School may no longer be in session for the season, but that doesn’t mean the learning has to stop! Here are some fun and interactive ways to keep your children outdoors and learning new things this summer.
- Take a Nature Walk
Simply taking a walk can help kids experience nature and interact with it. To make things more interesting, you can make nature bracelets with your kids. Wrap some duct tape around their arm, sticky side up, and let them decorate it with things they find along the walk, such as leaves, flowers, and acorns. At the end of the walk, cut the bracelet off and let them admire the work of art they created. Older children can collect leaves for a leaf book. Press the leaves when you get home, and let your child arrange and label them.
- Star Gazing
As a fun night time activity, set up an evening of star gazing with your children. This doesn’t have to take super long and can be right before they go to bed. For example, get them dressed in their PJ’s and set up a comfy star gazing pillow nest in an inflatable kids’ pool, complete with plenty of warm blankets. Have a playlist of some space-themed songs, or some of the kids’ favorites, to ward off boredom. If little ones can’t spot any constellations, have them come up with some of their own!
- Bug Collecting
Collecting and observing bugs is easy with a little preparation. Decide ahead of time which bugs you and the kids want to target and learn where to find them. Where they live will also affect how you go about catching and storing them. In the evening, collect fireflies to make a lightning bug nightlight. You can make your own lightning bug jars by punching holes in the lid of a can or covering them with cheesecloth, so the bugs can breathe. Decorate them with stickers or paint as you wish, and head out to catch some of nature’s sparkles!
These activities will help your child learn about the world as they experience it in fun and new ways!
