family time, but you will also gain tools and ideas to launch this outdoor activity into action!

    Go out, go out I beg of you
    And taste the beauty of the wild.
    Behold the miracle of the earth
    With all the wonder of a child.”
    ~ Unknown

    Full moon frolics for families

    A full moon occurs when the moon appears as a complete circle in the sky. We see it as a full orb because the whole of the side of the moon facing the Earth is lit up by the sun’s rays. A full moon is a beautiful sight and one that we love to acknowledge and appreciate each month. Our family celebrates each full moon with an evening of full moon frolics! It’s a tradition we started a while back and have come to love doing month after month. I’m here to help you do the same with your little moon-lovers. 

    Planning an evening of full moon frolics is easy to embark on and requires as much or as little prep as you want. It can be leisurely and relaxing or it can be an educational teaching opportunity. You can spend a lot of time planning out your activities for the evening, or just wing it as you go! You can make it as elaborate or simple as you want. But no matter how you structure your evening outing with the kids, it’s sure to be fun!

    Monthly moon outings

    Nearly every month there is a full moon! A full moon happens roughly every 29.5 days. This is the length of time it takes for the Moon to go through one whole lunar phase cycle. Did you know that a month was originally defined to be either 29 or 30 days, to correspond with the lunar cycle? However, some of our calendar months were later padded out with extra days, so that 12 months would make up one complete 365-day solar year. Because our modern calendar isn’t quite in line with the moon’s phases, sometimes we get more than one full moon in a month. This is commonly known as a blue moon.

    Since there’s a full moon every month, this means that you’ve got an amazing opportunity to create a year-round experience for your kids, month after month. Being consistent and making your full moon frolics a monthly tradition means that your kids will grow to appreciate and observe the moon. We’re raising “look at the moon” people! 

    Creating special family traditions

    But before we dive into how to set this all up and make your full moon evenings a reality, let’s talk about why…

    Why skip a 6:30 bedtime (wait, maybe I am the only one who does that) and hit the trails during or even after the witching hour? Why stay up late and look at the moon? Why plan all these evening activities for your kids? 

    Because it’s fun! Simple, but true. Families that have fun together, thrive. Consider a full moon frolic for families your invitation to be light-hearted and enjoy something beautiful and magical with your children. Something changes at dusk. Fairies become a real possibility, frogs croak louder, and wonder appears without needing any special encouragement. The evening is a magical time and a little break in your normal evening routine means your kids will think this is a very special adventure! 

    Beyond fun, there are so many benefits to observing the night sky. It is science and all that jazz (insert cute winking emoji here). So don’t worry, you can write your kiddo a note to take the teacher when they skip out on their homework because the fam was busy checking out the moon. 

    How to plan full moon activities for kids

    Now, let’s get to the specifics so you are equipped with ideas and resources for creating evenings full of magic, laughter, and learning. Otherwise, full moon frolics will likely remain something you want to do, but don’t. This is the good stuff.

    So, how on earth do you plan such a thing as an evening of full moon frolics? Does a full moon frolic just mean you step outside and look at the moon? Nope. (Well, okay, it can. But, only if you want it to be that simple.) Luckily, like most activities with kids, there’s no one right or wrong way to do things. There’s no one-size-fits-all-families option. Your family is unique. You know your kids best and what they’d like to do and be interested in. And again, you can plan as many things as you can (or just a few). 

    But, let’s say you want to go all in and do this thing one hundred percent. Go big or go home, right? Here is how you do that.

    1. Note the dates

    A quick internet search will give your the dates of the full moon each month. This will help you plan your evening outing on/near a full moon. We try to schedule our full moon frolics on the date of the full moon, but we’re usually flexible (due to weather/clouds, etc.). Jot down all the dates of the full moon on your calendar, which will help you plan. Once it’s on your calendar, it’ll be easier to remember to celebrate. 

    2. Pick a spot

    You need to know where you can see the moon. A quick google search can tell you where and when the moon will rise in your area. Sometimes a full moon shows up in the middle of the night or the wee hours of the morning, don’t worry about that. Just go when you know it can be seen (the day before the full moon, or even a couple of days after it peaks, is just fine).

    We chose a spot a little ways away from our house. Our family enjoys having a brief hike over to where we will make observations. The evening hike just adds to the fun and makes the outing seem a little more special than staying in our own backyard (but that’s also totally fine, especially for families with small children). 

    3. Learn some basic moon facts

    Equipping yourself with some simple knowledge about the moon is helpful when making observations and enjoying your family full moon frolic. With an evening of activities centered around the full moon, your kids are sure to ask a lot of questions about the phases of the moon, the color, the size, and the shapes. You’ll want to know that the moon has eight phases and the same “face” or side of the moon is illuminated during each observable phase. My kids find it most interesting that a new moon is not observable (as in, it is the phase when we cannot see the moon from Earth). You don’t have to know all the facts, though. Learning about something together with your kids is always encouraged. 

    4. Bring snacks

    We also love having food at our frolics. You can keep it simple and bring simple snacks (fruits, veggies, chips, pretzels, etc.), or you can decide to have an entire campfire meal! We’ve done both and neither disappoints. Any food enjoyed outside under the light of the moon is delicious!

    If you are feeling up to it, prepare a moon-themed snack to enjoy while you gaze up at the moon on your frolic. Moon pies or moon cheese, for example. Or cut your fruit (banana or kiwi slices) into phases of the moon shapes. During the warmer months, moon-shaped cookies (or any cookies) are perfect, and during cooler months bring some hot chocolate. 

    5. Grab some books 

    Taking books with you on your moonlight adventure is the perfect way to learn more about the moon while sitting under it. Plus, if you plan on eating a snack or stopping to sit and watch the moon, it gives your family (think younger kids) something to do while they sit. Below are some of my family’s favorite moon-themed books to get you started.

    Best moon books for kids

    Books somehow always make it into our full moon frolics. There are so many amazing books and resources out there when it comes to this. Here are some of our personal favorites. Often we read these around a fire or while we are enjoying our snack during our frolic. You can check these out from your local library or you may also find many of these titles on thriftbooks at lower prices than buying them new. 

    Fiction

    Non-Fiction

    Activities to do during a full moon frolic

    One of the most spectacular benefits of doing regular full moon frolics is noticing seasonal changes. As you go out each month, you and your family will begin to take note of how things change outside around you through the seasons. Here are some fun ways to enjoy the various changes in nature during each frolic throughout the year.

    Summer full moon activities

    • Bring a mason jar and lid with holes poked in it to catch fireflies. Of course, if you do not have fireflies in your area, you can listen and watch for the creatures that you have around you (frogs, crickets, cicadas, etc.).
    • Collect flowers to press (be sure and check the area you are in for permission to ethically collect wildflowers).
    • Bring a telescope and observe the constellations in your area.

    Autumn full moon activities

    • Walk silently and listen to the changing creature sounds. What do you hear that you didn’t hear during the summer (or what don’t you hear)?
    • Make notes about birds you see.
    • Paint the colors of the leaves in the moonlight.
    • Make a campfire. 

    Winter full moon activities

    Spring full moon activities

    • Observe moths.
    • Go to a pond for the frolic, and find frog and toad spawn.
    • Identify trees by their buds.

    Activities based on the name of the moon

    A quick search will also help you find out the name of each full moon. For example, a few types of moon names are Harvest Moon (fall), Strawberry Moon (June), Wolf Moon (January). Each full moon has a name and a story behind it. Consider telling the story of the reason behind the moon name to your kids each month. Or plan activities and food that corresponds to each moon name (all strawberry-flavored treats for the Strawberry Moon, a scavenger hunt for the Hunter’s Moon, etc.). 

    Photo Credit: Molly Pratt

    Connection and conversation with kids

    One of the reasons I personally enjoy an evening of full moon frolics with my kids is the connection it builds with our family. We have these monthly walks in the woods, at dusk or later, where we have a goal and we have a topic of conversation. In truth, this will work for the oldest kiddos in your home as well as the babies. You can make your frolics simple, like a walk through your neighborhood. Evening walks open us up; there is something unassuming about strolling at dusk or in the moonlight. Guards down, you may find your conversation drifts from the moon to your teen’s concerns at school and questions about life. 

    If you want to keep focused on the moon, our family likes to choose one picture book and one non-fiction book or general facts about the moon. We learn the common name based on the Farmer’s Almanac as well as some of the names given by Indigenous People. The full moon connects us to the past, to religion, to customs, seasons, nature, the beyond, and so much more. 

    We didn’t realize we were making memories, we were just having fun.” -Unknown 

    Everyone will remember these full moon frolics

    Making memories is the best part of this amazing activity. Full moon frolics can become a family tradition – a monthly adventure that everyone looks forward to. Some months you may go all out and other months you may keep it simple. No matter what, taking a frolic together under a full moon will create fond memories for all!

    If you are looking for a more in-depth guide, I created a resource that includes activities, recipes, book suggestions, music, and more for every full moon. It is a Charlotte Mason-inspired approach to moon frolics and includes some faith-based content. 

    When are you headed out on a full moon frolic?

    About the author

    SarahRuth is a homeschooling mother of three boys. She was raised in cities across the East coast, but now resides in the Appalachian Mountains of Georgia where her husband grew up. Passionate about inspiring others to shift from the status quo of Western indoor life, she launched a local Free Forest School chapter in 2017. Her family clocked over 2k hours outdoors in 2019 and believes that outside time as a family is vital to a joy-filled life. She collects books, stray children, and as much coffee as her body will permit. When not foraging, chasing waterfalls, or camping with her crew, you can find SarahRuth crossing the globe from her laptop, teaching English full time online! She has two bachelor’s degrees in Education and is passionate about teaching children to love learning through outdoor adventures.

    You can find more from SarahRuth in the following online locations:
    Instagram: @kindle_togetherness
    RWMC posts: SarahRuth