Nature Play that Rocks
Superscript

Backyard Steam

Super fun mud play that kids of all ages are sure to love!
Tons of fun and creative ways for kids to play in the mud! #mudplayideas #mudactivitiesforpreschool #mudrecipeforkids #internationalmudday #growingajewelerose

Mud Play Activities for Kids

Tons of fun and creative ways for kids to play in the mud! #mudplayideas #mudactivitiesforpreschool #mudrecipeforkids #internationalmudday #growingajeweleroseTons of fun and creative ways for kids to play in the mud! #mudplayideas #mudactivitiesforpreschool #mudrecipeforkids #internationalmudday #growingajeweleroseTons of fun and creative ways for kids to play in the mud! #mudplayideas #mudactivitiesforpreschool #mudrecipeforkids #internationalmudday #growingajeweleroseTons of fun and creative ways for kids to play in the mud! #mudplayideas #mudactivitiesforpreschool #mudrecipeforkids #internationalmudday #growingajeweleroseTons of fun and creative ways for kids to play in the mud! #mudplayideas #mudactivitiesforpreschool #mudrecipeforkids #internationalmudday #growingajeweleroseTons of fun and creative ways for kids to play in the mud! #mudplayideas #mudactivitiesforpreschool #mudrecipeforkids #internationalmudday #growingajewelerose

STEAM Activities for Kids

Ready to explore STEAM activities and STEAM projects with your kids? Check out these cool project ideas for more STEAM learning fun at home and in the classroom:
All of these STEAM projects are perfect for exploring science, technology, engineering, art, and math with preschoolers and other little kids.

These fascinating yet simple STEAM activities will get your little learners excited about exploring the world around them and thinking critically this year.

MORE ides for KIDS:

50 Ways to Explore Nature in Your Own Backyard

Exploring nature doesn’t have to mean hitting the trail, heading to the mountains or going camping – though those are all fine ideas. Connecting with nature can be as simple as heading out the back door.
If you’re not quite sure how to get started with your kids, try one of these 50 ways to explore nature in your ownbackyard. Most require only a few minutes of time and a good dose of curiosity.

STEAM Activities for Kids

Ready to explore STEAM activities and STEAM projects with your kids? Check out these cool project ideas for more STEAM learning fun at home and in the classroom:

All of these STEAM projects are perfect for exploring science, technology, engineering, art, and math with preschoolers and other little kids.

These fascinating yet simple STEAM activities will get your little learners excited about exploring the world around them and thinking critically this year.

ABIf you’re not quite sure how to get started with your kids, try one of these 50 ways to explore nature in your ownbackyard. Most require only a few minutes of time and a good dose of curiosity.

1. Go cloud watching
2. Build a fort
3. Climb a tree
4. Roar at the moon
5. Go on a nature scavenger hunt
6. Plant a garden
7. Create a backyard beach
8. Explore a flower
9. Run barefoot through the grass
10. Dig in the dirt
11. Follow an ant trail
12. Camp out in your backyard
13. Tour your neighbor’s front gardens
14. Take a color walk
15. Jump in puddles
16. Go on a backyard birdwatching expedition
17. Bake mud cakes
18. Raise a caterpillar; release a butterfly
19. Build a fairy house
20. Make leaf, rock or bark rubbings
21. Start a backyard field guide
22. Create rock art
23. Gaze at the stars
24. Plant a tree from seed
25. Play with sticks
26. Build snow animals
27. Watch a sunset
28. Go butterfly watching (and maybe catch a few!)
29. Host a backyard garden tour
30. Keep a moon diary
31. Run through a pile of leaves
32. Start a seed collection
33. Paint with mud
34. Take a flower walk
35. Create a fairy garden
36. Plant a flower
37. Search for spider webs
38. Go on a backyard safari
39. Explore a tree
40. Design a backyard hiking trail
41. Create a treasure map
42. Enjoy a backyard campfire
43. Go on a bird watching scavenger hunt
44. Make a birdfeeder
45. Start a nature journal
46. Paint rocks
47. Create land art
48. Take a compass walk
49. Make sand angels (snow angels are nice, too)
50. Go on a backyard bug hunt

NASA'S SOLAR OVEN 

Fun science


50+ Spring Nature Activities for Kids

Whether your kiddos are heading to day camp or hanging out at home, spring break is a great chance for some unstructured nature play, local exploring, even an outing to a nearby state or national park! Here are 50+ spring break nature activities for kids to help encourage some outdoor fun. And if travel is on the agenda, make a point to schedule in some time to connect with nature during your trip.
Backyard nature play
Take advantage of spring break to let the kids have plenty of time for unstructured nature play every day. A few ideas for outdoor play spaces that encourage connecting with nature:
Local nature exploring
Whether it’s in your own backyard, a local park or a nearby nature destination, find some time to let the kids do some exploring. Some timely activities:
Grander adventures
Support your local parks! If you’ve got a day free – or even just a few hours – head to a regional, state or national park. While you’re there, you may be able to:
  • Take a hike.
  • Visit a nature center.
  • Participate in a junior ranger program.
  • See some wildflowers in bloom.
  • Visit a pond.
  • Meet a park ranger.
  • Watch a sunset.
And if it rains …

50 Ideas for Your Summer Bucket List

These 50 ideas for your summer outdoor bucket list will keep the kids entertained and inspired all season long.
At the start of every season, we create an outdoor fun list. Together, we dream up some things we’d like to do, write those ideas down and then try to make them happen. Some of the ideas on our summer outdoor bucket list are simple, but others require more time – things like cherry picking or fishing. Of course, more than any other time of year, we also plan for lots of downtime to make room in our lives for enjoying summer’s simple pleasures.
Instead of sharing what’s on our family’s summer outdoor bucket list this year (you can see our 2010 and 2012 lists for past examples), I thought I’d share some ideas to help you make your own. These 50 ideas for your summer outdoor bucket list should keep the kids entertained and inspired all season long.
20 Things to Do in Your Backyard
10 Ways to Explore in Your Community
10 Nature crafts
5 Summer Science Experiments
5 Tastes of Summer
5 Summer Science Experiments

50 Ways to Connect with Nature This Winter (With or Without Snow)

In a perfect world, getting outside would be as easy as heading out your back door and following your kids’ lead. But for those days when you need a little more inspiration, here are a slew of ways to connect with nature this winter – with or without snow. And don’t forget that on the worst of days, there are plenty of ways you can connect with nature inside, too.
20 Things to Do in Your Backyard
5 Ideas for Nature Walks & Scavenger Hunts
5 Winter Nature Crafts
20 Ways to Connect with Nature in the Snow

50 Ideas for Your Fall Outdoor Bucket List

Little Makers and Explorers

Fall Outdoor Bucket List
Here are 50 ideas for your fall bucket list. When it comes to seasons, fall seems to get the short end of the stick. After all, it arrives on the heels of our beloved summer, which never seems to last long enough.
But around here, fall is full of its own treasures. Pumpkin patches, apple cider, puddle jumping, trick-or-treating, nature crafts, cool-weather hikes, birthday celebrations, Thanksgiving, the countdown to Christmas and more.
For me, fall represents family traditions, so I look forward to it each year. One of our traditions is creating an outdoor bucket list. Some items on our list stay the same from year to year; others are entirely new. (You can see the lists we made back in 2010 and 2012 if you want.)
If you’d like to make your own fall outdoor bucket list, you’ve come to the right place. Here are a few fun and festive ways your family can connect with nature this fall.
10 Things to Do in Your Backyard
5 Ideas for Fall Nature Walks and Scavenger Hunts
5 Fall Nature Crafts
10 Activities to Try in Your Community
  • Go apple picking
  • See fall foliage
  • Drink fresh apple cider
  • Go to a harvest festival
  • Take a hike
  • Navigate your way through a corn maze
  • Visit a farmers’ market
  • Go on a fall camping trip
  • Visit a farm, zoo or wildlife rescue center
  • Take a field trip in nature to a place of your choosing
10 Halloween Nature Activities
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