outdoor activities for kids

BIKE, FALL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, SPRING, SUMMER
How to Get Started Mountain Biking with Kids
- July 17, 2020
Mountain biking with kids is not only a great way to get outside and immersed in nature, but the benefits go above and beyond. Mountain biking is great for kids’ physical and mental health, improves their coordination and balance, and helps instill confidence. Today, we have Creative Team member Jared Ryan, Oklahoma dad of 2 and avid cyclist, here to give us a primer on how to get started mountain biking with kids. He’s covering all the bases, from how to choose the right mountain bike, what to pack on your adventures, how to get the kids trail-ready and how to mentally and physically prepare for inevitable wrecks. Are you ready?!

Get out, get dirty

Let’s be honest, most of us are feeling pretty confined right now. As parents, we’re all looking for new (or any) ways to get our kids outside and soak up what’s left of this summer. This can be difficult with current social distance guidelines and park closures. However, there are options and lots of great ways to get outside away from it all. For me, it’s all about mountain biking!

Hold up, you say. It’s a 12-hour drive to your nearest mountain range? No worries! That’s not what mountain biking is…at least not all mountain biking.

The mountain biking gear shed

One thing about mountain biking is that you can spend your annual salary on gear. But, let’s not do that… While in some cases it’s really important to buy quality gear for your kid’s safety (i.e helmets), other times, it makes more ‘cents’ to purchase more practically. Let’s lay this out a bit.

Helmets for kids

First off, never ride without a helmet. Yes, you, the adult. This is about the only time I get strict on my little shredders when it comes to the bike. I stress the importance of helmets ALL the time. This often means that I’m wearing my helmet when we’re cruising on the neighborhood sidewalks or pedaling around in the yard. That’s fine, because I’m modeling the behavior I want to see. Now my kids never ask if they really need to wear one. They know my answer.

When shopping for a proper helmet I’d suggest going to your local bike shop or sporting goods store. This ensures that your helmet meets the proper helmet safety regulations in your country. It’s also helpful for getting the right fit and size for your child’s head. While buying online may be easier, it will not give you that same guarantee.

How to choose a mountain bike for kids

Oh man, the bike. This is where it gets fun. I get just as excited when my kids get a new bike as I do when I get my own… Well, maybe not quite, but almost. Depending on your budget, you can spend $100 or $1200+ on your kid’s bike. Each end of the cost spectrum has its validity. Bike shops are a great place to go for all the insight and wisdom that you seek. They’re always ready and willing to nerd out on bike topics and answer your questions. They can absolutely square your kid away on the proper bike and gear with no effort from you. This is the quick and easy way to get kitted up.

If the bike shop route isn’t what you’re looking for, online distributors or even second-hand bikes are both great options. It’ll require a little more homework for you and you’ll forfeit that lifetime maintenance program that so many shops offer, but both of these options can allow you to get that upper-level bike for a lot less cost.

When doing your research, ask yourself, “does this bike make sense for our trails?”. Most entry-level “mountain bikes” out there for kids are actually too heavy for the trails and have inoperable front suspension due to the rider being too light to compress it. They look the part, but when put to the trails they’re too rigid to absorb any rocks and too clunky to be pedaled up any hill. This will NOT do you any favors when introducing your kiddo to the trails.

Suspension and gears

Having made the mistake of buying my daughter’s bike with front suspension and narrower (1.75in) tires, I actually prefer my son’s bike. It has no suspension. Instead, a wider (2.6in) tire gives him the plush feel that a proper suspension fork would. As a bonus, not having suspension on the front also cuts down dramatically on the bike’s weight. Mountain bikes for kids with an air suspension fork (like the Woom OFF AIR recommended below), give you the best of both good suspension and lightweight.

A range of gears is an absolute must for the trails. Bikes with six to seven gears on the back and one gear up front are the most common for kids’ bikes and will work perfectly for most trails. You may see bikes with two or even three gears on the front, but this is not usually necessary and can add more confusion for your young rider learning to shift gears on the fly.

Mountain bike tires for kids

When choosing tires for your child’s mountain bike, you want a relatively wide (2.25in-2.6in) tire with a knobby tread (think of a dirt bike tire). This will not only help with the dirt/mud, but it will grip better in turns and provide more traction and confidence on the downhill sections. Confidence is key. When you’re airing the tires, you don’t need to max out the psi for the tire. Putting in about 5psi less than the tire’s max press rating can go a long way in providing your little rider with more traction on the trail.

Best mountain bike for kids

Woom OFF AIR

Woom has changed the sport of mountain biking for kids with their durable mountain bikes! The Woom OFF AIR bike delivers off-road performance in a lightweight package. Child-specific ergonomics bring comfort and added safety to each adventure. This bike is well equipped and capable of handling almost anything it encounters, from the bike park to gravel roads to singletrack. With its air suspension fork, the Woom OFF AIR provides off-road capability and ergonomics designed for growing bodies and developing skills. Stable, responsive, and equipped with high-performance components and tubeless-compatible rims and tires, it provides best-in-class value in its category.

How to dress kids for mountain biking

In the hot summer months, it’s relatively easy to figure out proper attire for the season. When riding in the cooler fall and spring months, I start my kids with a base layer of cooler clothing and then add layers according to the weather. It’s often cool or even cold at the beginning of ride, then within the first couple of miles, your body warms up pretty well. This is especially true for kids. I account for the storage of the extra layers in my pack so that there’s no reason for the kids (or I) to not shed a layer when it’s needed. Wearing too much clothing for the temperatures can be just as detrimental as wearing too little.

Lastly, get them some riding gloves. I prefer full-fingered gloves, but I can’t say that it really matters. Proper fitting gloves will really cut down on blisters.

Getting familiar with the dirt

After your kiddo gets that nice and shiny steed, go get it dirty! Assuming your rider has mastered the bike basics, you should introduce them to the dirt by finding a local dirt or gravel path. These paths are often unpaved walking/biking trails winding through the trees. No obstacles, no undulations, just smooth packed dirt. I find that this is an organic way of getting young riders comfortable with navigating through the narrow and confined space of the trees.

While a lot of single track trails are no more narrow than a sidewalk, the tunneling effect of the trees can be pretty intimidating to any new rider. Once they’re more comfortable on the dirt path, feel free to find little branches and rocks (smaller than 3in in diameter) to let them roll over and experiment with. They may get bucked around at first riding over these obstacles, at first. But soon they’ll gain more control and intuition over the bike. Your goal should is to get them used to the feeling of rough terrain and to trust their bike.

If you don’t have a smooth dirt path near your home, no worries. I often take our kids to a nearby park and lead them around hopping off and rolling up curbs, racing in the grass (as it’s often uneven ground), and riding up/down short little grassy hills. All for the sake of building up their handling skills. Kids get comfortable on their bikes far quicker than their parents, so if you’re not already familiar with mountain biking, jump in and take turns doing these with your little rider.

Leading or towing them into new obstacles can provide them more confidence before trying it themselves.

What to pack when mountain biking with kids

Okay, so your ‘little rider’ has now morphed into a ‘little shredder’ and they’re ready for the real deal…the Red Bull Rampage circuit. What should you bring on the trail? Some rides just require sufficient water and maybe a flat kit. But, for longer rides or for trails that I haven’t ridden before, I prefer to carry a hydration pack with our necessities in it.

While I have my own list of carry-on items that I take for each of my own rides, my list is a bit longer when my kids are with me. There is just more that can go wrong and I don’t really expect them to carry their own packs at this point in their progression.

In my trail pack:
- Water – The amount is dependent on your planned ride, but usually 32oz in a hydration pack and a 20oz bottle per person is more than enough for our 1hr rides. You’ll need to figure this for your local climate and personal needs
- Flat Kit – I carry 1 tube per rider, 1set of tire levers, and a CO2 inflator w/one CO2 cartridge per rider. I often carry a hand pump too just in case we have a rough day.
- Bike Tool – It never fails that a seat is too high or a derailleur is not adjusted. There are a lot of options out there to fit you budget/needs. I’ve been really pleased with the Crankbrothers M-17
- Small First-Aid kit – Just a simple a kit with antibiotic creme, alcohol wipes, and bandages.
- Snacks – Um well, yeah kids and dads love snacks.
For after the ride I keep in my vehicle:
- Wet wipes – Quick easy way to wipe of the trail dirt and sweat.
- Lint roller – After the wet wipes are used, I find a lint roller to be a great way to get rid of ticks before they attach
- More Water
- Zevia – Because the kids definitely earned them!
Hitting the trail

At the start of your ride, review and even take a picture of the map at the trailhead to make sure that you know which trails are designated as “Easy” or “Beginner.” I recommend sticking to easy trails at first so that you can keep the rides short and simple. This allows your young rider to decide their own rate of progression. Roll out on these rides with ZERO expectations.

So often on the drive to the trails, my kids are so excited! They tell me all the jumps they’re going to “send.” All about how fast they plan to ride. I love it. However, that’s not always the case once we’re on the trail. Fatigue sets in and suddenly, without warning, they’re mentally and physically wiped. Or even (dare I say it) bored! That’s fine, it happens. If you set your expectations low, it’s easier to roll with whatever comes your way and to improvise on the ride. I’ll often let them hang out and session a trail feature. Or, sometimes, this means taking a LOT of breaks. But regardless, since I don’t have any particular goal for the ride, I’m able to fully embrace the outcome…even if that means we’re hitting the bypass trail back to the parking lot.

When they’re just not feeling it that day and want to head back early, I don’t force the ride. I want this to be a fun experience. I’m completely aware that some days they’re just not that into it. That’s fine, we’re not training for world titles…yet.

I’ve also found that with both of my kids, when they’re up front and leading the group, they tend to ride a little more confidently and are far more engaged in the ride. This is natural since the lead rider is forced to choose the correct lines and has to be alert for any obstacles. If you notice a kid falling behind, maybe give them the chance to lead for a while.

Let your kids lead – this will help them pick better lines and navigate terrain on their own, making them more well-rounded riders.

Prepare for wrecks

Be ready…wrecks are going to happen. Yes, they are GOING to happen. No biggie. Most mountain bike wrecks do not result in serious injury, but they can definitely hurt. Ironically, the first step to overcoming the fear of wrecking for any new rider is to wreck! Honestly. Once they get that first fall on their Pro Mountain Biker resumé, young riders nearly always conclude that it’s not really that bad. Or even that it was worth it.

My little shredders wreck A LOT. In a positive way. Usually, they wreck because they’re pushing their abilities or conquering a trail feature that has continued to best them. And I’m good with that! Once I’ve verified that my kid is okay, I usually become the hype man. For us it’s something like “Whoa! You alive, dude? That was incredible! Your bike did three flips off that rock!” Or “Dang girl! You good? You’ve gotta hit that one again!”

Sometimes the pain is real though and we make our way back to the trailhead. Usually, we talk through how the wreck played out and figure out what happened. Was it a bad line choice? Did they have too much or too little speed? We try to learn from the crashes so that next time they aren’t beat by the same feature.

The biggest perk

Mountain biking is SO incredibly rewarding for kids. They learn new skills with balance and coordination. Reach new levels of fitness and health. They will be exhausted, and dirty, and happy. They’ll face obstacles that previously made them tremble, and then they will conquer that obstacle! For us parents, we get to watch this unfold and have a front-row seat to their growth. We can sit on a rocky overlook while taking one of those frequent breaks and soak it up with our little shredders. To me, this is the biggest perk of mountain biking. Now get out there, go ride your bike.

About the author

Jared is a husband to a talented and beautiful wife, Kristen also a father of two fun-loving and adventurous kiddos. He enjoys leading family adventures to both near and far destinations. Whether it is hiking, camping, climbing, bike riding, or playing in the backyard, he loves it all. He instills in his family the importance of nature and all the benefits it can bring to one’s life. Jared is a GIS analyst by trade, so he is naturally drawn to creating maps and all things trail related, whether it is creating new trails, recording family hikes or teaching his kids land navigation, he loves to tie in his own work with family adventures.

You can find Jared online in the following locations:
Instagram: @bikeshikesbiners
INFORMATION, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Creative Backyard Play Spaces for Kids
- June 24, 2020
We’re all spending a lot of time at home these days. And while that’s fine, we need to make sure a significant portion of that time is outdoors. Kids need outdoor playtime and the good news is that they can usually make the most of whatever outside space they have. This could be anything from a backyard, to a doorstep, a rooftop, a balcony, patio, or driveway. Today, we have the amazing Jemma of Thimble & Twig, London teacher and mom of 4, showing us how to make creative backyard play spaces for kids that encourage play and time outside!

The importance of time outside

Time outside is so beneficial for little ones, as is unstructured free play. Combining playtime and outdoor space means that kids can learn as they play. Outdoor play can help kids to become inventive, explore, and learn about the world around them. While they’re inventing and playing games with siblings or friends, they are improving their communication skills, learning about compromise, and how to negotiate. There are so many amazing benefits to unstructured free play outdoors.

However, not everyone has an outdoor space that encourages unstructured free play. Your outdoor space may not feel inviting to kids or inspire their imaginations. But, it doesn’t take much to change that! With a few simple changes or updates to your outdoor play area, you can create a space that encourages open-ended unstructured playtime and sparks your child’s imagination.

Creating outdoor backyard play spaces

Below, we’ve listed a few creative backyard play spaces and areas that you can incorporate into your backyard, patio, deck, balcony or any outdoor area. These can be interpreted and reinvented in a number of ways, based on your space, budget and age/interests of your kids. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on your outside space to make it more kid-friendly. A lot of the ideas below can be created cheaply or at no cost at all.

Climbing space

A climbing space is a great activity and form of exercise which uses every muscle in the body, and many, many parts of the brain! Climbing is awesome for children’s minds, bodies, and coordination. Kids love climbing, so it’s a good idea to include some sort of climbing space in your outdoor play area.

A climbing frame is amazing, but you could equally create a great climbing space out of old tree trunks, wood pallets or old chairs. If you have a strong wall in your garden or a fence, let your kids climb on it. Allow tree climbing or set up a rope climber. You could also use these climbing holds to create a climbing wall along a fence or the side of your house!

Digging space

Digging helps kids get immersed in imaginary worlds – they can pretend to dig to Australia or make sandcastles and fairy houses. The physical act of digging can strengthen hand muscles (needed for holding a pencil and handwriting) and improve hand-eye coordination.

Try to include a simple digging area in your outdoor play space to make your garden fun for kids. You could include a sandbox with buckets and shovels or a muddy digging area with toy cars. Set up a garden area where the kids can plant veggies and help dig up the weeds. Give them an area to dig for worms or look for rolly-pollies.

Water space

The best parenting advice I ever received was to “just add water” whenever kids were getting antsy or grumpy! If ever my son is feeling restless, I give him a squirty bottle of water and send him water the flowers! This simple task turns into a game and unstructured free play, which can occupy him for hours!

It makes sense that kids would love any kind of water space in a garden or backyard. You can start with a bucket of water and some pots and pans for mixing and stirring. Give them a hose and let them wash their toy cars (or your car!). Set up a water table or fill up a plastic sandbox with water. Add a kiddie pool or a sprinkler. Make an easy water wall out of plastic recycling – kids will love the pouring action! Add some funnels and this would be great for the hot summer months ahead! If you need more inspiration, see our favorite water games here!

Growing space

Another great element of a kid-friendly backyard is a space where kids can experiment with growing their own flowers, fruits and/or vegetables. Give them some compost (or let them help with the composting process), a few pots, dirt and seeds and let them loose planting. Talk out your plan, but let them decide where to plant and position their pots.

If your kids plant the seeds themselves, they’ll be much more likely to care for the plants. Give them a hose or a child-sized watering can and they’ll be prepped to love on their garden! If you’re feeling more adventurous you could add a vegetable or fruit garden. You can check out our post for ideas for the easiest and best kid-friendly vegetables!

Small world space

Kids love a space to have imaginary made up adventures with their toys. Tiny things fascinate kids, so a “small world” space it’s a great thing to add to an outdoor area. Depending on what your kids’ likes and interests are, there are countless ways to tailor a small world space just for them. There are some brilliant ideas in this Fairy Garden post and we have a great post on creating a dinosaur garden for kids.

If your child is into cars, trucks or trains, you could create a small space with roads where they can play. Using simple masking tapes or washi tapes – you could create a whole town for them to play with their cars! If your kids are into tractors, create a space where they can dig and create with their toy diggers, which will help develop their imaginations. Or using water and sand you could create a small world beach area with toy fish and sharks. The possibilities are endless!

Creative space

Incorporating art into the outdoors makes so much sense. It’s less messy and much easier to clean up for a start! Spread out a sheet and let your kids go wild with paints. Put the paints in a spray bottle and let them squirt or turn mud into paint (just add food coloring to mud) and let them play! Set up an outdoor chalkboard or an easel for them to draw to their heart’s content. Another easy way to let kids get creative outdoors is to give them a cardboard box to paint on! If you have a fence, try using washable chalk or chalk paint and when they’re finished with their masterpiece, they can wash it away with a paintbrush or the hose. No fence, just use the chalk on the sidewalk or the driveway! It’s a classic and well-loved kid-friendly activity for a reason!

Muddy space

Kids love nothing more than getting muddy and playing with mud is a great textural sensory activity. If possible, give your kids a little patch in the yard to dig in. No dirt? Get some potting soil and fill up a kiddie pool with it! Add some simple shovels, pans and bowls with mud in to mix and stir. You can create a mud kitchen with pallets if you want a more permanent place for kids to be able to mix, create and make potions. Or there are plenty of mud kitchens available on the market. My kids love making concoctions and creations in their mud kitchen! Check out our mud kitchen post for tons of ideas of mud kitchen recipes and potions. Or this post has 7 awesome & fun ways to play in mud.

Amazing backyard play spaces for kids

These are the basic elements for creating some super fun backyard play spaces for kids in your own yard that will encourage outdoor unstructured free play. Adding elements like these to your space will provide a safe and secure outdoor play and learning area for kids close to home and keep them entertained. Hopefully, this has given lots of creative play ideas for garden and backyard spaces to make them truly exciting for kids. Try adding a few of these and they’ll want to play outside all day long!

About the author

Jemma lives in London, England with her husband and kids. Her all-time favorite thing to do is take photos and capture memories of her family. She’s on a mission to ensure parenthood doesn’t rush by so quickly by creating mini family outdoor adventures and hopefully some big adventures too, one day! She’s a mum to four and an English teacher to many. She loves sharing her passion for storytelling, adventures, and nature crafts on her blog and here.

Find more from Jemma in the following locations:
Instagram: @thimbleandtwig
Blog: http://www.thimbleandtwig.com
Facebook: @thimbleandtwig
Etsy shop: ThimbleandTwig
RWMC posts: Jemma
CRAFTS, NATURE SCHOOL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, URBAN NATURE
Creating Nature Fairy Gardens
- April 22, 2020
Are you looking for a nature activity for your children that requires no special preparation or supplies? Has the last month left you burnt out from trying to keep your children’s’ days full of magical projects that you have to shop for, plan, and oversee? Are your outdoor adventures currently limited to your own yard? Then this is the perfect activity for you! Today we have the amazing Leslie Alvis, Ohio homeschooling mama to four, here sharing a timeless nature play idea that can be adapted for any age or situation – the nature fairy garden. It’s a simple activity that requires only the materials you find in your own backyard! Nature fairy gardens can keep kids busy for hours gathering materials, building their unique creation, and then playing with it. It’s a wonderful way to incorporate nature and imaginative play.

Building memories with fairy gardens

Several years ago, when my oldest daughter was just a toddler, I found myself with an unexpected block of time to play with her outside. We were on vacation and I wanted to do something fun outdoors with her. However, we didn’t have any special activities or materials. My son was happily exploring the woods nearby and the baby was napping in the cabin. I was searching for something special we could do in the yard. I remembered one of my favorite outdoor activities when I was growing up: building a miniature dollhouse out in nature. Years before fairy gardens were a thing, I loved to build miniature gardens and houses with bits and pieces of nature. I spent hours designing and creating these little fairy gardens, and then playing with imaginary characters inside them.

A magical nature fairy garden

My daughter and I collected some moss, sticks, nuts, and rocks. We found a hollow at the base of a huge oak tree and began to build our own little fairy garden. I didn’t realize the significance of our creation until months later, when we were back at that cabin. My still-tiny daughter grabbed my hand and tugged me out to that same tree, begging me to build another fairy house with her. Our little nature project had made a lasting impression on her.

Building a nature fairy garden was something she wanted to do again—and again, and again. Now, building nature-oriented fairy gardens is something both of my older daughters love to do, too. And occasionally my son might join in, making a stockade or a fort of his own. They put their imaginations to work and create all kinds of fairy garden spaces.

Getting your fairy garden started

Building a nature fairy garden is so easy! You may have to get your children started with some materials or ideas, but they will probably carry on with little help. Unless, of course, you’re having too much fun to let them play alone!

To start with, pick your location. We like to use the base of a large tree where the roots jut out and make a natural hollow. The more interesting the space, the better! One of my daughters just spent two days playing in a little clump of grass for her little fairy house. Basically, you can use whatever place catches your eye.

Gathering materials for your fairy garden

The next step for your nature fairy garden is to have your child(ren) scout around the yard, neighborhood or local park for tiny bits of nature: sticks, moss, bark, nuts, unique stones, leaves, and flowers. We usually gather some small sticks to build our walls and moss for the floor. You can also lay down leaves or bark for the floor, or just use dirt. You can poke sticks into the ground for walls, transplant plants to create a natural border or build stone walls. Nature fairy gardens are immensely versatile. They easily adapt to different seasons and situations.

Making a potted nature fairy garden

Even if you don’t have a backyard, you can gather materials for a nature fairy garden and create one in a pot! Just start with a nice wide pot full of potting soil or sand. Then see what you can collect on a nature walk in a woods or park somewhere (as long as it’s a place where it’s okay to pick up natural materials!). You can build a nature fairy garden for your porch or even inside. You may wish to purchase some small plants for your pot (succulents or flowers). Just check the labels to make sure they aren’t going to take over your entire fairy garden space as they grow!

Adding finishing touches to your fairy garden

When you’ve created your basic structure or space for your fairy garden, your children get to decorate it. Our fairy gardens are usually dollhouses of sorts, and they get furnished accordingly. Stones become tables and shelves; seed pods and nuts, food. Acorn tops make perfect fairy dishes. I love seeing the amazing ideas my children come up with. This week we had an oven (with flowers baking inside) and a table built out of stones and bark. Both girls’ fairy gardens featured a stone shelf nestled in an uneven bit of bark. My daughters also created a bed in a nest of grass for a pine cone doll, a room hidden under a moss covering, and countless flower dolls.

The joys of creating fairy gardens

Once kids start creating their own fairy garden, they begin to see everything around them with new eyes. Every little thing around the yard has new potential. I’ve found that while I might have to get them started, my children very quickly take over this project and play for hours (or days) without me. Their imaginations and the beauty of nature combine to make creative, delightful fairy gardens. To me, this is the great benefit of outdoor play like this. I love seeing my children enjoy nature, using their hands and their imagination to entertain themselves and create something beautiful. They come back to their fairy gardens over and over.

Have you ever created a nature fairy garden?
What unique spin did you put on it?

Hi, I’m Leslie Alvis! I’m a follower of Jesus Christ, wife to my high school sweetheart, and mom to four rascally kids. They love the outdoors as much as I do, and our yard often feels like the scene from “The Sound of Music” where you hear voices and laughter and can’t find any children until you look up into the trees. I love writing, photography, and all things outdoors, and do pretty much everything with my kids tagging along. We live in Northeast Ohio on the edge of Amish Country, where it’s perfectly normal to park beside a horse and buggy at the grocery store.

We homeschool, which basically means that I’m trying to teach my kids to use their minds without losing my own. While we follow a traditional curriculum, I weave every outdoor adventure I can into our educational journey. I believe that the lessons children experience firsthand sink deepest into their hearts and minds, and there is so much we can learn outside in the beauty and wonder of nature.

You can find Leslie online in the following locations:
Instagram: @c_l_allofus
Client work: @lalvisphotography
RWMC posts: Leslie Alvis
BEACH, BIKE, CRAFTS, GARDENING, GOOD FOR NATURE, HIKE, HOLIDAYS, INFORMATION, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, SPRING, WATER
15+ Activities to Celebrate Earth Day with Kids
- April 14, 2020
Earth Day is next week and the world needs you and your actions! There are so many things parents and kids can do to help protect, preserve and restore our planet – from cleaning up, to recycling, composting, planting a garden or just enjoying the beauty of nature! Today, we have Chelsea Furlong (professional photographer and eco-conscious mom of 2) here with 15+ eco-friendly activities kids and families can do together to celebrate Earth Day. And bonus that all these activities can be done at or around the home, while socially distancing.

15+ Earth Day Activities With Kids

Earth Day 2020

April 22, 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day! The first Earth Day was April 22, 1970. On that historical day, 20 million Americans filled the streets with protests to stop the destruction of our precious planet. This essentially started what became the planet’s largest civic event and an environmental movement. Since then, Earth Day has been celebrated annually worldwide on the 22nd day of April.

While this year is a bit of an anomaly and we’ll have to celebrate at (or close to) home and away from others (no marches or protests this year), there’s no reason why this can’t be the best Earth Day celebration ever! Use this as a way to avoid shopping/purchasing anything new (especially plastics) and use what you’ve already got on hand in new ways. Get creative and make the most out of the things you already own or can find in nature close to home.

Celebrating Earth Day with kids

Getting kids involved in taking care of the planet when they’re young encourages them to continue the tradition as they get older. It’s a parent’s job to teach kids to be good stewards of the earth encourages them to love and respect their planet and nature. There are so many amazing ways you can celebrate this day with your kids and family while being conscious of your carbon footprint. Here are some of my favorites!

1. Nature scavenger hunt

Make a list of things found in nature around your home, neighborhood or a local park. Then go out for a walk or hike with the family and see how many items you can find. In order to save paper, you could make the list on your phone or a reusable dry erase board or reusable writing board. We love our Boogie Board writing tablets for things like this!

2. Neighborhood clean up

Grab some gloves and garbage bags and beautify your neighborhood by removing all the trash humans have tossed around. My kids actually love doing this because they almost always find treasures they want to clean up and keep. Our oldest son keeps a whole lot of other people’s discarded items to use in creating art and sculptures, and we don’t mind one bit! We get to enjoy his creative mind while giving the trash a second life before it’s tossed into a landfill for decades, centuries, or possibly forever.

3. Family bike ride

Going on a family bike ride is a great way to get the family outside enjoying what Mother Earth has to offer while being active and adventurous! Head to your favorite bike trail or try a new one. You can enjoy your town or city without polluting the air and you’ll feel so great afterward!

4. Get out on the water

Spend the day observing nature from the water. Instead of using something motorized, try a kayak, rowboat, stand-up paddleboard, or other pollution-free water vehicle.

5. Make a bird feeder

There are TONS of ways to DIY a bird feeder using recycled materials. We made bird feeders using recycled toilet paper tubes, popsicle sticks, and even pine cones! We have a great post on making ec0-friendly bird feeders with kids using materials you already have at home! No need to leave the house!

6. Practice Earth Day yoga

My kids love doing yoga! Celebrate Earth Day with kids by doing a special outdoor kid-friendly yoga session. Stand barefoot in the grass so you can feel the earth under your feet and are grounded. Breathe in the fresh air and feel the sunshine and wind on your skin. You can pick some earth and animal-related poses to do. Tree, turtle, butterfly, lotus, and frog are some of my children’s’ favorite yoga poses.

7. Make seed bombs or seed paper

Another great activity to celebrate Earth Day with kids is to make seed bombs (with clay) or seed paper using recycled paper scraps you have lying around the house or in your recycling bin! You can bomb an area in your yard or neighborhood and see how they grow over the spring. Or give them out as gifts to friends or leave them on a neighbor’s doorstep as an Earth Day present. Feel free to use my seed paper valentine instructions as a guide, with a few swaps. Change the color (to blue/green) and shape (to a circle like the Earth) to match the Earth Day theme.

8. Start a garden

Kids love playing in dirt! Have them help you make a family garden. You can plant a flower garden or edible garden, and work together to take care of the plants. If you don’t have a lot of space or live in a city, you can always do a potted garden or patio garden! We don’t have a lot of space to plant edibles where we live, but we still try to grow some herbs and vegetables every year using pots and containers. Here are some recommendations for easy vegetables to grow with kids and a great post on how to make gardening enjoyable for kids.

Eco Tip: Be sure to buy the pots/containers pre-loved at a thrift store or from someone else!

9. Plant a tree

There’s no better time than Earth Day to plant a tree! Spring is a great time to plant and Earth Day is a great reason. Pick a special spot to plant a family tree that you all can visit for years to come! If you plant a fruit tree, you’ll also have the added benefit of beautiful blossoms and fruit you can enjoy once your tree is mature.

10. Make earth art

Doing an art project is always a fun way to celebrate and document any holiday. Making art from natural materials is so much fun to create. Plus, there’s a fun added benefit in that other people will find joy when they come across your artwork! You can use any kind of materials you find in nature to create a masterpiece on the ground. We like to use shells, sticks, rocks, leaves, flowers, petals, nuts and sand.

11. Start composting

Starting a compost is something that has been on my list to do for years now and I think Earth Day is when we’ll start! My oldest son has been bringing me food scraps daily, asking to put it in a compost instead of the garbage. I promised him we would do some research and begin one soon. We don’t live in a rural area and don’t have much of a backyard space so our compost will need to be small. However, there are plenty of great options for composting in small spaces and in the city! A friend uses this composting tumbler in their backyard and adds the finished compost to their flower beds. You could research composting with your kids and start this year, too! And when you start your compost project, make sure to include a few bins for little hands so the kids can help out, too!

12. Have a picnic

A great way to get outside and enjoy nature is by having a picnic. You can have a picnic inside or outside! But be sure to keep it earth friendly by:
- packing your picnic in reusable containers,
- bringing reusable utensils/straws/water bottles, and
- bringing cloth napkins/hand towels.
Bonus: Try to reduce your picnic carbon footprint by preparing a vegan meal!

13. Take a hike

One of our favorite outdoor activities is hiking. Hiking always inspires us to take care of our beautiful planet by reminding us just how impressive nature can be! This year, if you can safely get out to a place away from others, take a fun Earth Day celebratory hike. Bring along a bag to pick up any trash/litter you see and some binoculars to do some birding while you’re out!

14. Make nature crowns

Nature crowns are a really fun and easy craft you can make and wear in celebration of Earth Day! No need to buy anything, just use whatever you can find in nature. You can make nature crowns out of just about anything – flowers, grasses, clover, vines, sticks, dandelions or wildflowers! Be creative and have fun with it!

15. Make nature paint brushes

Head out on a nature walk and collect different materials to use as paintbrushes! Pick up things like sticks, leaves, long blades of grass, flowers, etc. Take them home and dip them in paint to make a family piece of artwork to hang up forever. It’s a great way to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. You’ll be able to look at the art you made and remember the time you spent with your children for years to come.

16. Earth Day puppet show

Another fun way to celebrate Earth Day with kids is to make puppets with materials from your recycling bin. Or, you could make sock puppets from all those single socks you have lying around! You can have your children do some research online or read some books about ways to protect our planet. Then they can share what they’ve learned by putting on a puppet show! This is also an amazing activity to share with family and friends on FaceTime or other video chatting app during quarantine. You don’t have to leave your house and you can bring some joy to others in isolation from a safe distance!

17. Make sculptures, art, or robots using items in your recycling bin

My kids love making art from trash! It gives those items one more life before they get tossed into the recycling bin or trash can. Use materials you would normally throw away or recycle and repurpose them into art, a sculpture or a robot (or a monster or an alien or anything!). Let them paint and decorate their creation. Display it proudly!

18. Build a fort

Another great way to celebrate Earth Day is to head out into the woods with your family and make a fort together! Use materials found on the ground to design a shelter. (Do NOT take down anything alive! I’m sure you’ll have plenty of options that are no longer alive and that have fallen to the ground without the help of humans!) You could have a picnic inside your fort, read some books, or just sit in the quiet and observe Earth’s gifts surrounding you.

How will you celebrate Earth Day with your family?

About the author

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

You can find Chelsea online in the following locations:
Instagram: @dimples.and.the.blonde
Client work: @chelsea.lyn.photography
Website: dimplesandtheblonde.com
RWMC posts: Chelsea Furlong
INFORMATION, PHOTOGRAPHY, SPRING
Tips For Capturing Puddle Jumping Pictures
- April 6, 2020
April is here and that means rain showers! Part of being a kid is getting to experience the joy of jumping in puddles! There aren’t too many kids that can resist a good messy puddle! We want to give you permission to let your kids get messy, muddy and have fun! And while they’re enjoying all the stomping and splashing, your mission is to capture some photos of all that puddlicious joy! Today, Brandi Rondinelli, professional photographer and mom of 2, is here sharing 5 tips for capturing awesome puddle jumping pictures of your kids. These tips are great and applicable whether you’re using a fancy DSLR or the camera on your phone. So get ready and let’s jump in!

Splash season
It’s that time of the year!!! Rain, more rain and PUDDLES!! I don’t know about you, but I love puddle jumping season (I mean, spring). We get a ton of rain in the spring and watching my kids’ faces fill with joy while they splash in every puddle they see is priceless! Not to mention, it keeps them busy outside for at least an hour. Sure, they get wet and messy, but that’s actually good for them! Letting your kids get dirty has proven health benefits.

As parents, we see mud and only see a mess. But to children, mud is an abundant and attractive medium for creation, exploration and adventure. Mud is fun! Playing with mud engages all the senses, encourages creativity and creates long-lasting childhood memories. Mud play has also been associated with a range of benefits including increased happiness, improved well-being, stronger immunity and a connection with nature.

Benefits of getting dirty

Recent research has shown that dirt contains microscopic bacteria called Mycobacterium Vaccae which stimulates the immune system and increases the levels of serotonin in our brains, an endorphin that soothes, calms, and helps us to relax. Science also shows that today’s sanitized world is actually contributing to increased levels of childhood allergies and asthma. Exposure to dirt and germs works to prime a child’s immune system to prevent allergies. Yes, mud can actually improve your child’s physical and mental health!

Healthy immune systems – Dirt is filled with all sorts of healthy microbes, and when kids are exposed to them it strengthens their immune systems which helps to prevent chronic conditions like asthma, allergies, diabetes and obesity.

Happiness – When kids spend time outside they are less stressed, anxious and depressed. In fact, within minutes of being outside around nature kids start feeling relaxed.

Active – Outdoor play, with all it’s dirt and mud, keeps kids moving. It’s been shown that kids run, climb and jump outside much more than they do inside, even compared to indoor sports. All this movement helps kids maintain a healthier body weight which prevent chronic health issues like diabetes.

Healthy sensory systems – As kids spend more and more time indoors, sensory processing issues are skyrocketing. Many children are developing over or under-sensitive senses. When kids go outside all of their senses are stimulated. There’s so much for them to see, touch, smell and hear outdoors which helps their brain grow and make connections.

Smarts – Kids that play outside and get dirty are better at solving problems and are more creative too. Time outside not only improves children’s memory, concentration and attention span it also helps them develop emotional and social intelligence.

Let them splash

So often kids are asked to refrain from getting wet and muddy. Give them the gift of freedom to explore and get as messy as they want for a day. Dress them in their rain boots and whatever else you don’t care getting wet (plenty of layers if it’s still cold) and encourage them to splash! They’ll be so excited about the opportunity and will remember this for a lifetime. If you’re in need of recommendations on good rain gear, here’s our favorite rain gear for outdoorsy kids.

5 tips for capturing perfect puddle jumping pictures

Now that you know how important and beneficial it is to let your kids get dirty, it’s time to capture the fun! While they’re jumping and splashing away, I want to be sure to preserve those sweet smiles and laughs. So, today I’m sharing 5 tips for capturing awesome puddle jumping photos of your kids that you can implement whether you’re shooting with a phone or a camera.

1. Mix up your perspective

Getting low to the ground and closer to the puddle lets the puddle be the focus of your attention. This is perfect for catching those wowing puddle shots of water splashing up and around your kids feet. But be sure to mix it up a bit so they don’t all look the same. Get some lower shots, some far away full-framed shots and some close-up shots. Get creative by adding a pop of color, umbrella, flowers, a friend or sibling, dissolved sidewalk chalk, etc. Or mix up the times you shoot your puddle splashing photos – morning, dreary mid-day, at golden hour (1 hour prior to sunset), etc.

2. Don’t be afraid to get wet

Getting close up puddle jumping pictures might result in a little (or a big) splash coming your way. For the most part, that’s ok! Be sure to keep a little towel on hand or put a plastic bag over your camera to protect it. I promise the up-close shots will be worth all the mud in your hair and on your face! (Remember, it’s good for you, too!)

3. Nail your settings

In order to get the best and sharpest puddle jumping pictures, if you are using a DSLR, make sure your shutter speed is high and your aperture (f-stop) is not too shallow. The high shutter speed (anything above 250) will help you capture those fast-moving water droplets. That that deeper aperture (f-stop at or above f/3.2) will ensure everything is in focus, especially when shooting up-close shots.

If you are using a cell phone, the more light you can have, the better. Try pressing and holding while taking a picture, this will do a continuous shoot capturing more pictures faster. Hopefully, this will give you a nice still water shot.

4. Have fun!!

Careful!!!! Mud play and puddle jumping may cause a tremendous amount of fun and laughter, try at your own risk! Let those kids get as messy and wet as they can. Nothing a bath/shower can’t fix.

Want to get extra crazy and give them a memory they’ll never forget…jump in with them!!! Don’t worry about having the right gear! Barefoot or rain boots, rain suit or shorts, it doesn’t matter, just have fun!

5. Enhance colors and details in post-editing

Editing your puddle jumping pictures will take them from good to GREAT! Editing doesn’t have to be hard or take a lot of time or skill. It can be done with iPhone pictures or photos taken on your DSLR.

If you don’t already, download the Lightroom app on your phone (it’s free!). When editing in Lightroom, turn up that clarity! Play around with the other settings to see what you like best. I usually bump up my shadows a little to make the moodier. I tone down the highlights to get rid of overexposed spots. Also, I turn up the dehazer slider and lower the black point a tad. You could also add contrast, sharpen and saturate to make the image exactly how you want it!

If you want tones like the pictures in this post, check out my Lightroom mobile Presets.

Get shooting!

I hope that helps inspire you to get outside with your kids while capturing some awesome puddle jumping pictures this spring! Let me know if you have any questions!

More photography resources

If you’re interested in more photography resources, download our FREE guide with our best tips and tricks for taking better photos of your kids’ outdoor adventures with the camera on your PHONE! From creative composition tips to our favorite editing apps, this guide includes everything you need to know to make the most out of the camera in your pocket!

Do you love capturing puddle jumping pictures?

About the author

Brandi Rondinelli. I’m a wife, published photographer & mother of two little wolfs. We are a homesteading family & love everything about the outdoors. We have traveled all around Wisconsin and hiked 21 state parks in just 2 years. From raising chickens, kids, having a full garden & a photography business, you could say we stay busy but we always have time for an adventure and new memories.

You can find me online in the following locations:
Instagram: @soulshinephotographer
Client work: @motherhenshomestead
Website: http://www.soulshinephotographer.com
Facebook: @soulshinephotographer
GEOCACHING, INFORMATION, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, PRINTABLES, SPRING, URBAN NATURE
10 Outdoor Social Distancing Activities for Kids in a City
- March 19, 2020
With social distancing firmly in place and schools being closed for the foreseeable future, parents all across the country are trying to figure out what to do with your kids. While it’s probably no surprise to anyone reading this website, we HIGHLY recommend getting outside and into nature with your kids. But only if that’s a safe and viable option. If you have access to the great outdoors and time to spend, by all means, we hope you take advantage of it.

However, outdoor social distancing may not be easy for everyone. Particularly those who live in a city and may not have close access to wide open (and remote/unpopulated areas). However, there are still things you can do outside as a family that keep your distance from others and give your kids the chance to burn off some of that energy. Today, we have Desirée Macke, Southern California mom of 2 here sharing 10 ways to get outside while being socially distant in a city.

An unexpected turn of events

This spring was supposed to be full of travel and adventure for our family. However, in the blink of an eye, like the rest of the country, our plans were quickly thwarted due to COVID-19. When schools were canceled for multiple weeks I quickly went to work planning where we could go exploring with the kids. Joshua Tree National Park immediately popped into mind. It’s one of our favorite places. I had full intentions of loading the kids up to go rock climbing to get away from it all. Then, things regarding health and safety escalated and our plans were set aside.

Social distancing in a city

For a moment I went into panic mode. How in the world were we going to get the kids outside while social distancing in a huge city? All the places we enjoy going (National Parks, the beach, local parks, etc.) are always full of people. It’s not like we can simply turn to our backyard…we don’t have one! We live in a townhome. Right now, for many people in urban areas, getting outside while being safe can be a bit challenging, particularly because we all like to go outside to the same places.

I took a deep breath, looked at what we do have at our disposal. I put together a list of 10 outdoor social distancing activities for kids and families in cities so that you can still get outside all while staying safe and active.

1. Geocaching

A while back we covered the basics of geocaching. Our kids don’t get much screen time, so geocaching is really fun and exciting for my kids. When I hand over the phone to my son so he can follow the map, read the clues, and search for geocaches, it’s a really big deal. We’ve found several caches in our neighborhood while out for a walk. There are many more near us that we’ll be hunting down in the next few weeks. We’ll have plenty of time to do so!

2. Agents of Discovery app

This may be pretty specific to Southern California, but, there are a LOT of people here, so I hope I’m reaching someone who is searching for things to do with kids! While visiting a local nature center/trail we enjoy hiking, we discovered there is an interactive app that is great for kids to utilize while hiking. Along the trail, there are multiple challenges the kids complete to earn points.

I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes my kids lose interest in our hikes very quickly. However, this app keeps my kids engaged while on the trail. Bonus points: the whole family learned a copious amount of information on the flora and fauna in our area. Now my son wants to visit all the trails included on the app. It’s beeen a great outdoor social distancing activity for my kids to keep them active and entertained.

During this time, please use your best judgment on whether being out on the trials is smart and safe for you, and those you may encounter on the trail.

3. iNaturalist app

I promise this is the last tech/screen suggestion. But, this is one of my favorite apps because it can be used anywhere! Since we’re stuck around the house, we’ve been taking many walks around our neighborhood. I’ve learned over the years that the kids need a goal on our walks to keep them occupied and entertained. Otherwise just walking around can get pretty boring for them.

During our walks, I ask them to find plants, flowers, even animals, that they don’t know the names of. We then turn to iNaturalist, snap a photo of said plant/animal. The app then pulls up a list of items that are likely to be what we have discovered, and we select the answer that best fits what we have found. It’s been really neat to learn together what we have right here in our little neighborhood. Using an app like this to learn and document our adventures has been a really fun and educational outdoor social distancing activity for the kids.

4. Scavenger hunt

Anyone can do a scavenger hunt! Anywhere! Trust me, they’re super easy to put together and really fun for the kids! It only takes a few minutes of planning. I usually compile a quick list of easy-to-find items just before we head out the door. You can write them all down on a piece of paper, in your phone or keep a tally in your head. Tell the kids what they’re looking for and let them explore! Once the kids find all the items on their list they earn a prize (which is usually just something from our pantry).

The great thing about scavenger hunts is that you can completely customize them to your specific location and to your children’s ages and skill level. I will often make two different lists. For my son, I’ll ask for specific things, such as, “find a maple leaf”. For my youngest, I keep it pretty basic for her, “find a yellow leaf”.

5. Nature bingo

Much like the scavenger hunt and iNaturalist, we utilize nature bingo while we’re on our morning walks. This is a great and easy outdoor social distancing activity for kids. Each child has a BINGO card filled with plants, flowers, and animals we typically see in our neighborhood. The game is a great way to keep the kids moving along our sidewalks with little to no complaining, and a goal to reach. They get pretty excited when they hit a BINGO, and I get excited that we’ve clocked more hours outside.

Above is a blank Bingo printable you can print off and fill in as you go.

6. DIY sidewalk chalk paint

You’ve probably seen this fun and easy craft idea, but it’s worth repeating because the kids love it. I’m not sure what they enjoy more, the making of the paint, or the actual painting. Either way, it keeps them busy, entertained, and outside.

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own sidewalk chalk paint:
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 cup corn starch
- Food dye colors of your choice
- Muffin tin
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Paintbrushes
In your mixing bowl add the warm water and corn starch. Whisk until cornstarch is dissolved. Pour your mixture in equal parts into the muffin tin. Add food dyes. Let the kids grab a paintbrush and go to work!

We are fortunate to have a patio, so the kids generally head out there to paint the pavers. But if we’re feeling extra adventurous we’ll paint the sidewalks around our front door.

7. Obstacle courses

We are lucky to have an alley that serves as our makeshift back yard. When the kids get tired of just riding up and down the alley on their bikes/scooters/etc. we’ll make an obstacle course. Getting the kids in on the creation of the course makes it that much more fun. Seeing their minds work to put together their course is just as much fun as watching them navigate the course. We use whatever we can find in our garage: jump ropes, plyo boxes, sidewalk chalk for the start and finish line, anything we can pull out!

I know not everyone has an alley, but many obstacle courses can be created in parks that have large green space! Think cones and hula hoops! Again, please use discretion during this time when visiting your parks.

8. Slackline

We may not have a yard or huge trees. However, we DO have a garage. That space has been maximized to the fullest. We purchased the kids a slackline and have it set up in the garage! We have it hung high, with different ropes and rings hanging from the line. The kids like to pretend they are Ninja Warriors, and monkey across it, aiming for the best time, or simply making it across without falling. If you don’t have a garage, check out parks with open spaces and large trees. It’s been a fun alternative to the monkey bars and traditional playground equipment we’re used to, but trying to avoid.

9. Leaf confetti

We mentioned making leaf confetti in our 100+ Outdoor Winter Activities for Kids, but it is worth mentioning here, and applies any time of the year! And, this project has been our saving grace on those afternoons where we’re starting to get the wiggles and need an activity. This one engages our gross motor skills (walking around our neighborhood), fine motor skills (paper punching), and eye-hand coordination.

As we walk around our neighborhood the kids collect leaves they deem worthy of paper punching. Once we’ve gathered a hefty amount, we head home and start punching away. The different shaped punchers give the confetti a little more of a whimsical feel, but any shape will do. After a large amount of confetti is made the most fun is tossing it in the air!

10. Puddle jumping

More often than not, my kids are in school when it rains, so many puddle opportunities have slipped by us. However, during our time social distancing, we have had several days where it has rained. We could view this as doomy and gloomy. But, instead, we have taken advantage of all the puddles! All we need our rainboots and rain jackets, and we go. to. town. on every puddle we find. The kids always have so much fun splashing away, and this activity is perfect to get outside, as most people opt to stay indoors when it rains.

During this incredibly crazy and uncertain time, one thing holds true. We all need to get outside for our health and sanity.

If you live in an urban area, what are some of your favorite outdoor social distancing activities for kids?

About the author

I’m Desirée; wife to Scott, mom to Marcus and Julia. I’m the domestic engineer (that’s my fancy term for stay-at-home-mom) of the family. My husband, kids, and I love the outdoors. Our favorite ways to explore are hiking the coastal trails near us as well as combing the tide pools for aquatic treasures. To quench our thirst for wide-open spaces beyond the hustle and bustle of our urban jungle. We love to visit state and national parks, as well as conservation areas and nature preserves.

You can find Desirée online in the following locations:
Personal IG: @desireemacke
Cookie Biz IG: @coolingrackconfections
INFORMATION, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, WINTER
Hidden Benefits of Outdoor Winter Play for Children
- January 31, 2020
As the old saying goes, “Variety is the spice of life!” And nothing provides quite a much variety throughout life as the changes of the seasons. When the seasons change, a whole host of new outdoor activities become available for families and for children. And winter is no exception. Today we have Ginny from 1000 Hours Outside, a homeschooling mom from Michigan (where it is a balmy 21 degrees outside, which may actually feel quite nice depending on where you live) sharing her perspective on the benefits of outdoor winter play. Instead of riding out the frigid temperatures and waiting for spring, we hope this post will encourage you to head outside for some beneficial outdoor winter play!

Benefits of Outdoor Winter Play

Winter is worth it

Depending on your location, there will be certain seasons that are more conducive to outside time than others. Winter is probably not too many parents’ favorite season for outdoor play. The gloves, the hats, the scarves, the snow pants, the layers, the whining! We know! We know! It probably takes longer for you to get everyone dressed in their layers than the time you actually spend in the open air. Am I right?

Yes, you’ll have a pile of wet and melting gear afterward. And lots of muddy clothes to wash. But, instead of looking at seasons as good or bad we like to look at them as opportunities to try new things. Yes, winter brings its own set of challenges, but it also brings special magical outdoor activities you can’t do any other time. We promise you that getting outside in the winter months is worth your time and effort! Read on to learn just some of the benefits of outdoor winter play. We just might turn you into a fan of winter after all!

Winter play enhances brain function

Did you know that increasingly complex movements enhance brain function? We tend to think of movements becoming more intricate only through that first year of life. A baby begins by lifting the head and then pushing to all fours. Next, baby is crawling pulling up and finally walking, all within a relatively short span of time. But what then?

After those initial milestones, the milestones continue though not as linearly. Think of the complexity of bike riding and swimming, pitching a baseball and climbing a tree. Children who are given ample time to play outside and try these activities will naturally progress to more difficult bodily movements, all while boosting brain function.

In Smart Moves: (Why Learning is Not All in Your Head), Carla Hannaford, Ph.D. writes “Elderly people who dance regularly decrease their risk of dementia/Alzheimer’s Disease by 76% and those that play a musical instrument decrease the risk by 69%.” These statistics portray the importance of sophisticated movements.

So what, you say. What does all of this have to do with outdoor winter play? Well, I’m so glad you asked! Consider the movements associated with outdoor winter play beginning with the simple act of walking in snow or on ice (in thick/heavy boots and clothing, no less). Immediately, the brain is fired up! This is a new experience – and a complex one. Legs must go higher, balance is tested. Throw in some other activities such as sledding, skiing, ice-skating, snow-shoeing, rolling and even throwing snowballs and you’ve got yourself a season that is filled with opportunities for children to challenge themselves in complex physical ways that benefit their brains and bodies.

Outdoor winter play enhances creativity

Winter brings all new possibilities for creative play, imagination and construction. Forget sandcastes, build a frozen snow castle! Or snowmen, snow mountains, snow towers, snow forts, snow volcanoes, snow lanterns, snow sculptures, snow cakes, etc. You can paint the snow, eat the snow, and make angels in the snow. Snow and ice offer kids a never-ending supply of elements for creative little minds.

There are endless ideas floating around about using simple things you probably already have on hand like food coloring and bowls to create ice ornaments. Or mix food coloring with water in a spray bottle and letting the kids have at it. Interestingly, there is also so much variation between the types of snow that falls. Is it wet snow? Will it pack? Is it dense or light and flaky? Is it good for sledding? Building snowman? And then how should we dress the snowman? You get the picture!

It can be easy to think of a season where everything seems monochrome as drab, one without possibilities. But the elements of outdoor winter play are so open-ended that we have at our finger-tips a literal blank canvas of endless opportunity! Creative opportunities abound during this marvelous season!

Winter play enhances physical health and development

Fresh air does a body good, but so does movement. A good romp in the snow will get the lymphatic system moving, helping our bodies clear out unwanted toxins. Additionally, these outdoor winter play movements involve muscles that may not get as much use in other seasons. The simple act of pulling a sled up a hill gives the legs a magnificent workout. In what other season would we go up and down hills over and over? This trudging through deep snow time and again does so much for a child’s physical development.

Winter is also a time for advancing core strength. All of the balance work, keeping the body upright while sledding down a hill or slip-sliding across a frozen pond, engages the core. Shoveling helps in the exact same way and is considered “heavy work; that is, any type of activity that pushes or pulls against the body. Heavy work is crucial for developing body awareness.

And while this is great for your child’s physical health, there’s another perk of outdoor winter play you may not be aware of! All of this intense physical activity will inadvertently help your child in academia! Students who have a strong core don’t have to expend energy or constantly think about sitting at a desk. It is a well-known phenomenon that this is something many young people struggle with these days, to the point of even falling out of the chairs at school. There’s such a cross-over between all of these benefits!

Winter play strengthens relational bonds

Outdoor winter play engages all the senses. This is one of the reasons time in nature is often so memorable. Some of my favorite childhood memories are shoveling snow with my dad in the early mornings when it seemed that all the world was fast asleep. I remember the dark, the biting cold, and the rhythmic sounds of the shovel against the cement. I can still recall the huge piles of snow that would accumulate along the edges of the driveway, the bit of observation needs to shovel in the right direction so the wind wouldn’t bring it all right back, I remember that indescribable feeling when you’re all finished and you head inside to warm up.

Isn’t this one the simplest things in life? Shoveling with my dad. Just me and him. It doesn’t seem like the kind of exciting memory that a child would value above so many other super fun and exciting activities, but it mattered. It stuck. Think about it…how many of your fondest childhood memories and moments happened outside? The connections and memories you make outdoors seem to stick with you much longer than others. The magic of childhood can be found in the most ordinary places, most of which are outside!

Have we convinced you to get outside this winter?
What are some of your outdoor memories from childhood?

About the Author

Ginny is a Michigan homeschooling mother of five and the founder of 1000 Hours Outside. She is a thought-leader in the world of nature-based play and its benefits for children. Her 1000 Hours Outside Challenge spans the globe and many people from all walks of life look to her for inspiration as well as practical tips on how to put down the screens and get outside. Ginny has a Masters Degree in Education from the University of Michigan and is also a children’s book author and illustrator. Her book, The Little Farmhouse in West Virginia was published in February 2019.

You can find more from Ginny in the following locations:
Website: http://www.1000HoursOutside.com
Instagram: @1000hoursoutside
Facebook: @1000hoursoutside
RWMC posts: Ginny Yurich
INFORMATION, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, WINTER
Winter Fort Building with Kids
- January 10, 2020
Colder temperatures do not mean the fun of fort building has to stop! For many in the warmer climates, it’s actually the best time of year to head to the woods to build some forts! Winter fort-building is so much fun, with definite perks. In the winter, the risk for snake encounters goes down and the ticks (and mosquitoes) die off, leaving the woods much more pleasurable! There are so many different ways to build a fort with your kids. Today, we have homeschooling mom of two and outdoor adventurer Nichole of Luckey Wanderers here, walking us through how to build an eco-friendly winter fort with kids!

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Why build forts in the winter?

While we love adventuring outdoors year-round, winter fort building is our favorite. The winter provides a certain sense of freedom and ease to our time spent in the woods. The forest always presents certain inherent dangers, but for our very warm locale, the winter offers a bit of a break from constant awareness of snakes, ticks, wasps, mosquitoes and fire ants. (However, we do still check for ticks every time we return from the woods as a precaution.) The winter also gives us a chance to venture (respectfully) off-trail and explore the woods a little deeper without the oppressive heat and humidity.

Choosing the perfect fort-building location

When we head out for the day, we usually have some sort of idea of the type/style of fort we would like to build. Our plan for this winter fort was to make a tepee structure to enjoy a picnic under. That plan quickly changed when my kids spotted a fallen tree that seemed to be calling to them. Much to their delight, it was also surrounded on three sides by a creek and had the feeling of a moat. It was the perfect location!

What to look for in a location

There are always a few things we look for, no matter what type of fort we are building:
- Three or four long sticks to be made into the tri-pod structure
- Fallen bark to use for a roof or sides
- A clear, flat spot to build on
- A fallen tree to make a lean-to
- Ways to be minimally destructive when gathering supplies (take one stick/bark/etc, instead of all of it)
- Check to make sure the area you are building is not already inhabited by any animals, such as beaver or rabbits
Step back and watch them step up

The process of winter fort-building is a fantastic application of scientific method and hands-on exploration. While I love building right alongside my kids, sometimes it’s an opportunity to step back and let them run with their ideas. Sometimes it works out wonderfully, and sometimes I’m wiping away tears and playing master architect. I highly recommend that you let them experiment on their own. Let them build a tripod or lean-to, only to watch it tumble under the weight of the leaves they piled on top. This teaches them. Allow them opportunities to learn from mistakes and try again. Then, celebrate their victories with them! Share a picnic together in their fort, even if you can only fit your foot inside. They’ll always remember it, I promise.

A note about safety

It’s important to note that even when the cooler temperatures arrive, you should still always be aware of potential dangers outside. There are a few things that we do to help keep ourselves safe when scavenging for materials to build our forts. The rule that I enforce fast and hard is to ALWAYS roll logs slowly TOWARD you. Yes, that’s right. Roll it toward you. Here’s why: if there is a snake hiding underneath, by rolling it toward you, the log is a barrier and gives the snake an escape route that doesn’t end directly on your feet. We learned that tip from a park interpreter at one of the amazing state parks in Arkansas. We also use a stick to lift fallen bark, scatter leaves, and poke around the underbrush. Essentially, we touch anything first with a stick, then with our hands, just to be on the safe(r) side.

Fort-building supplies

Fort building is a simple activity that does not require much. However, there are a few things that we always bring along to make it more fun. I recently discovered a fort-building kit with rubber/silicone hooks that hold sticks together. While those are a great idea, we prefer to use an eco-friendly natural option so we’re not worried about leaving plastic behind. All-natural raffia grass is a great option for fort building. It is the most natural thing I have found to use to secure sticks and logs. Twine works well also, but the more natural, the better.

My kids love using the long pieces of raffia to hang decorations from their fort, or to secure the sticks together. I also love to surprise them with twinkle lights to string up once their fort is done. A durable, outdoor blanket or an old bed sheet or two are also helpful to bring along. These can serve as a roof, walls/dividers or a comfy floor to sit on inside the fort.

Don’t forget the snacks

Whether it’s lunchtime or not, when adventuring outdoors with kids, always bring snacks! There’s nothing better than a snack in the fort you built with your kids. If I’ve planned far enough ahead, I’ll pack a lunch with a fun surprise treat. If not, I throw whatever I have in my cupboard into my Stasher bags and off we go. I love those bags because they can go directly in the dishwasher when we get home. Peanut butter sandwiches for them and a salad for me are always an easy lunch to pack. Plus, while we are hiking in my salad gets nicely mixed. Always remember to pack out what you pack in and remove any trash or food remnants when you leave.

The fruits of their labor

When you plan your fort-building day, be sure to allow enough time for your kids to stick around and enjoy their fort after they build it. I have made the mistake of making the kids leave shortly after they declared their fort complete. Talk about anticlimactic. So let yourselves linger. Give them time to enjoy it. Let them play. Lie down in your fort and take some time to talk about what they learned and what you can observe from within:
- What do you notice when you look at your fort from different angles?
- What types of animals would like your fort?
- Do you think it would survive a storm?
- What could you do to make it even better?
Get out your nature journals and draw your fort. You could even start an art journal just for the forts you build with your children. The possibilities to expand this into a lesson are endless, including studies in physics and mathematics. Or, just have fun with it and enjoy the journey. Either way, fort building throughout the seasons is always a wonderful way to spend time outside.

Tips for winter fort-building in colder climates

If you live where snow and ice are prevalent in the winter months, there are still plenty of options for winter fort-building! You can still take the kids out into the woods to gather sticks and logs. Instead of packing leaves and bark over your fort to fortify it, let your kids experiment with packing snow. Help them dig tunnels in the snow to create an entrance or a moat around the fort. Or, if you’re building a fort around home, use sand toys and buckets as molds to make ice and snow bricks for building an igloo. The options are really endless when you let your (and your kids’) imagination and creativity run wild.

About the author

Nichole is mama to two incredible adventurers. They are on their third year of homeschooling. She has been married to her best friend for nearly twelve years and they share a mutual love for the outdoors. An Iowan native now living in the south, she is happy to claim Arkansas as home. She is a wanderlust (and coffee) fueled, fearless, road-tripper who has been known to take off for epic adventures at a moment’s notice. Hiking and camping (of the backpacking variety) and crystal digging are a few of their favorite family activities. You can find her in the woods somewhere, (probably up a creek and jumping off waterfalls) or online in the following locations:

Website: http://www.luckeywanderers.com
Instagram: @coleyraeh
RWMC posts: Nichole

More from Nichole

As a family, we love gardening. It’s a wonderful way to ensure time spent outside every day throughout the growing season. This past year, we embarked on an adventure to grow our own luffa sponges. Did you know you could do that? It took us all year, but now we have the most wonderful gifts that came from our very own backyard. Here’s all the details about our luffa gardening adventure. We also grew some giant sunflowers that turned into a really fun hands-on learning experience at the end of the season. You can read about our sunflower dissection.

Have you tried winter fort-building? What was your experience?
Any tips for building ice or snow forts? We’d love to hear them!
CRAFTS, FALL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
How to Make an Autumn Leaf Lantern
- November 19, 2019
If you’re looking for an easy fall craft to make with kids, you’ve come to the right place! Today, the amazingly crafty mama and teacher Jemma, of Thimble & Twig, is here to show you how to make an autumn leaf lantern with your kids. These autumn leaf lanterns are a fun and easy nature craft to make with kids of any age. They look fantastic on a window sill or as part of a fall decor display. You can even take them with you to light your way on a night hike in the woods! Kids love collecting the leaves and the gluey, messiness of it sticking it all together. They also love taking their own little lantern on a trip outside or hanging it in their garden to light their way at night.

DIY autumn leaf lanterns

Making an autumn leaf lantern is a relatively easy project to make with kids (particularly older kids). In addition, these lanterns use real leaves found in nature, in your backyard, local park or found on a walk. So not only to do inspire creativity, they encourage kids to get outside and explore! There are a few complicated steps to make these autumn leaf lanterns (plus, the tissue paper is very delicate), so adult assistance is probably required. But, they’re guaranteed to keep little kids busy and excited to use their lantern for night-time exploring!

Leaf collecting with little ones

The first step in making a leaf lantern is to collect the leaves. Take your little ones on a walk around the neighborhood when the leaves are looking pretty and colorful. Give them each a paper bag to fill with leaves they like. To mix it up, you could assign each kid different color, size or specific tree to collect leaves from. This will help ensure you get a variety of colors, sizes and styles.

Prep your leaves

Once you’ve collected all the pretty leaves, you’ll need to get them prepped for crafting. In addition, leaves need to be dry and flat. Lay a couple paper towels on the kitchen table and spread the leaves out on them to dry for a little while (a few hours or a few days). The glue won’t stick if the leaves are wet, so make sure they’re completely dry. If you have some large wrinkly leaves, try flattening them under some heavy books to make them easier to glue!

Supplies for making autumn leaf lanterns

You will need the following supplies to make your leaf lantern. All of these supplies can be found at your local craft store or online.
- Bamboo circular frame (or you could use a wooden craft or embroidery hoop)
- White or cream tissue paper
- Glue or Mod-Podge (the best is the type of glue that is clear when it dries)
- String
- Battery operated tea lights
- Autumn leaves
Autumn leaf lantern instructions

STEP ONE:

Take your hoop/frame and cut two pieces of string long enough to stretch from one side of the hoop to the other (plus a little extra for tying). Tie the ends of the strings to the hoop to make a cross (X) shape and secure the knots with masking tape. This is the handle of your lantern.

STEP TWO:

Take 3 large sheets of tissue paper lay them out flat. Carefully glue your autumn leaves onto one side of the tissue paper. Be very careful, as the tissue paper is very delicate. It will feel strange, but be sure to put the glue on the side of the leaf that is the most colorful. This ensures that the pretty colors shine through the tissue paper. Remember to leave some white tissue paper showing so your light will shine through. Allow the tissue paper to completely dry for at least an hour.

STEP THREE:

When your leaf covered tissue paper is fully dry, carefully glue the seams of the tissue paper together so that you have a circular lantern.

STEP FOUR:

Cover the rim of the circular frame with glue. Lay the hoop/frame on its side and and carefully line the rim of the from with the white tissue paper, leaving an inch or two at the top. Glue the top of the tissue paper onto the frame, leaving the sides and bottom hanging open. Fold the top down over the hoop, all the way around.

STEP FIVE:

Cut the bottom of the tissue paper to the size required and fold it onto itself a few times. Add a layer of glue so that the paper overlaps, creating a bottom to close your lantern. Be sure to fold it several times in order to make a strong base.

STEP SIX:

Cut a small piece of cardboard into a circular shape which will be used to line/support the bottom of your lantern. Carefully use a little bit of sticky tape and stick 2-3 battery operated tea lights to the cardboard. Place the piece of cardboard gently into the bottom of the lantern with the tea lights secured to it.

Go on a lantern-lit night hike

Why not use your autumn leaf lantern to go on a night hike? Kids love adventuring out in the dark when they’re usually inside. It’s so exciting to visit even a familiar place in the dark! Darkness transforms the natural world into a different place. And by helping children to discover the mysteries of the night they might come to enjoy the dark and not be fearful of it. Take your leaf lantern with you on a nighttime walk in the woods. Or venture out to a grassy place to have a sit down and do some star spotting! To really appreciate the stars or the moon on a clear night, go out to an open space with as little man-made light as possible, bring a star constellation chart and see which ones you can spot!

* Please note that these lanterns are made from a very light tissue paper and therefore you should NEVER use use real candle tealights with them because it could start a fire. Try not to leave your battery lights on for too long so they do not overheat.

Additional nature-inspired crafts for kids

If you are interested in crafts, we’ve got lots more ideas for fun nature-inspired crafts to make with your kids! So try some of these easy ideas from my website, Thimble & Twig and here on Run Wild My Child.
- Hapa Zome – Flower Printing – Hapa zome is the Japanese term for beating (or tapping really) leaves or flowers with hammers, pounding their natural pigment into cloth.
- Making Journey Sticks – Incorporate elements of your hikes, adventures and outings into beautiful physical storytelling devices.
- DIY Moth Wings – These can be made from materials you probably already have in your craft closet and yard. While the moth wings are a perfect project for fall, this tutorial can also be changed and adapted for any season based on what’s available in your location.
- Woodland Crafts for Kids – There are lots of fun woodland crafts for kids to make from the brimming baskets of treasures that they will inevitably find and collect. This post contains three simple leaf crafts for kids.
About the author

I’m Jemma and I live in London, England with my husband and 4 kids. My all-time favorite thing to do is take photos and capture memories of my family. I’m on a mission to ensure parenthood doesn’t rush by so quickly by creating mini family outdoor adventures and hopefully some big adventures too one day! I’m a mum to four and an English teacher to many; my passion for storytelling, adventures and nature crafts is packaged up into my blog http://www.thimbleandtwig.com. You can also find me on Instagram at @thimbleandtwig.
FALL, INFORMATION, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
How to Have a Screen-Free School Week
- October 29, 2019
In our fast-paced world, it can be challenging to set screens aside and engage full-on with the things and the people right in front of us. Kids are bombarded with a plethora of fun games, shows, videos and apps designed to suck them in and keep them in front of a screen. As parents, we know that screen time can be detrimental to kids and we’d all like to be better about getting our kids off screens. Today, we have Ginny Yurich, founder of the 1000 Hours Outside challenge, here to encourage us to take a week (or two or three) this school-year and designate them as screen-free weeks! Ginny’s sharing some tips and advice on why it’s so important for kids (and families) to take an intentional screen-free school week and how to do it properly.

Borrow a Waldorf lesson

When I was growing up there seemed to be two main options for school: public or private. These days the list is much longer. In addition to public or private, you can choose charter schools or forest schools, Waldorf or Montessori, homeschooling or worldschooling, just to name a few! Though some of these options have been around for a while, the diverse approach to education today is prominent.

Of the options above, many Waldorf schools have an interesting philosophy that really appeals to me. It is common practice for parents of Waldorf students to sign a contract agreeing that students will not have screen time from Sunday evening through Thursday evening. No screens all week, every week the kids are in school. I know what you’re thinking. . . “What’s a child to do after a strenuous day of school work? What about those witching hours when nerves are frayed and dinner needs to be prepared? Aren’t screens a good choice for decompressing?”

The importance of screen-free time

What we have found in our home is the more screen-usage we allow, the more enslaved we become to it. While some screen time can be seen as “educational,” too much of it may have a negative effect on a child’s development and overall well-being. An excess amount of screen time can affect sleep, increase the risk of childhood obesity, lead to poor eyesight and physical coordination, and problems with behavior or attention.

Kids need time off of screens to develop the skills that will serve them in life. They need physical activity and face-to-face social and emotional connections. They need time to explore their environment and discover new interests. There is great freedom in taking an intentional screen-free school week because it gives children the opportunity to re-engage with their surroundings and most importantly, their own inner resources.

How to have a scree-free school week

Childhood is when humans soak in the mystery and wonder of life. Kids need time off screens, just to be kids. As parents, we know that living completely screen-free lives is not always practical or desired. However, we can make small changes here and there to give our kids a digital detox from screens and give them back an important part of childhood. Make the choice to shut off the devices for a mere seven days and watch your kids thrive! Observe their creativity and thoroughly enjoy the moments where you can all be present together.

This time of year is incredibly busy. It can be easy to fall into the trap of using screens as a way to entertain and occupy kids. But it’s also a great time to take an intentional break and reset your screen habits. You’ve made it through the back-to-school transition. It’s not time to capitalize on family time together at the end of the day. Make the commitment to take a digital detox. Here are some tips on how to have a screen-free school week.

1. Know the importance of unstructured play

When we are tired and busy, it can be easy to forget the value of unstructured play. This is an easy time to hand your kids a screen or turn on the TV. However, unstructured play could benefit them so much more. Unstructured play benefits every phase of the development. While you’ve probably heard this before, knowing how crucial unstructured play is for your kids will better equip you to say NO to screen time when you’re exhausted or need a break.

What is unstructured play?

It’s a type of play where children engage in open-ended play that has no specific learning objective. Unlike “structured” play, unstructured play is not instructor-led. Parents do not give directions. Unstructured play is often referred to as simply “letting kids be kids” or “just play.” Sounds easy enough, right? But why is it so important?
- Unstructured play benefits kids academically. Play helps their brain connections become quicker and stronger. If you include some outside nature play, children will naturally be drawn to complex movements that will contribute to brain growth. Additionally, kids learn so much through hands-on experiences. Knowledge flies to the mind of a child who can hold and observe something in his or her own hands!
- Unstructured play builds social skills. Invite a friend over for the afternoon and observe the conversations, compromises, and creativity. Kids are naturally motivated to keep playing and so they utilize extensive social skills to maintain whatever play scheme they have invented.
- Unstructured play develops emotional support. Children work through significant life issues through play. Taking kids outside helps calm them through the gentle sensory integration of nature. Flashing screens actually stimulate the flight or fight response. After a long day of standardized tests, adult-directed activity, and social pressure, it’s so important for kids to have some moments of true calmness.
2. Prepare some alternative activities

If your child is in the habit of having screen time after school, spend a few days breaking that habit. Until they can come up with their own ideas, consider offering some different options to choose from during your screen-free school week. Screen time is often the result of boredom or lack of creativity in coming up with something to do. It’s the quick and easy choice, but not the best one. So having an arsenal of options and activities at the ready makes it much easier for you to say NO to screens by giving kids ideas and choices of what they can do instead.

The activities we utilize the most are ones that are open-ended and lead to lots of fun unstructured play. Things like mud kitchens, mad libs, paper dolls, magnet toys, play dough, jump ropes, tangrams, string games, felting, puppets, stamps and stencils, origami, baskets for nature-collecting, or finger-knitting are some of the screen-free pastimes our kids enjoy. Set up a slackline in the backyard or a tent for the kids to play in. Give them some sidewalk chalk and have them create a masterpiece. Give them a shovel or a net and go on a minibeast hunt. Have them build something with blocks, sticks or whatever they can find. Or task them with writing and acting out their own play or favorite storybook. Let them get creative!

3. Be ready to say…

“It’s okay to be bored.” Boredom truly is a gift. It is the bridge between nothing and creativity. When properly encouraged, bored kids can come up with some ingenious ideas for things to do! We know that it can be incredibly annoying and irritating to listen to the complaints of bored kids that have absolutely NOTHING to do except play on screens. Being prepared for this is half the battle and will help you stick to your guns about staying off of screens.

I’ve found the best way to deal with the whining is to have a short and sweet comeback. I’ll choose my response and repeat it over and over again like a broken record. Besides, “It’s okay to be bored.” I sometimes use “That’s okay. I know you’ll figure it out.” And finally, when all else fails and my patience has been tested, my response of last resort is “Great! I have some chores that need to be done!” That response works every time! The kids scatter and find something to do!

All things in moderation

Children thrive when they are given ample time and space to play both inside and outside. Since much of their day is already accounted for (school, sports, extra-curriculars, etc.), kids greatly benefit from screen-free time. It is very possible that someday our kids may ask us why we didn’t limit their screen time even more. Screens are not evil. Technology provides amazing benefits. However, for children the passive time spent using screened devices takes away precious childhood time that could be devoted to other worthwhile pursuits. So as parents and caregivers, we need to protect the afternoons, evenings and weekends, giving our children hands-on experiences that will profit them in the near future, but also for a lifetime.

Do you find it hard to build screen-free time into the school year?
What are some of your favorite screen-free pastimes?

About the Author

Ginny is a Michigan homeschooling mother of five and the founder of 1000 Hours Outside. She is a thought-leader in the world of nature-based play and its benefits for children. Her 1000 Hours Outside Challenge spans the globe and many people from all walks of life look to her for inspiration as well as practical tips on how to put down the screens and get outside. Ginny has a Masters Degree in Education from the University of Michigan and is also a children’s book author and illustrator. Her book, The Little Farmhouse in West Virginia was published in February 2019.

You can find more from Ginny in the following locations:
Website: http://www.1000HoursOutside.com
Instagram: @1000hoursoutside
Facebook: @1000hoursoutside
CRAFTS, FALL, HOLIDAYS, LESSONS, NATURE SCHOOL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, OUTDOORS INSIDE
Fun & Simple Halloween Activities for Kids
- October 17, 2019
If your kids are anything like mine, they automatically associate October with Halloween! I’m pretty sure they get their intense love for this holiday from their mama. It’s been my favorite holiday for as long as I can remember. The costumes, the cold dark nights, the glowing pumpkins! Or maybe it’s just all the candy? Either way, it’s a blast! Today, we’ve got mom and teacher extraordinaire, Brandi Markham here sharing 10 fun and simple Halloween activities for kids! These easy activities are a great way to engage their senses and guaranteed to get your kids in the Halloween spirit.

The most wonderful time of the year

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

Fun and simple Halloween activities for kids

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

1. Shaving cream ghosts

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

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

2. Monster handprints

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

3. Fall leaves tree

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

4. Foaming spiders

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

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

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

5. Candy corn sensory play

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

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

6. Witches stew

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

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

7. Ice ghosts

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

8. Spider slime

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

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

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

9. Play-doh pumpkins

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

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

10. Wiggly monster eyes

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

10 Easy Halloween activities for kids

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

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

Brandi
Maryland
@brandimarkham

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

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

Make nature time a priority

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

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

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

Time outside matters

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

Take walks to get kids outside

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

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

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

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

Evening adventures get kids outside

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

Take kids’ school outside

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

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

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

Outdoor learning

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

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

Picnics get kids outside

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

Weekend adventures get kids outside

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

Weather

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

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

Need more fall ideas?

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

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

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

Find Leslie on Instagram @c_l_allofus
BEACH, HIKE, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, SUMMER
15 Water Activities for Kids & Ways to Get Active on the Water
- August 13, 2019
It may be back to school season, but there’s still LOTS of summer left! Temperatures have been soaring around most of the U.S. over the last couple of weeks. It’s only natural that many of us have been gravitating toward the water to catch a break from the heat! Today, we have the amazing Chelsea Furlong, photographer and mom of 2, here with 15 kid-friendly ways to get active on the water this summer! Not only will these water activities for kids keep them cool, but they’ll help with swimming skills, improve balance and coordination and wear them out! This post is sure to inspire you to get outside and into the water as soon as possible!

Get active on the water

Summertime is the BEST time to get active with your family and it’s extra fun when the activities involve water. With two very busy kids in our house, we’re out adventuring on the water almost every single day. We’re lucky to live in Virginia Beach where the weather is warm most of the year and the beach is nearby, but we’ve done lots of these water activities for kids on lakes and rivers all over the East Coast!

Benefits of spending time on the water

As my children continue to grow, our list of family activities to do on the water grows right along with them. Each summer we’re able to add a few more fun water activities to do together that we weren’t quite able to do the previous year. We love being able to create so many incredible memories with our children while also getting plenty of exercise! The more time we spend outside together, the happier we all are. And it doesn’t hurt that the kids are nice and tired when bedtime rolls around!

15 kid-friendly ways to get active on the water

Getting outside and active on the water doesn’t have to be hard. And it doesn’t have to be the same old thing again and again. There are so many ways to enjoy the outdoors and keep cool. Here are 15 different water activities for kids that will get your kids outside and active on the water this summer!

1. Stand up paddleboarding

Stand up paddleboarding has become one of our absolute favorite summertime water activities for kids. We started when our kids were young (ages of 4 and 6), so our kids are now great at paddleboarding alone or just sitting along for the ride. Stand up paddleboarding is a great full-body workout. While you’re balancing, your body is using your core, shoulders, arms, legs, and back. If you’ve done it before, you know that it’s even great for foot strength! You’d be surprised at how tired your feet will get from gripping the board to balance.

Our kids also love to play a game they call “Paddle Battle.” They stand on opposites sides of the board, facing each other, and rock the board from side to side to try to get the other person to fall off the board first! They can play this game for hours and never get sick of it! They enjoy climbing up onto the boards and jumping off of them as well. If you’re not comfortable heading out for a long paddle, your kids will have a blast simply playing around on the boards. They’ll come up with all sorts of fun games!

2. Kayaking

Another favorite water activity of ours is kayaking. Depending on the age/size of your kids, they can join you on a ride or paddle along in their own kayaks! Our kids have learned to kayak on adult-sized kayaks. However, there are wonderful kid-sized kayaks that you can use as well. You’ll be surprised how quickly children will learn how to use their paddles to navigate a kayak. And if they’re able to go a distance on their own (even in very shallow water where you’ll easily be able to walk to them if they need help), the pride on their faces from that sense of independence is absolutely priceless. It’s like learning to ride a bike for the first time!

3. Hiking or trail walking

Sometimes our favorite water activities for kids involve more than just water. Whether you’re near an ocean, lake, river, creek or stream, you should be able to find lots of great walking trails close to water to enjoy! Here on the coast, we have several boardwalks, as well as walking/hiking trails along the inlets. If you’re further inland, you can usually find great hiking trails in state parks or up the mountains beside rivers and waterfalls! If you have young children, it doesn’t even have to be a very long distance. Just a quick trail with water to toss some rocks into will thrill them!

4. Nature hunts

Along those same lines, nature hunts can be an amazing way to spend a few hours by the water! We often find ourselves out on a nature hunt during that rough late afternoon/early evening timeframe when it’s too early for bed, but the kids aren’t tired yet. You know what I’m talking about. That’s a perfect time to go out for a nature hunt if you have some water nearby. We’ll walk or ride bikes to the beach or inlet, and the boys will search for bugs, crabs, turtles, birds, snails, etc. They’re never disappointed.

Kids are so curious – they can find some kind of amazing treasure wherever they go. Even a new rock and a stick is enough to excite my kids. You can either come up with a specific list of items for the kids to search for, find a list online, or forget the list and just see what you happen to come across. No matter how you decide to do it, the exercise, fresh air, splashing, and nature treasures will always be a crowd-pleaser.

5. Pedal boating

Another great way to get active on the water is to cruise around on a pedal boat! I remember trying these out as a kid when we were on vacation at places like campgrounds with ponds or lakes. Sometimes local parks will have these for rent on the lakes. My kids are lucky because their grandmother happens to have one for them to play on at camp! And they love that thing!

Last year their legs were a little short so the adults ended up doing most of the pedaling. This year, however, both boys had both grown quite a bit and were able to reach the pedals on their own. Pedal boats are a surprisingly good leg workout and if you pedal around enough, you’ll likely feel it the next day! Our kids love cruising around where there’s lots of seaweed but still shallow enough for the sunlight to illuminate the creatures swimming below.

6.Yoga

While it may seem like a land activity (and it is), yoga can really be enjoyed anywhere, including on or near the water! You can do yoga on the beach, on docks at the lake, and even on a stand up paddleboard! We like to turn our paddleboard yoga session into a bit of a challenge. We’ll see who can get into certain poses without falling off the board or see who can hold specific poses the longest. There’s no shortage of laughter during that particular activity!

7. Skimboarding

Skimboarding is a fun outdoor summer water activity for kids that my boys have are just getting into this year! At the beginning of the summer, they saw some older guys using them at our beach and they didn’t stop talking about it until I finally broke down and got them a skimboard of their own. At 5 and 7, I wasn’t sure our kids would be old enough yet but they proved me wrong! They’ve had a ton of fun on that skimboard. It takes a lot of patience and coordination. Plus, it occupies them for hours.

8. Dock jumping

Those of you living the lake life will be very familiar with this one! This activity has been a people pleaser for decades and will never get old. My kids can spend an entire day doing this and never get sick of it. Jumping off, swimming back to the dock, and then climbing up the ladder over and over for hours. Such a great way to enjoy a warm day while also getting lots of exercise. Like most everything else in our lives right now, the boys turn this into a competition to see who can jump the highest, furthest, or do the best trick.

We alternate between using the life vests when I’m not in the water with them and no life vests when I’m right there to assist if they get too tired to swim back to the dock unassisted. This activity was probably the best activity we’ve done all summer to help them learn to swim better. They made massive improvements in their swimming abilities after just an hour of jumping without the life vests and swimming back to the ladder! And I was right there to catch them or lend a hand if they needed a little extra help.

9. Surfing

Surfing is something that’s only just now popped up on our radar as our boys are getting older. Now that they’re better swimmers and have a great sense of balance on our paddleboards, we’re ready to add surfing to our list of favorite water activities for kids! I grew up in the mountains so I’ve never tried surfing before, but since we live on the ocean it’s time to give it shot. If you live in a beach area or plan to vacation to one, you’ll likely have access to a few places that offer surfing camps for kids and private lessons. Since our youngest isn’t quite old enough for the surfing camps yet, we decided to do private lessons as a family! I have a feeling that surf boards will be on our kids’ wish lists in the near future!

10. Climbing

If you’re in the mountains rather than on the coast, I highly recommend taking some time to adventure near waterfalls! My kids are fascinated by waterfalls because we don’t live in an area where you can find them. Whenever we head to the mountains they insist on going out to find some! Usually, you can also find some great spots nearby to climb rocks! We stick to small falls with fairly easy-to-navigate rock areas, since we’re not well-trained in rock climbing yet. When we get hot and sweaty from our climbing, we just find a little pool without fast-moving water to plunk down in and cool off! Please be warned – there is no shortage of beautiful rocks to take home in places like this, so you’re pockets and backpacks will get heavy!

11. Canoeing or row boating

When it comes to being out on the water, you can really just assume that everyone will have a blast using any kind of boat. Kids love learning to paddle and are filled with pride when they’ve gained the skills to do it independently.

12. Go to a splash pad

For those of you who aren’t near nature-made splash areas, you can still have fun getting active in places like splash playgrounds or splash pads! More and more cities are building wonderful splash pads to run around in! These are especially great for families with babies and toddlers because you don’t have to worry about the water being too deep!

13. Go to a pool

Along those same lines, find a pool nearby! Both indoor and outdoor pools are a great way to spend some quality time with your family. My favorite thing about going to a pool is that I have to leave my phone behind! Once I jump in the water with the kids, they get some absolute undivided attention. It’s so refreshing and necessary!

14. Playing a sport

When you pack up your beach bag, add a soccer ball, football, or frisbee! Depending on where you’ll be and how many people will be there, you could also play volleyball or whiffle ball, too. Tossing a ball back and forth in the water is actually one of my very favorite things to do with my kids. We can keep cool by being waist-deep, connect with each other, and practice hand-eye coordination. You can purchase some fantastic frisbees and balls made specifically for water. We LOVE these. They soak up water and then splash it all over when you toss them. It’s tons of fun!

15. JUST PLAY!

My final suggestion is to just jump in and play anywhere there’s water! You can swim around, play on floats, use kickboards or boogie boards, or dive to the bottom to find treasures. Anything you do in the water together will be fun and your children will appreciate the quality time with you! You honestly don’t need to rent or purchase any of the fancy stuff I mentioned above to enjoy water activities with kids. Splash around with your family and make some summer memories that will last a lifetime!

What are some of your favorite ways to get active on the water?

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

Personal Instagram: @dimples.and.the.blonde
Client work: @chelsea.lyn.photography
Website: dimplesandtheblonde.com
ANIMALS/WILDLIFE, LESSONS, NATURE SCHOOL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Nature Study: Exploring Ponds with Kids
- July 15, 2019
Summer is a perfect time to get kids outdoors to explore and experience new things! And what better place to enjoy on hot days than someplace with water? Today, the incredible Leslie Alvis (Ohio homeschooling mom of 4) gives us a unique look at a common place your children can explore this summer: the ever-delightful and intriguing pond. Exploring ponds with kids is not only fascinating and fun, but it’s also educational! There’s so much to see, feel, observe and learn about around a pond. Technology and screen time cannot replace the hands-on lessons children learn just playing outside in the amazing classroom of nature. So grab a bucket and a butterfly net, and let’s head to the pond together.

A field of water betrays the spirit that is in the air. It is continually receiving new life and motion from above. It is intermediate in its nature between land and sky.”
Henry David Thoreau

Why head to a pond?

Ponds are a fascinating place, an ecosystem in their own right. They sustain entire life cycles of plants and animals in their own self-contained space. In the summer they hum with life, providing a vibrant atmosphere to explore. From the birds and insects filling the air with song to the fish flashing by in the water and the bullfrogs calling just out of reach, they are a child’s paradise of discoveries.

Exploring ponds with kids is also timelessly interesting, entertaining, and relaxing. Most children can find an endless number of interesting occupations at a pond. I can never believe how long my kids will spend just tossing rocks or sticks into the water. And I’m amazed at how beneficial that simple activity is: building strength and developing motor skills, making them aware of cause and effect, and introducing them to basic physics (gravity and displacement, for instance). Today, we will look at just a few ways you can experience a pond with your children, weaving education and development together with delightful play.

A note on pond safety

Before we get started, I’d like to mention some safety guidelines. Any time water is involved, we have to be extra conscious of our children’s safety. Water is such a fun thing that few children understand its danger. And unlike swimming beaches, ponds often have slippery mud or grassy banks that can drop abruptly into deep water. Teaching children to swim is the number-one prevention to drowning accidents, but even that isn’t a guarantee of safety. Never leave children unattended near any water, especially a deep body of water like a pond.

Be safe together!

If you are comfortable allowing your children to wade in the water, make sure you have carefully checked out the wading area yourself for dangers like slippery mud and sharp drop-offs. And even if you have instructed your children to stay out of the pond, we should be aware that accidents happen and a child can slip and fall into the water in an instant. Stay close and focused on your children, adventuring and playing together. Exploring ponds with kids should be fun and safe.

Teaching nature skills

To start off exploring a pond with kids, simply walk around the pond. Talk before you start about how everyone needs to use their “nature skills” to explore the pond area. These skills include walking quietly, speaking quietly, and trying not to disturb the wildlife around you. We always have to work on sharing our discoveries quietly—the first child to yell they saw a goose will probably scare off the whole flock! This is also a good time to teach children how to study nature without disturbing it, to observe but not take, and to show respect for the natural environment surrounding them by being careful where they step and what they touch.

Sensory exploration

Exploring a pond with kids provides a great sensory experience. It’s easy to get started by asking questions involving the senses. What do you see? It’s like an amazing game of “I Spy.” Do you see those wildflowers on the far bank? Can you spot that turtle out sunning on a log? How many frogs can you count? Oh, no, one just ducked underwater!

Hearing and Smelling

Observing the natural atmosphere of the pond moves quickly to hearing. Do you hear the birds singing? The bullfrogs calling? The wind whispering through the tall grass? The buzzing of the insects? And then there is always smelling—and if the pond you are visiting has the smell of stagnant water, your children are sure to notice it! But you can also smell wildflowers and a fresh breeze. Honeysuckle and freshly cut grass. I love how much my children will get into talking about all the details they notice.

Unforgettable sensory experiences

When exploring ponds with kids, there are countless ways to experience the natural world. How many things can you find to touch? From the smooth leaves and raspy blossom of the cattails, to the silky water and slippery plants in the pond, to the slimy skin of a frog and the soft whisper of a dropped bird feather, there are a multitude of things to feel around a pond. (Of course, unless you have the owner’s permission to pick things, make sure you give careful instruction about not picking any plants or disturbing the environment. Leave it unspoiled for everyone to enjoy!) Touching pond creatures might stretch the sensory comfort zones of some kids, but if you have the opportunity to let your children touch a frog or a fish, it will be a sensory experience they won’t forget!

Hands-on adventures

Getting wet and dirty is part of learning about the pond environment, too. If my children are within reaching-distance of water—any water—they are sure to get wet! It doesn’t matter the temperature or what they’re wearing. If we are going near water, I just plan on them getting soaked. So, if the pond you are visiting is wading accessible, wear some water-appropriate clothes and footwear. Bring some buckets, a net, a magnifying glass, and explore a pond with kids up close!

Exploring a pond with kids is a hands-on activity. If you have an adventuresome child with quick reflexes, they might be able to catch a bullfrog or net a minnow to examine. These are good opportunities not only to study creatures up close, but also to teach our children how to handle them and to release them safely back into their natural environment. The minnows can’t breathe air, so we have to observe them in the water. The frog is slippery and likes to jump, so we have to hold it securely but without squeezing it.

Tadpole science project

In early summer, tadpoles are one of the easiest and most fun things to catch and study. Find a shallow still area at the edge of a pond in early summer, and you will probably see dozens of tiny black blobs wiggling around in the water. These are tadpoles—baby frogs who will develop before your eyes! If you have permission from the pond’s owner, scoop some up in a bucket and you will have a hands-on science project. Bring them home, feed them, and watch them grow! Before long, it will seem unbelievable that these miniature frogs grew from those funny wiggly creatures you caught in the pond. For more information, we’ve got a great post on raising tadpoles with kids.

More hands-on activities

When exploring ponds with kids, study the pond water itself. This is particularly fun if you have access to a microscope. The multitude of tiny organisms living in pond water is amazing. Even if you don’t have a microscope, you can get a pail full of pond water and see if you can spot little plants and water creatures in it with a magnifying glass. You may be surprised just how much you can find!

Exploring ponds with kids isn’t limited to the water. A butterfly net can help you capture amazing creatures such as dragonflies, butterflies, and other flying insects, as well as water insects. Chasing a flying insect is a great hand-eye coordination activity—plus, it’s just fun! And when my children do manage to catch a butterfly or damselfly, they love to examine their vibrant colors and fragile wings. Every creature is so unique and beautiful.

Keeping a pond notebook

If you want to make this a more formal learning experience, bring a notebook or nature journal for each child. Help them keep track of the different living things they see and hear. I love keeping nature notebooks where children can draw pictures of things they have observed and what they have learned about them. Having a pond notebook is a great way for them to process what they are discovering with a quick sketch and a short description. This appeals to some kids more than others, but sitting beside the pond and drawing pictures of what we see is such a lovely way to spend a summer day…or a least a few minutes of one.

Resources

We have found that nature guides and handbooks are valuable resources for learning about pond life. Teaching kids to look up different plants and wildlife that they see helps them learn on a deeper level. Once they have looked up a bird or a flower in their guide book, they are much less likely to forget its name or characteristics! Plus, we can learn together all the things I don’t know (which are many!). We use some of the classic field guides, like Kauffman Field Guide to Birds of North America.

There are also some great resources available for less than $10, like these illustrated nature guides. The entire Take-Along Guides series is geared toward helping children learn about nature in an easy-to-find, graspable format. I can’t recommend them enough if you are serious about helping your children learn about wildlife and plants for themselves.
What do your kids like to do at a pond?

Leslie
@c_l_allofus

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

If you want more from Leslie, read all her Run Wild My Child posts here.
INFORMATION, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, SUMMER
100+ Outdoor Summer Activities for Kids
- July 1, 2019
Welcome to summer! My kids have been out of school for a few weeks now and the novelty of long hot lazy days is starting to wear off. We’ve made our bucket lists for the big things we want to accomplish, but in the meantime, there’s still a lot of downtime around the house. We’re always looking for fun new things to do to keep us active, outdoors and having fun! Collectively, with our contributors and community, we’ve put together this HUGE comprehensive ultimate list of 100+ outdoor summer activities for kids!

Summer outdoor activities printable PDF checklist!

While this post will give you all the details and variations for all 100+ outdoor summer activities for kids, if you want a printable checklist version, CLICK HERE and get a free printable PDF of the list!

Special thanks to our Instagram community

These fun activities are guaranteed to keep your kids (and you) entertained, learning, and active while outside this summer! These activities have been tried, tested and kid-approved by our followers, editors, writers, and contributors! Plus, all of the photos in the post of kids outside having fun are from our absolutely amazing Instagram community! A very special thanks to all the mamas that let us feature their beautiful images.

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@jenmarie_anderson

1. Water balloon fight

Everyone loves a good water balloon fight! For extra fun, get the whole neighborhood involved. Or make it a game – when you get hit you’re out, until there’s one champion! Or throw them high and practice catching pop flies! Split up into teams and each team is a certain color balloon. We like these balloons that are super easy to fill! Just remember to clean up all your plastic trash afterward!

2. Outdoor drumline (or band)

This outdoor summer activity was inspired by watching the drummers at an outdoor music festival last summer. My kids were absolutely mesmerized by the guys playing the drums on buckets, just using sticks and their hands. Find all the buckets (pails, boxes, bowls, pots, etc.) you can, give them a stick and have them create their own beats! (outside, of course, because it’s LOUD!)

3. Frozen ice dino dig

Freeze some plastic dinosaurs or other small toys or treasures in a giant block of ice. Give the kids tools to help them chip away at the ice to get to the treasure. This is a great way to stay cool on a hot day!

4. Have a car wash (or dog wash)

Get out the hose, buckets and soap and ready for some fun! Use towels or sponges to clean all your family vehicles outside and get your cars nice and shiny! Or wash the kids bikes, wagons or Cozy Coupes! You could even have a dog wash if you run out of vehicles!

5. Outdoor game night

Create a family tradition of playing a game outdoors! Whether it’s a traditional board game (like Monopoly or Life), a fun family card game (like Uno or Go Fish) or something a bit more interactive (charades or Pictionary), games are great outdoor summer activities and the perfect way to enjoy an evening outside. This is my personal favorite family game. And if you want extra competition, invite another family over and battle each other!

@adventures_with_gigi

6. Fruit picking

Summer is the peak time to visit a local orchard. Lots of places let kids pick-your-own fruits, veggies and flowers. Our summertime favorite picks are strawberries, blackberries, peaches, tomatoes, herbs, blueberries, zucchini, watermelons and sunflowers.

7. Find some animals

Visit a local zoo to learn more about the animals and how they handle the summer heat. Do they have adaptions that help them stay cool? When are they the most active? Or get more interactive and visit a petting zoo, farm, nature center or animal safari center. Here are some great reasons why summer on the farm with animals is so much fun!

8. Attend a carnival or fair

Summer is ripe with fun local carnivals and state/county fairs. Attend one and try out some of the traditional foods (funnel cake and lemon shake-ups) or the crazy food (fried Snickers bars?!). Play some games, ride the rides and have a great day of fun!

9. Make a fairy house

Don’t leave your local neighborhood fairies to fend for themselves in this heat. Create magical tiny homes for your fairies out of stones, sticks and other found and recycled materials. Here’s a great tutorial for making fairy houses out of natural materials in your own backyard that will keep your kids entertained for hours. For a little extra magic, add some sparkly gemstones, glitter or twinkle lights. These little paint-your-own fairy doors are adorable!

10. Play Frisbee or disc golf

Playing Frisbee is a great alternative to traditional pitch and catch. The flat disc is usually much easier for kids to toss and catch. Throw one around at your local park and see who can throw it the farthest or with the most accuracy. Once you’ve gotten the hang on it, try your luck at disc golf! So much fun for the whole family!

@gabriella.rojas.ray

11. Play in the rain

Summer rain showers are perfect for playing in! Light summer drizzles are usually warm and perfect for making fun puddles to splash in! Grab an umbrella or go out in your bathing suit! Here’s a great post filled with fun and creative ways to play OUTSIDE in the rain!

12. Identify local birds

Summer is a great time to get to know the local wildlife and continue your nature study. Help your kids identify the neighborhood birds in your area, by color, size, and song. You can also research what they like to eat, where they live, where they migrate and what kind of nest they build. If you want to get extra crafty, set up a nature window for bird watching.

13. Make a bug hotel

Get a headstart on winter by building a protective shelter for your garden bugs. Bug hotels are not only part garden art, but they also provide much-needed protection for bugs and beneficial insects throughout the winter. Set up different protected areas in your hotel with a variety of sticks, pine cones, seed heads, bamboo shoots, and wood shavings.

14. Play flashlight tag

Played at night, flashlight tag is a fun game that mixes hide and seek with tag. The person who is “it” waits at home base counting to a high number while everyone else hides. Then, armed with a flashlight, this person searches for the others who may be switching hiding spots. The flashlight must remain on at all times and may not be covered. When “it ” spots someone, s/he must use the flashlight to get a close enough look at the person to identify him or her and call out that person’s name (who then becomes “it”)!

15. Attend an outdoor concert

Check your local listing for outdoor concerts, movies or shows. Many local venues such as county parks, museums, pools, and libraries host free events for families in the evenings during summer. Pack a blanket and some snacks and enjoy an evening outdoors enjoying the show!

@wolvenkinderen

16. Set up a lemonade stand

Nothing says childhood like having a lemonade stand. It’s practically a rite of passage! Help your kids make some homemade lemonade, a couple of signs and set up a table for their booth. Not into lemonade? Try homemade popsicles, iced tea, kool-aid or bake cookies/cupcakes and have a bake sale! Your kids will be so excited to see their hard work turn into a few dollars! Who knows, you may even spark a future entrepreneur!

17. Go for a family bike ride

Biking with kids is a fun summertime adventure and a great way to get outdoors, explore new areas/trails, create family memories and get in shape. Riding a bike not only improves physical fitness, but it also benefits your child’s learning development and mental health. Plus, biking reduces carbon emissions, eases traffic congestion and eliminates parking problems. If you’re just getting started, we’ve got a great post with lots of tips for biking with kids.

18. Jump rope

Childhood jump rope games seem to have become a lost art. I remember playing all kinds of variations of jump ropes games such as helicopter, double-dutch, French skipping, and cat and mouse when I was a kid (a million years ago!). Most jumping games were also set to fun rhymes and songs. Break out the rope jumps this summer, and let’s bring these fun games back! Jumping rope is not only fantastic exercise, but it’s for great hand-eye coordination.

19. Go on a clean-up hike

Next time you’re out exploring your favorite local trail (or even going for a walk around your neighborhood), take along a garbage bag and make an effort to clean up any trash or rubbish you find along the way. Chances are, you’ll be (unpleasantly) surprised at just how much trash has been discarded. Set a good example for your kids by cleaning up and explaining to them the importance of taking care of our surroundings and the environment.

@pilgrimspassingthru

20. Plant some veggies

Whether you’ve got the room in your backyard for an entire garden or just a spot for a pot, plant a few vegetables this summer with the kids. Depending on your zone, you can start with seeds or transplant sprouts. Have the kids help choose a few vegetable plants from a local garden center that they’ll actually enjoy eating. Some of our favorites are sugar snap peas, beets, cherry tomatoes, mint, lettuce, carrots, zucchini, and pumpkins! Here’s a great post with 5 easy vegetables to grow with kids!

21. Press flowers

Flowers are everywhere you look during the summer! Take advantage of the abundance and preserve some for a cold rainy day. Collect flowers on a sunny day when they’re not wet or damp. Place the flowers between sheets of parchment or wax paper and lay a heavy book on top. Let the flowers dry for 7-10 days. Use the flowers for art decorations, cards, journals, luminaries or anything your heart desires! We’ve tried this flower press kit and made beautiful art! And here’s a great post on how to make a pressed wildflower bookmark.

22. Watch a sunset or sunrise

If you’re looking for a peaceful way to spend some time outside with your kids, try watching a sunrise or sunset together. This is a great way to have a quiet conversation, tell stories or just enjoy some silence while taking in the beauty of the scene.

@susan.grimes

23. Fly a kite

Flying a kite is one of those quintessential childhood activities that everyone should try at least once! Grab a kite from a store or try your hand at making your own! Choose a location with a wide open space, like a football field, park or the beach. See how high you can get the kite and who can make it do acrobatic tricks! If you need more inspiration or instruction, here’s a post all about kite flying with kids!

24. Make pizza on the grill

If you’ve never tried to make your own pizza on the BBQ grill, what are you waiting for?! Buy some premade pizza dough (or make your own – it’s easy!) and your favorite pizza toppings. Have everything ready to go, then slide the crust on the grill for a few minutes. Flip the whole thing over and then add your pizza toppings while it cooks. Your grill can get much hotter than your oven, so it’ll make your crust extra crispy and delicious! Let the kids help, but definitely with adult supervision. Or try your hand at using an outdoor pizza oven – here’s some info on how to use an outdoor pizza oven, our favorite recipes and tips for cooking pizza outside!

25. Make sun prints

Making nature art using sun print paper is a great way to teach kids about the sun and shadows. It also encourages them to be observant of shapes, patterns and sizes of leaves, plants and natural objects. Plus, you get some really gorgeous art prints out of it that would look so pretty framed or turned into wrapping paper or greeting cards. See our full post on sun prints for more details.

26. Catch fireflies

Catching fireflies (or lightning bugs, as we call them) is one of my (and my kids’) favorite things to do in the summer. Once the temperature gets warm enough, twilight is the perfect time to chase after these slow flying bugs. They’re easy enough to catch with your hands, just be careful not to injure them and let them go gently. Check out this post for more information on fireflies, fun facts, firefly jokes, and info on how to save them.

@erincomfortphotography

27. Play golf (or putt putt or driving range)

Golf is such a fun outdoor activity for the entire family. My kids are really into golf these days and they can’t seem to get enough. We love going out and playing nine holes as a family at a public course or spending an hour hitting balls at the driving range. If you haven’t tried Top Golf, it’s also been a huge hit! Or mix it up and try your hand at putt putt golf – winner gets to pick dinner! Here’s a great post on everything you need to know to get started playing golf with kids.

28. Go on a rainbow walk

Turn your evening stroll or afternoon hike into a rainbow walk, where kids are tasked with finding one item of every color of the rainbow. Either have them write down the item and corresponding color or take a photo of it with your phone/camera.

29. Put on a play

Most kids love performing, so have them put on a show! Help them come up with a story (maybe reenact their favorite movie/book or make something up entirely!), cast the characters, find costumes, rehearse their lines and even create background scenery! Have them set up a theater, advertise the show and sell tickets and popcorn. If you’re lucky, this could take ALL DAY (or longer)! Have them perform their show for the family (or the neighborhood) and be sure to give them a standing ovation!

30. Build a sandcastle

Whether you’re on the beach or just playing in a sandbox, building a sand castle is so much fun! You don’t need any fancy equipment to make an amazing sand creation. Just some sand, add water and a few cups and buckets of various sizes. Feel free to add shells, sticks, grass or leaves for decorations. Put those future architectural skills to work! Take your sandcastle building to the next level with these sandcastle building tips for kids from a professional!

@thebackwoodsmama

31. Climb a tree

Climbing trees is a great way for kids to experience “risky” play, with great rewards. One of my favorite writers, Linda McGurk wrote: “Tree climbing has real benefits for kids – physically, mentally, cognitively and socially. Just think about it. As your child scales the tree he’s building muscle strength, practicing gross motor skills such as balance and improving spatial awareness and proprioception. When he decides which branches are safe to stand on and how high to go, he’s learning how to judge risk and developing critical thinking skills. As he plans his path up through the limbs, he’s gaining decision-making and problem-solving skills, and if things don’t go according to plan, he gains emotional strength and resilience by trying again. When he successfully negotiates the branches, he feels a sense of accomplishment, which in turn boosts his self-confidence.”

32. Pack a picnic

Sometimes the smallest things (like a change of scenery) can make all the difference. Try packing a picnic and eating a meal in a whole new location. Choose a park with a fun playground, a picnic table by a lake or the edge of a babbling brook. Spread out a blanket with all the food and let the kids eat as they play with no rushing or nagging at them to sit down and eat. The kids will graze during the time you’re there as they play and explore. And chances are, they’ll eat ALL the food in the car on the way home!

33. Host a garage sale

Summer’s a great time to clean out some of the clutter in your home and get rid of some things that you and the kids no longer need or enjoy. Make it a family project to clean out their bedrooms and playroom with them and choose items to contribute to the family yard sale. Give them a percentage of the earnings or let them have the proceeds from particular items they sell. Be sure to have them help with labeling, advertising, and marketing! And let them help with selling, answering customer questions and making change.

@mommatolittlemen

34. Hammock naps

Not sure I have to say anything else about this one. If the thought of napping in a hammock on a warm summer day doesn’t thrill you to the bone, I’m not sure this is the website for you. 😉

35. Hula hoop

Like jumping rope, hula hooping seems to be another lost art of childhood. Make sure your kids get the chance to experience the thrills and fun of a hula hoop. Watching kids learn how to hula hoop is absolutely adorable and worth the nominal price of a hoop. Play games, like who can keep it going the longest, who can make it go up and down their body or who can jump through it as it rolls down the sidewalk!

36. Visit a farmer’s market

In the summer, local farmer’s markets are teeming with the most amazing produce around. Take your kids and introduce them to the vendors. Let them ask questions about where and how the food was grown. Let them taste free samples of fruits, veggies, and baked goods. And then pick out a few items to take home for dinner! They’ll be more likely to eat the food if they had a say in choosing it. Here are some fun things to do at a farmer’s market and ways for kids to learn and explore while there!

@alwaysfourlove

37. Pick a wildflower bouquet

Summertime is the best time for finding and picking wildflowers. Bring a pair of scissors on your walk and snip a few flowers for a bouquet. Wildflowers make beautiful and colorful arrangements. But only take a few and make sure to leave plenty for the bees!

38. Host your own summer Olympics

It doesn’t have to be an Olympic year for your kids to enjoy the games. Create your own version of the Olympics by having them compete for the gold in their favorite events. Set up the ping pong table outside, host a diving competition at the pool, try some rhymic gymnastics with ribbons and hoops. Whatever their sport, find a way to recreate it!

39. Make a concrete stepping stone

Decorate your garden or walkway with beautiful concrete stepping stones. All you need is a mold, some concrete mix and any decorations you want to use. Try colored stones, shells, glass or beads. They also make stepping stone mosaic kits with all this stuff included, just to make it easier on you.

40. Set up a bird feeder

Attract some local birds into your backyard by setting up a bird feeder and/or a bird bath. We’ve got a great post on how to make a few easy bird feeders for kids with items and ingredients you already have at home.

@affairwithworld

41. Have a stargazing party

When the heat in the summer is too intense during the day, swap your outdoor time for some evening stargazing. Grab a blanket, an air mattress or fill a kiddie pool with pillows and escape into the darkness to watch as the stars appear. Pull out a telescope and try to identify the stars and constellations you see. Plus, if you can get away from the city lights and noise, that’s even better!

42. Make an outdoor tic-tac-toe board

Tic tac toe is one of those games that’s easy enough for preschoolers, yet is still competitive enough to entertain older kids and adults. It teaches kids a lot of valuable skills, like logic, reasoning, creativity, strategy, coordination, visual skills, motor skills, concentration and how to be a good loser. We’ve got a great tutorial on how to make your own DIY tic tac toe rocks and board with kids. Or draw a board with chalk (or in the sand or use sticks) and use rocks or shells as X’s and O’s.

43. Set up a backyard obstacle course

Kids love competitive games and obstacle courses are a fun way to get them outdoors and active. Have them help set up an obstacle course in the backyard or at local park. You don’t need much to create a course, just a clever way to get from point A to point Z. Basic skills will be balancing, climbing, jumping, running, crawling and catching. They’ll love the challenge and come up with their own ways to play and challenge each other.

@miri.andthekids

44. Build an outdoor fort

Kids love building forts. Pillow and blanket forts are great for winter, but get out and try your hand at building a fort outdoors or in the woods. Sticks and branches make great walls and can be found relatively easily. Or find a horizontal tree and make a lean-to! There are so many different ways to build a fort – you’re only limited by your imagination.

45. Read a book outside

I’m of the opinion that almost everything is better when you’re outside and immersed in nature. That’s definitely true for one of my favorite past times…reading! If your kids are old enough to read on their own, create a comfy and shady spot for them to read outside. If your kids are little, try having storytime outside together and reading to them as they lounge on a blanket or in a hammock.

46. Look for 4-leaf clovers

Have you ever found a 4-leaf clover? Lucky you! Give your kids the chance to change their luck by doing a 4-leaf clover hunt. Your chances are actually pretty good for finding one. According to research, there is usually one four-leaf clover for every 10,000 three-leaf shamrocks and around 200 clovers can be found in a 60-square centimeter plot of clover. Therefore, a space of about 1.2 square meters (or 4 square feet) should contain at least 1 four-leaf clover! Here’s a great post with all kinds of tips and advice on how to find more 4-leaf clovers with kids!

@threegirlztwirlz

47. Explore a creek

Exploring a creek is by far my children’s all-time favorite outdoor activity. If you’re lucky enough to live anywhere close to a creek (and I bet you are!), take your kids to check it out. Creeks provide so many amazing opportunities for exploration, curiosity and imaginative play! We’ve got a great post all about the incredible benefits of exploring creeks with kids.

48. Visit a new (to you) park/playground

Checking out a new park allows parents and kids to be adventurous, without needing to leave their own city 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, which is always the most attractive feature for my kids and definitely the first thing they want to check out upon arrival. Pick a park that you’ve never explored and make an adventure out of checking it out! Need some playground games for kids, we’ve got you covered!

49. Make homemade ice cream or popsicles

This may be the most delicious activity we recommend and fun for everyone involved. Making your own ice cream or popsicles is easier than you may think. You don’t need fancy machines or ingredients to make the most delish homemade ice cream. Just a few items and some shaking/mixing energy! Making popsicles is even easier, with nothing more involved than throwing a blended concoction in a freezer. We have these popsicle molds and they’re amazing. Check out this fun post for some easy and healthy fruit popsicle recipes for kids.

@callred25

50. Decorate the driveway with sidewalk chalk

Sidewalk chalk is such an easy way to entertain the kids for a few hours. Draw a bunch of boxes and have them draw scenes from their favorite movie or book. Use the chalk to get them to practice their spelling and math skills. See if they can create a mural of their favorite vacation or hike. Have them draw their family! The possibilities are endless.

51. Set up a butterfly feeding station

If you’ve got (or want) a lot of butterflies in your area, set up a butterfly feeding station in your yard. All you need is a shallow dish, some sugar water and a few sweet fruit slices. You’ll have to change it out every few days (due to ants and heat), but your butterflies will be eternally grateful! Or grow a butterfly-attracting garden with your kids – we’ll show you how.

52. Skip stones

Skipping stones is a childhood favorite activity that my kids love. Head to your closest creek, river or lake and look for the flattest rocks. Show your kids the proper technique and what make the best skipping stones. Then, see who can skip their stones the farthest or have the most skips before dropping below the surface. Turn your activity into a learning experience and talk about the science behind skipping stones and the best way to do it!

53. Outdoor movie night

Watch a family favorite outside on the big screen! Borrow an outdoor movie projector from a friend, rent one, buy one or hire a company and host a movie night in your backyard. Play a kid-friendly movie and invite the neighborhood to watch a movie played on a screen, sheet, or side of the house! Add some popcorn and peanuts, and it’ll be a night your kids will never forget! Here’s everything you need to know to make your outdoor movie night a huge success!

@carlylainephotography

54. Make giant bubbles

Making HUGE bubbles was one of my favorite things to do when I was a kid. All you need is some bubble juice (soapy water) and a long piece of string/yarn. Tie the ends together to form a circle and dip in the water. Pull apart and blow air through to create a giant bubble! Have a contest of who can blow the biggest or whose bubble lasts the longest before it pops. Check out this post filled with the best bubble recipes, bubble experiments, games, and more!

55. Go on a hike

Summer is such a wonderful time to go on a family hike, particularly if you have access to woods or a forest. Tall trees provide great coverage from the sun and can keep you from getting too hot while you hike. If it is hot in your area, try hiking first thing in the morning while it’s still cool or later in the evening after the intensity of the sun has died down. Don’t forget your bug spray! We’ve got a great post on how to get started hiking with kids.

56. Night swim with glow sticks

If you have access to a pool in the evening, try going for a night swim! Spice it up by adding or wearing glowsticks! You can even do this in one of those little inflatable baby pools in the backyard and it’s just as much fun!

@ausomelyos

57. Visit a splash pad or waterpark

Water play is an essential part of any summer experience! Go beyond your traditional sprinkler or hose by visiting a local park splashpad or a water park! There’s something truly magical about water for kids and this a great summertime tradition.

58. Canoe/kayak/paddleboard

Going for a boat ride is such a classic summer adventure. If you can, take your kids on a canoe trip, a kayak outing or out paddleboarding. You’ll be pleasantly surprised just how fun and entertaining being on the water can be for everyone. Here’s a super helpful post on how to get started stand-up paddleboarding with kids.

@tiffany_pearl_

59. Play HORSE

Basketball is a great way to get kids outside and active! Play a round of HORSE with your kids in your driveway or local basketball court. If your kids are little, give them a bit of an advantage with a lighter ball or lower hoop.

60. Make sun tea

My dad used to make the most amazing sun tea every summer. He was an ice tea connoisseur and there’s something pretty special about tea that was bathed in sunlight and infused with the perfect blend of herbs from our garden. Some creative add-ins for your sun tea are peaches, mint, lemons, raspberries, honey, hibiscus, orange peels, pineapple or strawberries!

61. Drive-in movie theater

Drive-in movie theaters are getting harder and harder to come by. If you know of one of these gems, make sure to take the kids now, before they’re history. The novelty of watching a movie from the back of your car on a big screen outside under the stars is something that every kid should experience once!

@florafairweather

62. Make a flower/leaf/clover crown

If you’re looking for another activity to do with all those gorgeous summer flowers and green leaves, try making a crown! Clover flowers are perfect for making a simple daisy-chain crown. Or get more elaborate by stringing leaves together. Best of all, add beautiful wildflowers or flowers from your garden to your crown for added color and texture!

63. Make a nature mandala

In its simplest form, a mandala is a circular structure with a design that radiates out symmetrically from the center. Making a mandala with kids in nature is a delightful, beautiful and easy activity that you can do almost anywhere and at any time. All you need is a small collection of materials and an imagination.

64. Go out for snow cones

I’ve already suggested making your own ice cream and popsicles, but there’s something about snow cones that’s best to leave to the experts. The perfect shaved ice is not something you can just recreate on a whim – it’s a skill – and definitely worth an outing for the perfect ice and the ultimate ice-to-juice ratio.

@lightandlife.photography

65. Catch a fish

Fishing is a great activity that the whole family can enjoy and do nearly anywhere there’s water! If you’ve never fished before, do a little bit of research about what the fish in your area eat and when/where to go. Ask at a fishy friend or at a local bait shop. A lot of state parks will even provide fishing gear for the day for free! Trust me, it doesn’t get much better than seeing your child’s entire face light up when she/he lands a fish! Here’s some advice on how to raise a kid that loves to fish!

66. Set up a neighborhood kickball game

This activity is at the very top of my son’s summer bucket list. Kickball is more than a sport to this kid, it’s a way of life! We’re hoping to set up a kickball game that involves all the kids on our street (plus a few neighboring streets) and even a few parents for the ultimate kickball challenge! It’s going to be epic!

67. Race paper boats

Having a paper boat race is another really fun outdoor activity to do with your kids. This is a great one for the kids that are into STEM activities. Have them each create their own paper boat (or use natural elements like leaves and sticks) and then race them down a stream or creek.

68. Decorate your wagon/bike

Need a simple activity to entertain the kids for a while? Let them decorate their bikes or wagon like a float in a parade! Give them some colored paper, streamers, ribbons, balloons, scarves or whatever else you can find and let their imaginations run wild! Even better, get all the kids on the block to decorate their bikes and wagons and then have a neighborhood parade!

@har_leenie

69. Run through the sprinkler

Who needs a park splash pad when you have a sprinkler at home?! Set up the sprinkler in the yard and let the kids do their thing! They’ll love running through it, standing in it and jumping over the spray. Even better, get your camera out and make sure to snap some awesome sprinkler photos of your little ones!

70. Start a nature journal

Have an artistic kid? Try starting a nature journal with your children this summer. There’s an abundance of things to draw in the summer; flowers, animals, insects and plants. Have them look up the name of each of the things they draw and write down any characteristics, stories or thoughts they have while sketching.

@amerryadventure

71. Backyard camping

Going on a camping trip is great (and you should definitely do that this summer!), but when you don’t have the time, just set up the tent in the backyard. The kids will love to “pretend” they’re camping. Let them read books, tell stories, play with flashlights/headlamps and have fun! Don’t have a tent? Set up a hammock or throw some sleeping bags on a trampoline! Here are some tips on backyard camping with kids.

72. Pay it forward

Give your kids one of the greatest gifts ever – the gift of giving back! Make sure to pay it forward this summer by doing small acts of kindness anytime you can. Whether that’s putting a quarter in a row of meters, buying a snow cone for the family behind you in line or visiting a local animal shelter and spending time with the animals. Work with your kids to come up with a list of things you could do together to pay if forward. Need inspiration? Here are 20+ outdoor acts of kindness and ways to be kind to nature.

73. Make a journey stick

Journey sticks are a great way to create visual reminders of your adventures. All you need is a perfect-size walking stick, some simple crafting materials (string, ribbon, etc.) and an imagination! We’ve got a great post all about how to make journey sticks with kids by incorporating elements of your hikes, adventures, and outings into beautiful physical storytelling devices.

@sara_mccarty

74. Have a shaving cream fight

Pick up a couple of cans of shaving cream and let your kids have fun with it! My two had never really seen or played with shaving cream before this and they were fascinated by it! It’s so soft and squishy and fun to smear all over! If you don’t want to do this outside, stick them in the bathtub!

75. Check out your local swimming pool

Cool off on a hot day at your local watering hole (swimming pool). Lots of community pools have awesome water features like slides, lazy rivers, splash areas, wave pools and wading areas for the littlest ones. Make a big splash by trying some of these super fun and creative swimming pools games for kids.

76. Set up a slackline

Slacklining is a perfect way for kids of all ages to hone balancing skills while building core strength and confidence. Slacklining is one of my kids’ favorite backyard activities and I’m blown away by how much time they spend on it daily, balancing, bouncing and playing games. This is a great beginner slackline kit and we’ve got an awesome post on slacklining with kids.

77. Make slime

What is it with kids and slime? They absolutely LOVE it! But it’s seriously messy, so summer is the perfect time to make a big batch of slime outside! There are million recipes out there for making any kind of slime your heart desires – fluffy slime, glitter slime, neon slime and even edible slime!

@barefootphotographycanada

78. Spot animals in the clouds

Cloud spotting is a favorite peaceful summertime activity. All you need for this activity is a place to lie down and an unobstructed patch of cloudy sky. See what shapes you can find and make up a story about them. Or play eye-spy and see if others can find what you’ve identified.

79. Do a neighborhood scavenger hunt

Scavenger hunts are one of my favorite ways to keep kids entertained and having fun while outdoors. Giving them a list of items or objects to find, gives them a purpose and helps keeps their attention. We put together this super fun printable neighborhood scavenger hunt that’s 4-pages of things kids of any age can find year-round in your own neighborhood.

80. Attend a baseball game

Particularly if you’re in the US, nothing says summer quite like baseball season! If you can, attend a baseball game with your kids. Whether it’s a professional MLB game, a minor league team or just your local town’s baseball fields, watching a baseball game is a great way to spend a summer evening. Root root for the home team and enjoy those peanuts and cracker jacks!

@in_thislight

81. Blow dandelions & make wishes

As dandelions turn to puffballs, children everywhere rush to pick them so that they can close their eyes, make a wish, and blow the seeds into the air. No one knows for sure how or why people started making wishes on dandelions. In addition to granting wishes, many people believe that dandelion seeds will carry your thoughts and dreams to loved ones when you blow them into the air. Others believe that dandelions may be able to tell you if you’re loved. Legend has it that, if you can blow all the seeds off a dandelion with a single breath, then the person you love will love you back. If seeds remain, then the object of your affection may have reservations about their feelings toward you.

82. Cook a foil packet dinner

Cooking dinner on the grill outside is so much for kids. Especially if you get them involved and let them help! Choose a dinner that can be cooked inside a foil packet – usually a piece of meat (fish, chicken or steak) and a few sliced vegetables. Have the kids help shop, chop, assemble, season, and cook the packets – either right on a bonfire or on the grill. Pop the cooked packets on a plate, open to let out the steam, and let them dive in! Bon appetit!

83. Tie-dye shirts

You don’t need to go away to summer camp to partake in this fun summertime activity. Tie-dying a t-shirt (or towel, socks or underwear!) is easier than you think. All you need is a few colors of dye, a white article of clothing, and a few rubber bands. No two shirts will be alike and the kids will love wearing their very own creations!

@chelseasmithphotography

84. Watermelon seed spitting contest

Watermelon is one of those foods that screams summertime! Make the most out of your watermelon eating experience by having a seed spitting contest while you eat your slice! See who’s the most accurate by spitting into a bucket. Or who’s the most powerful by spitting seeds for distance! It’s deliciously messy and gross, so you know the kids will love it!

85. Paint and hide kindness rocks

Kindness rocks are catching on like wildfire these days. My kids love finding them when we’re out and about. Join the craze and make some kindness rocks of your own for the kids to leave in some of their favorite outdoor locations. Paint them with bright colors, pretty designs and words of peace, love and hope. Here’s everything you need to get started rock painting kindness rocks with kids.

86. Go geocaching

Geocaching is one of our family’s favorite things to do when out hiking or exploring. You’ll be amazed at just how many geocaches there are out there, hiding in all your favorite places! It’s a blast for kids and totally free! Check out our beginner’s guide to geocaching with kids for everything you need to know to get started!

87. Sparklers

Sparklers are such a fun and fascinating experience for kids. There’s something magical about holding sparkling fire in your hand. Wave them around to make shapes or spin them to create a blurred effect. However, safety is always a huge issue with sparklers, so be sure to supervise your kids, help them with lightening them, holding them and disposing of them properly.

@3_littlewonders

88. Have a bonfire & roast s’mores

Summertime bonfires are so much fun. Take your bonfire to the next level by roasting s’mores with fancy ingredients, telling ghost stories around the fire and changing the color of the flames! Make sure to check out our post all about how to create a magical bonfire for your kids.

89. Set up an outdoor bowling lane

Bowling outside is a super fun summertime activity for kids. All you need is a few plastic pins (or water bottles!), a heavy-ish ball and a flat alley to set everything up (driveway or sidewalk works great). Bonus: teach your kids how to keep score and it’s a game plus a math lesson!

90. Make wind chimes

I just adore the sound of windchimes in the summer. And they’re surprisingly easy to make! You can make windchimes out of sticks, shells, old silverware, stones, glass or anything else you can think of! My kids and I made some beautiful windchimes from all the treasures we found on the beach last year (shells, driftwood, chunks of sand dollars, etc.). It’s a visible (and audible) way to remember our trip.

@sara_mccarty

91. Watch a parade

Summer is a fantastic time to watch a parade! In the US, there are 4th of July parades across the country, which are so much fun to watch. Bring your lawn chairs, a big bottle of water and enjoy the bands, floats and candy!

92. Treasure hunt with a metal detector

If your kids are into treasure hunting, try exploring with a metal detector! You may be surprised how many cool things you can find hidden, just beneath your feet. And if you find trash (which happens), this is also a great way to clean up your area! It’s a win for the kids and for the environment!

93. Raise butterflies from caterpillars

Watching a tiny caterpillar grow and then turn into a butterfly is truly one of the most spectacular miracles of nature. Give your children a chance to experience this incredible metamorphosis themselves by finding (or purchasing) caterpillars and watching them change. Releasing the butterflies into the wild is a memorable moment they won’t soon forget. See our post on raising butterflies from caterpillars for more info.

94. Make a sundial

Making a sundial is a surprisingly easy activity to do with kids. All you need are 12 small items (stones or shells work great) to serve as hour markers and a large stick. Paint the rocks/shells and number them 1-12. Put the stick in the ground upright and use the items to mark where the shadow is at any given hour. Explain to your kids how shadows work with the position of the sun. It may take a little tweaking over a few days to get it just right, but this is a great summertime science lesson!

@kmphotographytn

95. Take underwater photos

Underwater photography is all the rage these days! And it’s easy to see why with so many fun and incredible underwater shots! You don’t need a super fancy camera to get these shots either! Use a Go Pro if you have one, an iPhone with a waterproof case or try a disposable underwater camera! Take photos of your kids swimming, playing, and making silly faces underwater. Then let them have a turn taking the photos!

96. Create a treasure hunt

Have your kids come up with their very own treasure hunt in your backyard, neighborhood or local park. They’ll need to choose their treasure, figure out how/where to hide it, come up with a map and any clues they want to give. This is a great way for them to work on orienteering, map skills and thinking analytically for clues.

97. Learn how to play bocce ball

Bocce ball is a really fun game that the entire family can play, nearly anywhere you’ve got some open grass (there are bocce courts, but that’s not really necessary). The concept of the game is to get your bocce balls the closest to the white ball (which is the target). The four balls closest to the target are scored. Or, you can do like us and just make up your own rules as you go along! Either way, it’s fun!

98. Set up a course & have a remote control car race

Test your kids’ creativity and speed by having them create a race track for remote control cars! My kids love the off-roading cars that can go through puddles, off the curbs and through the grass. Their race tracks involve going all around our neighborhood, down the street, around the houses and through a few yards!

@laurakimbrown

99. Minibeast (bug) hunt

The insects are definitely out in full force during the summer months. Take advantage of the situation by going on a bug hunt! See how many bugs you can find! Kids love finding worms, caterpillars, ladybugs, grasshoppers, dragonflies, centipedes, butterflies, and fireflies! Take a photo of each or sketch them in your nature journal. If your kids are scared of creepy-crawlies (or you are), here’s some great info on how to get over your fear of nature.

100. Explore an area using a map & compass

Knowing how to read a map is an important skill for all kids to learn. Choose an area that’s unfamiliar to your child, print out (Google maps) or draw a map of the area and teach them how to use the map to get to a certain destination. X marks the spot! Teach them directions and how to use landmarks. If you want to get extra technical, try using a compass to determine your direction. Here are some tips for teaching kids how to read maps.

101. Outdoor finger painting

Summer is a great time to let your kids get messy! (because you can always just hose them off before they come inside!) Try letting your kids do some fun fingerpainting this summer. Use poster board or a giant sheet for a canvas. Or let them paint the sidewalks. Washable paints are non-toxic and come off easily with some water.

102. Jump on a trampoline

Trampolines are so much fun for kids, no matter what the season! Take advantage of the summer sun and heat to add some fun to your traditional trampoline jumping. Turn a sprinkler on over the trampoline or add water balloons (or water beads)! Set up twinkle lights in the yard and jump into the evening. Here are 30+ trampoline games and activities for kids to keep them entertained for hours!

@corihenderson

What’s on your summer outdoor activity list?