Summer is such a magical time for a toddler. The weather is warmer (although sometimes HOT) which means more time outside! This equals more fun for them, less stress for mom as toddlers…
Grab this printable list of FREE Summer Activities for Kids and start planning for an awesome summer or staycation! May is always that time I start planning for warmer weather and (this summer especially) hunting down some fun & free summer activities near me for both kids and our family. If your family is planning …
Get outside and enjoy these easy & fun summer night activities for kids and adults! We love that summertime means a not-so-strict-bedtime schedule so we can get out and enjoy those long summer evenings! Some of our favorite (and free!) summer activities for kids and families are those done at night! We head out after …
A list of more than 50 free printable scavenger hunts for kids that can be used all year long — great activities for indoor & outdoor fun! I love a good scavenger hunt for kids!! You might think it’s because scavenger hunts can be a great learning opportunity which is true. Kids hone their observations …
Enjoy these Summer Scavenger Hunt Ideas while you’re relaxing outside in the backyard, camping, heading out for a walk/hike or exploring places around town! If there’s one thing we love, it’s a fun scavenger hunt for kids! In fact, we’ve been known to ‘divide and conquer’ in a friendly family competition on more than one …
AWESOME Outdoor Activities for Families to enjoy this summer (+FREE printable Adventure Challenge too!) It’s one of those times when nothing seems normal — so maybe it’s a sign to try something new, you know, mix things up a bit, right? We’ve all been stuck indoors a lot this year and yet, there are so …
We all know that summer goes by so fast – blink and you’ll miss it! And when the weather is hit and miss, families can certainly feel like they’re missing out on those magical summer days they so desperately want to enjoy with their children. Making memories as a family is important and there’s no…
Try one or more of these fun things to do at the park with your family! Our family LOVES to visit different parks – there are SO many ideas for outdoor activities & games to play at a park near you. Today, we’re partnering with the National Park Trust to celebrate Kids to Parks Day …
Remember when I challenged you to get outside and search for animal homes where you live? Did you take the challenge? I’ve …
Gear for Backyard Fun
It’s backyard bug week – time to unplug, get outside, and check out the creepies crawling in your own backyard! Below are ten of our favorite outdoor tools and best backyard toys, perfect for investigating the wildlife in your yard, the local park, stream, or shoreline – and just in time for summer vacation!Little ones love to explore! The bug finding tools below are designed specifically for little kids, making investigation and discovery even more amazing.
GeoSafari® Jr. Kidnoculars, are a must-have for backyard exploration! Featuring extra-large, focus-free eyepieces and perfect-fit goggles with placement guide, even toddlers can get an up-close view of far-off nature like birds, nests, trees, and more.
Turn an ordinary drive into an action-packed nature excursion with the two-in-one GeoSafari® Jr. Science Utility Vehicle! Simply press the handles to reveal the 3x magnifier and study the details of many types of terrain and creatures underneath.
See what lurks beneath the surface with the GeoSafari® Jr. Underwater Explorer Boat! A clear plastic bottom with 3x magnifier provides a clear picture of life underwater.
Capture and study tadpoles, frogs, fish, butterflies, and more with GeoSafari® Jr. Bugnoculars! Built-in magnifiers, snap-lock lid with airholes, and watertight bottom are great for on-the-go scientific studies.
We’ve also got a complete line of serious scientific tools for bigger backyard investigators!
Explore on land or underwater with the GeoSafari® SeaScope! This 4x telescope can be used to scope-out specimens in the water, with a removable flashlight to illuminate dark underwater conditions, a built-in ruler for on-the-spot measurements, and a thermometer for tracking water temps.
Three pocket-sized GeoSafari® Adventure Pens enable kids to collect and capture, examine and investigate, study and learn about anything and everything they find outdoors – on the spot!
Kids can observe and learn with Nancy B’s Science Club™ Binoculars & Wildlife Activity Journal! From wildlife-watching to hands-on learning about the surrounding ecosystem to flora and fauna drawing exercises, the journal is packed with nature activities sure to get kids excited about the great outdoors!
Little ones can discover in the dark, just like an owl, with the GeoSafari® Jr. Bright Eyes Magnifier! This owl-shaped magnifier includes 2x and 8x magnifiers and red LED night vision lights for nighttime exploring and magnification.
Take a closer look with the GeoSafari® Wearable Adventure Tools: Glasses and collect samples and examine specimens with 6 cool science tools built-in! Includes removable tweezers, collection vial, 6x magnifying lens and more. Great for outdoor STEM summer fun!
Kids of all ages can check out the craters of the moon and more with the GeoSafari® Vega 360 Telescope! With 18x, 36x, 40x, and 80x magnifications, this is the perfect telescope for aspiring astronomers.
After staying in all spring, our kids deserve more than our boring, practical sprinkler outside. For a truly cool backyard water toy, this inflatable shark arch sprinkler from Pottery Barn Kids counts as anything but boring. They can run through it, ride bikes through it, put it over the top of their slide and whoosh through it. If anything will lure them outside to play, this is it.
Whoa, this build-your-own backyard water park would have been my dream backyard water toy when I was a kid. We’ve seen DIY concepts for these on Pinterest but, as crafty as I may be, they seemed way too complicated to replicate. So I love that you can now buy a kit to recreate it in your backyard. It has six different stations, so your kids aren’t likely to get bored too quickly. Plus, you could set it up in the grass for them to run through or on your driveway for them to ride bikes through. It’s on the pricier side, but I think it would get a lot of use.
I think these Mega Morphibian remote control cars can keep kids entertained and cooled off for hours, whether you have access to natural waterways near your home, or you simply set up a water-based obstacle course in your own yard. Parents, be sure to add a good book to read while they play — and your phone, of course, for taking great pictures.
This is a seriously fun, creative backyard water toy for your trampoline when that black surface gets too hot to be fun: turn it into a waterpark with this trampoline sprinkler accessory. Water will spill over the edges you as you bounce, making it way more fun than regular bouncing. (though I’d still keep an eye on my kids when they use it.) I like that this one fits any size trampoline, has an on-off valve, can be used apart from the trampoline, and has great customer ratings at Amazon. My only suggestion would be bouncing in a bathing suit, not long pants and a collared shirt like the model here.
Summer Reading: Day at the Lake or Beach Heading to a lake, beach or ocean this summer? Here’s a list of books to bring for additional fun! Kids can learn science topics, explore items they may find one their visit or enjoy some downtime under the beach umbrella. Clam-I-Am! All About the Beach by …
Try something new this summer by learning to kayak with your kids — we’ve got tips & inspiration for how to get started! This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Banana Boat® . All details & opinions are mine only. Every summer, we like to get out and try something new …
Learn about the Junior Ranger Program for kids — the best kept secret at the National Parks! If you visit our blog frequently, you’ll know that we are BIG fans of getting kids outside 🙂 Our first post featuring Kids to Parks Day focused on 30 Games & Activities to Play at the Park. Today, …
Grab a copy of this FREE printable Beach Scavenger Hunt – one of our newest summer scavenger hunt ideas for kids & families! Summer means beach time – sand, sun and water fun! While you’re cooling off under the shade or your umbrella, keep kids occupied with this fun *NEW* scavenger hunt. Beach Scavenger …
Wonderful kids books about the beach and lake that are perfect for that summer reading list! There are SO many things to do at the beach! Have you tried any of these Science at the Beach activities? But a day on the sand or at the lake can tire out even the most active of …
Don’t you just love a day at the beach? The smell of the air, the warm sand and the hunt for shells — yep, that’s what I call some summer fun!
We had some wonderful beach activities shared at this week’s Discover & Explore linky and so many of them reminded me of fun beach books. So this week, I thought I would share our feature posts and link them to a great summer read for the kids!
Explore a little science at the beach with these fun activities! A day at the beach is what summer dreams are made of when you’re a kid — sandcastles, seashells and splashing in the waves. But there’s also quite a bit of learning that can be woven into your beach visit too. So grab a …
The word "summer" just makes me think of fun ways to be around water. It doesn't have to be the oceans shore to have fun cooling down and splashing around. There are many bodies of water inland that have shorelines as well.
Rock pooling is a fun and free outdoor activity the whole family can enjoy! It is an easy and cheap way to entertain kids at the beach fora whole day. Rock pools are magical worlds full of sea creatures and kids can explore a whole range of interesting sights, smells and textures. It’s fun to be able to sneak a peek and explore ocean life without having to venture out to sea. Each rock pool can be teaming with life and makes a fun activity for kids to do on the beach whether the weather is dry or wet. Rock pooling is also a great activity for kids to do at the beach during the winter.
If it is your littles first time at the beach, get them excited about exploring the beach with a few books for their age group.
Each page of this one introduces a new creature that is found in a tide pool with beautiful pictures, and rhyming verse. I felt this was the perfect introduction to what we might see in the next day. (*note: the author has compiled a number of activities to accompany the book here)
What can you find when you’re rock pooling?
The most common little sea creatures and wildlife that you’ll find rock pooling when in the UK include, small fish crabs, shrimps, anemones, limpets, snails and starfish.
What equipment do you need for rock pooling with kids?
The beauty of rock pooling is you need very little equipment to get started and it’s cheap and easy to get what you need to enjoy rock pooling. It also can be done in shallow waters so it can be safe for kids. All you need is:
A Bucket to put your findings in
A spade – to dig around in the sand
Water shoes/ Jelly shoes (optional)
A fish net to explore the rock pools
A fishing line (optional)
A white shallow dish or tray
Magnifying Glass
Top Tips for Rockpooling with Kids
Check the weather – rock pooling is a great thing to do in cool weather but it can be a bit slippery on the rocks if it rains
Check the Tide Timetable! Some rock pools are only visible when the tide is out!
Jelly shoes or surfing/ water shoes are recommended so that you don’t slip on the seaweed or rocks.
Teach kids how to move the net in a figure of eight so as to be gentle to the wildlife
How to go Rockpooling with Kids
Fill your containers about halfway with sea water – you might want to have separate containers or buckets to keep some creatures apart, such as large and small crabs.
Sea creatures like to stay cool and damp so look into deep pools, crevices and holes in the rock and gently lift stones and seaweed. Make sure you replace stones and seaweed exactly as they were and leave the creatures where you found them.
Start searching in the shallow rockpools to see what you can find. Using your hands, carefully lift rocks to look underneath and see what creatures might be dwelling underneath.
You could draw what you find, or take some photos with your camera. Don’t forget to use your rockpooling ID sheet to tick off what you’ve found!
When you’ve finished looking, make sure you return the animals back to the sea where you found them.
Rockpool spotter
Be a nature detective! Can you tick off any of these?
Another great beach activity for kids to try is crabbing. Find a suitable spot on a harbour wall.
What do you need to go Crabbing with Kids?
Again you don’t need much to go crabbing with kids. A bucket, lines or a net and some bait is all you need. A clear bucket is good so that you can see the crabs up close. Bacon or any fish off-cuts are ideal as bait. Bacon that’s slightly passed it’s sell by date also works well. You also need a crabbing net or a crabbing line. We prefer crabbing hoop nets as we tend to catch more crabs with these. But crabbing lines are fun, particularly for older kids. See a good crabbing kit to buy here.
Beaches with Rockpool’s near London
When Is The Best Time To Go Crabbing
The best time of day to go crabbing is just before high tide and then up to two hours after high tide. The water moves faster with the tide and encourages the crabs to be active. This is the point you find you’ll catch more. Crabbing can also be done at low tide, or when the tide is going out but there are less crabs available then. The best time of year to go crabbing is during the Summer months when the water is warmer. During the Winter when the water is cold, the crabs may not be as visible.
SHORE CRABS
Look at them! Hilarious looking things! Hunting down shore crabs turned out to be the best experience of the entire trip, simply because we had to improvise tools with a frying pan, and impromptu bait with crushed limpets attached to a fishing line. And they’re such skittery, cranky little creatures, you can’t help but be entertained for hours by their suspicious, beady-eyed antics. We brought home about 5 or 6 tiny little shore crabs, which were then turned into an absolutely triumphant bisque with cognac and bay leaves, tarragon and cream. Amazing. Because of how small these crabs are, they were cooked whole and crushed with their shells, which are later sieved out, and then served in tea cups as a little power-packed amuse bouche. Super amazing.
Precious little meat, but extremely sweet and excellent for bisques.
* Habitat: Shallow rock pools, salt marshes and estuaries
* Season: All year round
* How to identify: Measuring about 60mm long and 90mm wide, these shore crabs vary greatly in colour, but is most commonly green to brown, or grey to red, and can be identified by their pointed rear legs.
* Dangers: There aren’t many dangers involved with foraging for crabs, as they are very abundant and extremely edible. However, watch out for their very strong mussel-crushing claws, as shore crabs can be very aggressive when handled.
* How to gather: The best way to lure shore crabs out of their little nooks would be lowering some form of fresh bait, either on a line or attached to a net – crushed mussels and limpets serve this purpose very effectively. When the crabs emerge, scoop them up with a long-handled net or simply yank them out of the water with a line.
* How to prepare: Once caught, keep the shore crabs in some shallow water, and try to keep the bigger, aggressive ones apart to prevent them from attacking each other. After giving them a quick scrub, place crabs in a plastic bag in the freezer for about an hour. This will help to stupefy them before killing them.
Beautiful beaches where you can mingle with wildlife. Places where flamingos, horses, pigs and penguins are enjoying the soft sands and blue waters right alongs
The best pets are the ones you only have to keep for an hour or two! ;) And the chase is over half of the fun! We’ve had several temporary pets – a turtle, frog, lizard, crabs, and even a baby bunny rabbit. An up close observation enables you to learn so much more than just reading about an animal.
And of course parting is such “sweet” sorrow when you release the animal back to its natural environment!
* Be sure to know the animals in your region for your own safety. Never try to capture an animal you haven’t identified.
Hope you are loving these ideas for Simple Outdoor Adventures for Boys! Can’t believe we are already a week in! In case you missed a day, here’s what we’ve covered this week…
Learn how to build a sundial — a great STEM activity for kids! For years I’ve been saying that it would be cool to have a sundial in the yard! First, I operate by ‘sundial’ time more than by a clock — you know, the “it’s just about the right time” kind of time 🙂 …
Most of us have fond memories of catching fireflies or lightning bugs on warm summer nights. Many people kept them in jars—sometimes a jar full of fireflies can produce enough light to read by. If you want to catch fireflies, here are a few tips that will help you along.
Where to Look
Fireflies are easy to spot—just look for the flashing lights. They typically love long grasses, marshy areas and regions near the edges of ponds, lakes, streams and other bodies of water. They can thrive under low-hanging trees, in forests and fields, and even in your yard or vegetable garden.
Watch Your Light
Fireflies communicate using their flashing lights. If you want to catch one, you have to act like one. First, turn off your exterior house lights—these may confuse fireflies and make them less likely to respond to light signals from other fireflies. Then take a flashlight outside.
If you are having trouble getting near the fireflies in your yard, imitate one of them by shining your flashlight directly up and down, or by repeating the light patterns you see fireflies emitting. This may or may not work; many scientists who study fireflies have better luck with LED lights than with battery-powered flashlights. Never shine a light directly at a firefly; it’s likely to scare them away rather than attracting them.
In addition, you may have better luck catching fireflies if you place a blue plastic disc or piece of paper over your flashlight to turn the light blue. Scientists believe fireflies don’t interpret blue light the same way they see other colors, so the light won’t disorient their flash patterns.
Catch Carefully
When you get close enough, catch your fireflies using a net. Place the fireflies you catch into a clear jar with a lid that’s been pierced to let in air. You should also place a moistened paper towel or preferably a damp unbleached coffee filter inside to keep the air in the jar humid. This way, your fireflies will have air to breathe and won’t dry out. Be sure to crumple your damp paper towel or coffee filter to create areas for the fireflies to hide. Change out paper every 2-3 days, or as needed. This is important to keep bacteria and mold from growing on the damp paper.
How to Keep Alive
Fireflies in a Jar with Apple Slices & Wet Coffee Filter Paper
If you would like to keep your fireflies alive the longest, use apple slices in your jar. Fireflies will readily drink the juice from a fresh apple. You can also use grapes, raspberries or other available fruit. These fruits however will rot a lot quicker. Additionally, if you have a mister (small or large bottle), use this with distilled water and give the jar a misting occasionally. This is to help keep the environment moist but also simulate the natural environment better. The inside of homes are often very dry and not ideal conditions for firefly survival. Occasional misting keeps them from drying out too quick.
Work In Pairs
It’s often more effective to work in pairs when catching fireflies, with one person to hold the jar and another to use the net. Be sure to use care when catching them; fireflies can be fragile.
Let Them Go
Once you have a jar of fireflies, don’t keep them for longer than a day or two. Let them go, preferably at night because that’s when they’re most active and able to avoid predators. If you keep them for longer, the fireflies are likely to die.
Some people remember crushing fireflies in their fingers to make their hands glow and keeping them in unventilated jars for several days.
While this might not have caused serious damage to firefly populations in times when they were more plentiful, today’s firefly numbers are dwindling—so each one matters. Catch fireflies carefully, treat them gently and release them into the wild again when you’re done, and you’ll be able to enjoy these fascinating creatures without causing any harm.
We received a Kiwi Crate in the mail last week and the craft/activity included was a firefly. Fireflies are so summer — spending a warm night outside trying to scout out their little lights in the dark. Many kids love to spend a summer evening hunting, catching and releasing them.
A house never quite feels like home to us unless we’ve got birds fluttering around.
We like to attract them to our yard with bird feeders that we keep filled all year long. Most of ours are store-bought, but it’s always fun to offer a kid-made bird feeder to our feathered friends.
You can buy a bird feeder, make your own, or have a combination of the two if you want a bird-friendly yard.
Keep reading below for some fantastic ideas for kid-made bird feeders. They’ll all attract fun feathered friends to your yard.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for more details.
For the Little Kids
(pictured left to right)
A bird feeder doesn’t have to get more complicated than stringing bird-friendly food. This Cheerio Bird Feeder is super-easy to make and the birds love it.
Whether you’ve started your own Family Bird Watching Club or you just enjoy observing your feathered friends while they flit around your yard, you’ll want a way to record the birds you see.
Bird Watching Journal.
You can record your frequent visitors and make note of those times when you see a bird you don’t normally see. Or you can take it along on a trip and record the birds you find that are different than the ones you normally see at home.
There are so many ways to use a Bird Watching Journal.
You can certainly use a plain notebook for your Bird Watching Journal. But, wouldn’t it be fun to have a fun, pretty, and personalized Bird Watching Journal?
Of course it would! Let’s get started.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for more details.
You know what fun about this project? You get to start by coloring. Fun, right? Pick out 1 or 2 fun adult coloring pages for your notebook and spend a pleasant evening coloring. I found the one I used at this link.
If you really, really don’t want to color 2 different coloring pages. Pick your favorite and color it with bold colors. I used Sharpies on mine. Once you’re done, take it to a color copier and make a copy. (And, I’ll confess, that’s exactly what I did because I wanted the front and back of my composition notebook to be identical.) No matter what you choose, you need two coloring pages.
Position your coloring page so that it fits flush against the black binding and overlaps on the top and bottom and side.
Brush an even coat of Mod Podge with a paint brush over they entire front of your notebook. Carefully place your coloring page on top and smooth out your wrinkles. Mod Podge gives you a bit of time to tweak your cover so you have it covered correctly.
Let it dry a bit, then turn your notebook over and repeat the process on the back cover.
Once everything has dried (I found it took a couple of hours on my notebook), trim the overlapped edges. I cut right up to the edge of my notebook.
If you find sections of your coloring page that did not stick, reapply some Mod Podge and let it dry.
Use your Mod Podge to glue your small piece of cardstock to the front of your notebook.
Once dry, label it however you wish. I went with the simple, yet effective “Bird Watching Journal.” Simple always works, right?
Now that your Bird Watching Journal is ready, it’s time to start recording.
Use the journal to record date, time, location, and type of bird. Make a bucket list of birds you would like to see. Create a special list of birds that love your backyard.
I’m sure you’ll come up with tons of ways to use your Bird Watching Journal. Just have fun with it!
Does your family have any shared interest or hobbies? Do you all love to watch and play baseball? Or maybe hiking is your thing? Or do you spend the winter skiing and snowboarding? Whatever it is, a shared hobby is a great way to spend quality time together.
If you don’t already have a shared interest, have you thought about trying something new together?
It doesn’t have to be complicated and it doesn’t have to be expensive.
I’ve got a crazy idea for you. Start a Family Bird Watching Club.
I know what you’re thinking. “Isn’t that something only old people do?”
Hear me out. Why is bird watching a good idea?
It’s simple. You may already have all the supplies you need. You can do it all over the world all year round. It gets the family outside enjoying nature. You can plan fun trips around this hobby. Anyone at any age can do it. Plus… birds are just plain fun.
2. Get some binoculars. You won’t always be able to see birds close-up. A good pair of binoculars is crucial to being able to see and observe birds. You don’t have to spend a lot of money, an inexpensive pair will get the job done.
3. Add a bird watching journal. You’ll want to record all the cool birds you find, so you’ll want a simple Bird Watching Journal. Get a nice notebook (like a Moleskine) or follow our tutorial for a simple and colorful DIY journal (you can find the tutorial here).
4. Find a basket or container. This isn’t necessary, but it’s a nice addition. Find a basket to keep all your bird watching supplies contained. Keep it by a window (it it’s a window near a bird feeder – even better), and you’ll have easy access for everything you need.
You’ve got the supplies, now what?
1. Learn about the birds that visit your own backyard. If you’re going to try bird watching, you probably want to make sure your yard is bird-friendly. Add some feeders (and keep them full) and maybe a bird bath. Try to put a feeder near a window, so you can observe the birds from inside and not disturb them.
2. Plan some trips to watch birds. You don’t have to go far. Visit a local park, pond, or nature center. Don’t forget your binoculars.
3. Keep our eyes and ears open everyday. Birds are everywhere! Once you start noticing the birds, you’ll find them all over the place. Use your field guide once you get home to identify the birds you saw.
Don’t forget these important tips!
1. Don’t get too close! Stay a distance away – that’s what the binoculars are for. Let the birds go about their day without disturbing them or even trying to touch them. And, while we’re on the subject of touching, don’t try to disturb or touch a bird’s nest either.
2. Birds like it quiet. Sometimes even a little noise will scare away a bird. While observing a bird, keep it quiet and you’ll see all kinds of fascinating things.
3. Use your ears. Often you’ll hear a bird before you see one. If you hear a bird, stop, and look around. You may get lucky and find the bird you hear. If not, can you identify the bird by it’s call?
Are you ready to start a new family hobby yet? Give bird watching a try once. You never know, you may find a new source of family activities.
