Nature Play-
NaturesTreasure Hunt

List of things to collect on your hunt

If you’re looking for ideas, here are some things that you might be able to collect on your next walk.

• Sticks – by far our favourite thing to collect. Kids love sticks. I even wrote a post with ideas for 30 fun things to do with sticks.

• Pinecones – another great free natural craft material. How about using them with play dough and making hedgehogs?

• Leaves. Fallen leaves are easy to collect even for toddlers. How about asking them to find 5 different coloured leaves or 5 different types of leave. They’re also great for taking home to paint like in this autumn process art activity.

• Acorns

• Conkers – Wondering what to do with all your autumn treasures? You need my autumn activities for preschool post.

• Helicopter seeds

• Stones. Why not take some home to paint?

• Shells, the ultimate things to collect on a trip to the beach

• Drift wood

• Seaweed

• Fossils if you’re really lucky

• Wildflowers (never pick flowers from other people’s gardens, parks etc and don’t pick protected wildflowers like bluebells. We only ever take a few. Leave more than you take.) Once home why not try making these beautiful gelatine flower suncatchers.

• Moss

• Feathers

Creative ways to collect nature on a walk

You could simply give your child a list of things to collect on a nature walk or you could try one of these different ways. They are still all about collecting nature but they add a creative element to it. Sometimes they even add a competitive element too if you have more than one child to entertain.

 Nature weaving

I saw this gorgeous idea on one of my favourite blogs for nature crafts, Little pine learners. All you need it some cardboard and some rubber bands or string/wool.

Create a journey stick

We love to creating journey sticks on walks. They’re a really fun way to collect things on a walk. All you need is a stick and some wool or string to tie your nature finds to your stick as you walk.

Go find it cards

Why not make collecting nature into a game using a set of go find it cards. We love our set and use them regularly on walks.

Heading out into nature is a great way for the family to enjoy quality time together. It's also a fantastic opportunity to put down the tech and learn to appreciate the world around you. If you happen to have some public woodland near your home, it's a great destination for a family day out. You can pack a picnic, get some exercise, and reconnect with each other away from the stresses of busy family life.

I'm not sure what the attraction is with hunting, does it attach us back to our prehistoric roots and make us hope that we could survive even if everything wasn't handed to us on a plate?

The boys definitely enjoy all kinds of hunt (although strangely, finding a missing shoe when we're late for school is the one time it doesn't seem to appeal.)

Found one!

Simple Play Activities to Explore Nature

• Look at the Clouds  Talk about the shapes and colors.  Watch them move.

• Collect Leaves  Find leaves, stack them, talk about their shapes, colors, and sizes.  Which leaf is bigger/smaller?

• Crinkle Leaves  Talk about how it feels.  Talk about the smells.  Throw the little pieces of leaf in the air and watch them fall to the ground.

• Collect Sticks  Find big sticks and little sticks.

• Play with Sticks  You can stack them or build with them.  Stick them in the ground.  Throw them (safely, of course!).  Break them.  Dig with them.  Rub or tap them against different surfaces and talk about it – “that’s loud/quiet”, “that’s bumpy/smooth”, etc.

• Find Rocks  Talk about sizes, textures and shapes.  Line them up.  Count them.

• Stack Rocks  See how many you can stack.  Count out loud.  Make it a fun challenge.

• Bring Playdough  Make imprints of rocks, leaves, sticks, acorns or tree bark.

• Look at Birds  Observe and talk about the bird’s behaviors.

• Look for Bugs  Flip over rocks.  Observe and talk about the different bugs you see.

• Observe Animals  What animals can you find?  Squirrels, lizards, turtles, ducks?  Observe and talk about what you see.

• Make Nature Stew/Pretend to Cook Pick grass, fallen leaves, weeds, etc. and mix together to make pretend stew.

• Pick Up Litter  If you see litter, pick it up and take the opportunity to talk about littering.  Make sure you use hand sanitizer afterwards!

• Sit on the Ground  Take a break and just sit.  Run your hands through the grass or feel the cool ground with your hands.

• Lay on the Ground  It’s amazing how laying on the ground vs. just sitting on the ground can give you a completely different experience and perspective.

• Play in the Dirt  Get those hands dirty!

• Explore Tree Bark  Touch it, talk about it, compare different ones.  Look for fallen tree bark.

• Go Climbing  Kids love to climb – it’s in their nature (see what I did there!).  While ensuring safety, allow kids to climb on tree roots, tree limbs, tree stumps or large rocks.

• Drive Toy Cars Through Various Terrain  Bring along a little toy car.  Have fun driving it through the dirt, grass, rocks, tree roots and other various terrain.

• Bring a Favorite Toy  Bring along your child’s favorite toy and incorporate it in your nature adventures!

• Have a Picnic  Bring along a snack or meal to enjoy on your nature walk.

• Smell Flowers  Stop and smell the flowers!

• Draw Nature  Bring along some paper and crayons.  You can your child can draw things you see on your nature walk.

• Draw With Nature  Using water and dirt, you can draw on paper or pavement.

• Splash in Puddles  Go on a nature walk after a rainstorm and you may come across some puddles – perfect for jumping in and splashing around.

• Take off Your Shoes  Take off both your shoes and feel the grass and dirt under your feet.  Talk about what it feels like (is it warm/cold?  is it smooth/rough?  does the grass tickle your feet?)

• Sing Songs  Sing some of your favorite songs while outside.

• Listen to Music  Play some music from your phone.  It can be relaxing or upbeat!

• Dance Get all your kid’s wiggles out!  “Freeze dance” is favorite in our house that always gets us dancing!

• Act Out “We’re Going On A Bear Hunt”  If you haven’t heard of this book, we highly recommend it!  There’s also various renditions of the story in song  form!

• Pretend to be Different Animals  Let your surroundings inspire you!  Can you pretend to be a bird?  Or let your imagination run wild!  Is that cow I hear?

• Play a Game of Tag Run around and chase each other (if it’s safe to do so!).

• Read a Book  It’s amazing how reading a book outside can totally change the experience!

• Stretch/Do Yoga  Use nature as your inspiration!  “Can you reach up and stand tall like a tree?”

• Make a Birds Nest  Gather some sticks and twigs and see if you can make a birds nest.

• Talk About Colors  Look for specific colors (for example, things that are yellow) or point out what colors you see.

• Talk About Sounds  Point out the different sounds you hear.

• Talk About Shapes  Point out any shapes you see.

• Talk About Letters  Be on the lookout for any letters you see and point them out and talk about what they spell.

• Talk About Smells  There are so many different scents to be found outdoors! Smell around and talk about them.

• Talk About Texture  Feel various natural objects around you and use them to teach about the different ways they feel.

Discovering the Woods

When you get to the woods, watch them explore and see what they do on their own without offering suggestions. Do they run? Build? Climb? Even an activity as simple as digging leads to exploration. Children learn how to dig, the way soil feels, the angle of the slope before loose dirt slides back down, and the difference between dry and wet soil.

Ask open-ended questions if they are old enough. As children explore on their own, remain involved. Ask about their discoveries. Ask open-ended questions they can understand and answer with their observations. “What did you find? Oh, a bug? What does it look like? How does it move?” You do not have to know all the answers to children’s questions. Discuss what you see—the shape of leaves, the color of the soil, the movement of the grasses. The more your child observes, the more the world around him will make sense. Discovering how to learn through observation is important. Your child doesn’t have to know the names of all the plants and animals he finds. He will learn through his observations. You can even suggest he make up descriptive names of his own. 

Play Space For Free Play

18 Free {or almost free} Cool Features to Add to Your Backyard Playground

Create a fun and exciting backyard playground for your child or your daycare for free or for few dollars!  You don’t need expensive toys and fancy equipment to have an outdoor play area that will thrill your kids.  These inexpensive ideas for a backyard play space will make your yard the funnest place in the neighbourhood.

The far corner of the backyard draws the children in like a magnet.  It’s the play area in our backyard that’s entirely dedicated to the daycare kids, and it’s where the  most care-free and magical moments of our day take place.

The old-fashioned simplicity of our outdoor play area makes it an enchanting place for kids to play, explore and learn.

There’s our play-house, and sandbox, which are popular for sure, and there is a myriad of other inexpensive play features that entertain, challenge and engage the hooligans for hours every day, all year long. It’s these play features I’m going to tell you about today.

Having an extraordinary outdoor play space doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

You may be thinking “But, how much does it cost to create a backyard playground like this?”

Well, that’s the beautiful part!

Aside from the playhouse and sandbox, which my husband built, most of the play features in our backyard cost next-to-nothing. In most cases, I’ve used items from around the house, thrift-shop finds, and various bits and pieces from nature to create this outdoor play area for the hooligans.

Tight-ropes, pulleys, water walls, balance beams…  all just pennies to make, provide countless hours of fun and learning.

They spark the imagination,  challenge gross motor skills and co-ordination, and encourage critical thinking and creativity.

Be sure to grab our printable list of 100 Fun Things To Do At Home This Summer too! Your kids will never be bored again!

Ready to have the funnest backyard on the block?

For your convenience, this post contains affiliate links.

18 GENIUS, FREE THINGS TO ADD TO YOUR BACKYARD PLAYGROUND

Click the links or photos below for the full instructions for each play yard feature.

MOBILE MUD PIT

Want a mud-pit without sacrificing your lawn?  Click here to check out our mobile mud-pit!  Easy set up, easy clean up, and you can tuck it away at the end of the day.

Alternatively, you can buy this mud pie kitchen on Amazon.

PLAY LOGS

If you know anyone who’s having a tree cut down, see if you can score some play logs!   They’re one of the most versatile and popular features in our backyard.  Click here to see ours in action, and to find out more about them.

No space for logs? Check out these balancing buckets for indoor and outdoor use.

POOL NOODLE ABACUS

A backyard “abacus” is simple to make and provides lots of fun and learning. The toddlers love this one.  Click here to learn more about our pool noodle abacus.

RE-PURPOSE AN OLD WHITE BOARD

Got a white board that’s too marked up to use anymore?  Move it outdoors!  The hooligans got a couple of seasons of outdoor art out of this white board that was headed for the trash.  Here, we’re painting with mud on International Mud Day.

BACKYARD BALANCE BEAM

A few scrap pieces of wood make a toddler balance beam for a budding, young gymnast.  It provides hours of pretend play and exercise and I can tuck it out of the way at the end of the day. Click here to see more of our outdoor balancing activities for toddlers and preschoolers.

A ROPE AND A BUCKET

Without question, this simple contracion is one of the best things I’ve ever added to our backyard play area.  The hooligans play with it all  year round.  Not only is it great for strengthening muscles and co-ordination, it also fosters team work, critical thinking and co-operation.  See how I rigged up our Bucket & Rope Contraption here.

HOMEMADE WATER WALL

I made this water wall out of recyclables 4 years ago, and the hooligans are still playing with it.  It’s provided them with hours and hours of fun and learning over the years.  See how I made our water wall here.

TIRE SWING

Our tire swing is another one of the most loved features in our back yard.  An old tire, hung horizontally is perfect for one or for a bunch of kids to gather on.   If your vehicle is due for new tires – perfect!  If not, check with a local garage or service station.  They may happily donate one to your backyard project. (photo only/no link)

KID’S CLOTHESLINE

I rigged up this simple toddler clothesline years ago.  Secured tightly so it’s not a safety concern, it’s just at the right height for the hooligans to use.

Our clothesline provides lots of opportunity for pretend play, and it’s great for teaching life skills, and developing co-ordination and fine-motor skills.  Read more about our clothesline activities here.

ROCKS AND STONES

We’ve picked up loads of rocks and stones and even pebbles at the beach over the years.  The children always have access to the rocks and stones in the yard, and they play with them daily.  They’re kind of our backyard version of the building block – completely open-ended, they can be whatever the hooligans want them to be.  See 10 ways that we use our stones and rocks here.

SAND WALL

Much like the water wall, our sand wall is also made entirely out of scraps and recyclables. It’s positioned in our sandbox, and it’s provided loads of entertainment over the years.  Read about our sandbox and sand wall here.

ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS

Pick up a bunch of artificial flowers at the dollar store or at a thrift shop.  Ours played with every single day.  The kids hold “weddings”, they decorate the playhouse with them, they “plant” them in the sandbox.  Not a day passes that these don’t get used in some creative manner.  Check out one of my favourite artificial flower activities here.

DIY WATER TABLE/SENSORY TABLES 

Water tables are awesome, but there was no way I was going to spend big money to get one when you can make your own so easily.  I pull one of these together almost every day when the weather is nice.  A storage bin set a top a bench or patio table or even an overturned (larger) storage container are all you need for all your water and sensory activities.  If you don’t have storage containers, no worries – a child’s wagon also doubles as a water table for a group of kids to gather around.  You can check out the way we use it for our water activities here.

BACKYARD TIGHT ROPE

Best thing ever!  This is right up there with the tire swing and the rope and bucket contraption.  We’ve had our toddler tightrope set up in the yard for years. The hooligans use it every day, all year long even when the snow practically buries the bottom rope.  It’s the best for co-ordination and gross-motor development.  I’m not kidding when I say our tightrope has provided hundreds of hours of fun for kids from ages 1-7 over the years.  Read all about it, and see how to make your own here.

HOSES AND FUNNELS

A couple of old pool hoses (or vacuum hoses) pushed through a chain link fence provide hours of fun and learning.  Pop a funnel (or the top section of a water bottle) into the top each hose, and little ones will be kept occupied and entertained for ages.  Read all about our hose and funnel runs here.

THRIFT SHOP COFFEE TABLE

One of the best but least expensive investments I ever made for my daycare was this thrift shop coffee table.  I got it for 6 dollars at a second-hand shop a couple of years ago, and we use it every day.  In summer, it’s our backyard activity table, in winter it’s our art table in the craft room.  Big enough for a crowd to gather around and water and paint spills don’t matter at all.  See it in action here.

DIY WATER SLIDE

For the price of an inexpensive camping tarp, you can give your kids a whole day of wet, water, slippy-slidey fun! !  We’ve been doing this for years here in my daycare, and the kids never tire of it.  See how to make your own waterside here.

ADD “RUNNING WATER” TO YOUR OUTDOOR PLAY SPACE

Lastly, my inexpensive trick for adding a source of running water to your child’s backyard play area.  A camping jug!  Theyr’e in abundance at the second hand-stores around here, so if you don’t have one of your own, you can probably scoop up a used one for a couple of bucks!  See some of the ways we use ours here.

And there you have it!

18 inexpensive, super-fun, super-cool things you can add to your outdoor play space this summer!  Your kids (and your neighbours’ kids) will love you for it!

Ultimate List: 110 Ideas for Outdoor Fun in Your Own Backyard

Looking for fun things to do outside in your backyard? I’m sharing 110 ideas for joyful outdoor play. Take a look at this list and find the perfect activity for your toddler or preschooler. From playing with ice to exploring nature, there are endless possibilities for fun. And the best part is, you don’t even have to leave home.

Classic Outdoor Activities

• Cloud Watching

• Stargazing

• Climbing Trees

• Digging Holes

• Picking Flowers

• Jumping in Leaf Piles

• Making Snow Angels

• Having a Picnic

Scavenger Hunt Activities

• Nature Scavenger Hunt – find templates here

• Sound Scavenger Hunt – buzzing bees, singing birds, splashing water, driving cars

• Mushroom Scavenger Hunt

• Nighttime Shadow Hunt – Take flashlights outdoors and explore shadows.

• Texture Scavenger Hunt

• Monochrome Scavenger Hunt – How many blue (or green, or brown, or white) things can you find?

• Bug Scavenger Hunt – Look for bugs plus their tracks, homes, and sounds.

• Bird Scavenger Hunt – Look for birds plus their homes, feathers, tracks, and sounds.

• Rainbow Scavenger Hunt – Find an object for each color of the rainbow.

• Missing Toy Hunt – Hide some toys and encourage your child to search and find them.

Kiddie Pool Activities

• Giant Sensory Table – Prop a kiddie pool up on crates or cinderblocks for a sensory table children can stand at.

• Bubble Bath – Add bubble bath to your kiddie pool.

• Paint Prints – Place a sheet of paper in bottom of an empty pool for larger than life painting.

• Glowstick Stargaze – Add glowsticks to a kiddie pool during a dusk or evening swim.

• Plastic Egg Surprises – Plastic eggs float in water. Hide small treasures inside and add them to the pool with scoops.

• Obstacle Course – Make an obstacle course with a kiddie pool station.

• Pool Noodle Ball Pit – Cut up foam pool noodles for a DIY ball pit.

Water Play Activities

• Spray + Squeeze Bottles – Give empty spray and squeeze bottles (hair spray, non-toxic cleaners, sauce bottles, shampoo bottles, etc.) a second life.

• Water Bucket Relay – Try to quickly carry cups of water from one bucket to fill a line of buckets.

• Sponge Walk – Line up soaking wet sponges, loofahs, and washcloths for a balance-testing walk.

• Water Paint with Rollers – Use paint trays and paint rollers to paint the sidewalks, fences, playhouses, and more with water.

• Splash Patterns – Dip sponges, splash falls, and washcloths into water and toss them to the ground. Explore the different patterns they make. Explore the splash patterns made by squeezing, dripping, and smashing them.

• Water the Flowers – Using watering cans or spray bottles, walk around the yard to water flowers, bushes, and trees.

• Puddle Walk – Head outside after (or during!) a rainstorm to take a stroll through the puddles.

• Pour Station – Place a variety of bottles, cups, bowls, funnels, tubes, and scoops into a large, low bin or an empty kiddie pool.

Ice Play Activities

• Hot + Cold Sensory Bins – Explore water temperatures with a warm water bin and an icy cold bin.

• Nature Ice Cubes – Collect items from the backyard in an ice cube tray, then freeze. Add to a sensory bin later.

• Fizzy Ice Cubes – Freeze baking soda in water. Explore what happens when you spray or brush the cubes with a white vinegar/water mixture.

• Melting Ice Drawings – Draw on the sidewalks with melting ice.

• Frozen Nature Collages – In colder weather, freeze nature objects in colorful pans of water.

• Shaved Ice Sensory Bin

• Snow Cone Pretend Play – Create a snow cone prop box using ice cream scoops, paper cups, and squeeze bottles of colored water. Make some shaved ice and pretend to run a snow cone stand

• Frozen Sponges – Explore the textures of frozen sponges as they slowly melt.

• Ice Cube Building Blocks – Freeze ice in blocks to build with.

• Frozen Nature Soup – Add nature items from the backyard to a bucket of icy water. Make sure you have a large spoon to stir with.

Book Activities

• Book Seek + Find – Hide books around the yard to find and read.

• Nature Books – Read your favorite nature books and connect the stories to backyard play.

• Bug + Insect Books – Inspire a bug scavenger hunt or pretend play using this list of favorite bug and insect books.Bee BooksSpider BooksDragonfly BooksAnt BooksButterfly Books

• DIY Book with Outdoor Photos – Take photos of your favorite backyard adventures or discoveries and put them in a photo album.

Imaginative Activities

• Block Play – Take blocks outdoors

• Forts – Build forts with sheets, tarps, or even use a pop-up tent.

• Pot + Pan Band

• Chalk Lines (or cities) + Toy Cars – Use chalk to create a landscape for toy cars to zoom through.

• Pretend Play as Explorer – Get your map, flashlight, binoculars, and walking stick to explore through the yard.

• Pretend Play as Scientist – Gather your magnifying glass, specimen jars, and tweezers to collect samples.

Our Favorite Imaginative Games

READ MORE

Art Activities

• Painting Nature – Paint on branches, rocks, large leaves, or pinecones.

• Squirt Gun Painting

• Bead + Stick Sculptures – Place sticks into the ground and stack beads on the small branches.

• Play Dough + Nature Sculptures – Decorate play dough sculptures with seeds, stones, twigs, leaves, and more.

• Nature Weaving – Wrap rubber bands around pieces of cardboard. Collect leaves, twigs, and flowers to weave through the bands.

• Mud Art – Use mud to paint or create mud sculptures

• Yarn + Ribbon Wrapping – Wrap branches or even tree trunks with layers of colorful yarn and ribbons.

• Paint with Nature – Make all-natural paint using berries, dandelions, or chlorophyll from leaves.

• Nature Photos – Use a camera or a phone to take photos of interesting discoveries in your backyard.

• Paint on Snow – Use paintbrushes or even spray bottles to paint on the snow.

• Sidewalk Chalk + Water – Enhance normal sidewalk chalk art with water. Your child will be delighted to see how bright the colors are. They can either dip the chalk into water or wet the sidewalk before drawing.

• Fly Swatter Painting – Set out paint on trays and hang a sheet up for your child to explore. Don’t want the mess of paint? Hang up a bright, solid color sheet and use water.

Sensory Activities

• Mud Kitchen

• Barefoot Walk – Talk about the different textures you feel while you walk.

• Nature Sensory Jars

• Explore with Binoculars & Magnifying Glasses

• No Sandbox? – Make a wet + dry sand sensory table with a plastic bin.

Plant Activities

• Flower Dissection

• Flowers + Play Dough

• Mud Pie Decorating

• Seed or Dry Bean Sorting

• Pinecone Painting

• Bark Rubbings

• Gardening Pretend Play – Use faux flowers if you don’t have real ones!

• Plant for Pollinators – Check out this resource to find what plants are tastiest for your local pollinators.

• Name Your Favorite Plant or Tree – Get inspired with tree facts and flower facts.

• Wildflower Garden – Pick up packets of wildflower seeds to plant. Take a couple moments (or more!) each week to talk about the differences between the plants as they grow.

• Bee Feeder – We have to protect our favorite buzzing pollinators. You can fill a low pie pan with marbles and a small amount of water. Bees and other bugs can land on the marbles and have a drink.

Dozens of Hands-On Plant Activities

READ MORE

Gross Motor Activities

• Cardboard Box Chariot – Attach cord or rope to a cardboard box and create a chariot for your child’s favorite stuffed animals or dolls.

• Balloon Swatters – Use fly swatters and balloons to create a fun game. Keep the balloons in the air or use the swatters to knock balloons into goals or from point A to point B.

• Stick Obstacle Course – Place sticks in a line or a ladder shape for a challenging obstacle.

• Bean Bag Dodgeball – Don’t hurt each other, but a little danger/challenge is fun. You can absolutely swap for lightweight balls.

• DIY Paper Kites – Decorate a sheet of printer paper (the kite) and staple on ribbon or party streamers. Take them outdoors and run until they catch some air and lift. Pair this activity with the book Kite Flying from the spring book list.

• Have a Race

• The Ground is Lava – Use lawn furniture, placemats, paper plates, or kickball bases to set up an obstacle course. Can you get from the porch to the playset without touching the ground?

• Bedsheet Parachute – Use a bedsheet to make a parachute. Add balls, balloons, or stuffed animals on top for an extra challenge. Hot day? Make those balloons water balloons.

• Hopscotch

• Laundry Basket Bean Bag Toss

• Tug-of-War

• Giant Dice – Use a square cardboard box to create a movement game. Each side can have a different dance move or activity to do when that side lands up.

• Car Watching Game – Keep an eye on the cars that pass and make a rule for each type of vehicle. Run a lap when you see a blue car, honk when a truck passes, or say a silly word when there is a delivery vehicle.

• Sidewalk Walk, No Cracks – It’s a pretty chill activity, but don’t you dare step on the cracks.

Low-Cost Outdoor Toys

• Bubbles

• Sprinkler

• Squirt Guns for water battles, target shooting, and painting

• Frisbees

• Hula Hoops for tossing, spinning, and obstacles courses

• Sidewalk Chalk

• Beach Ball

• Splash Balls

• Water Balloons

Want to venture outside the backyard? Explore A Marvelous Family’s 20 Inexpensive Kids Outing Ideas.

More ideas

30 Interesting Spring Facts for Kids: Nature & Traditions

The 30 Best Rain Books for Preschoolers: Rainy Day Ideas

10 Nature Crafts

For Kids

by WhimsyRoo

Nature walks with Roo have been one of our favorite activities together. She calls it “esploring.” It’s amazing how a little exercise and fresh air lifts both of our moods. Granted I don’t get much of a workout at the pace she keeps, but the memories are so much more important! We discuss creation, the science behind the leaves turning, how animals and bugs use camouflage, what makes rain, and anything else she thinks of to ask. I encourage her to use all five senses (except maybe taste…yuck) to experience nature. She creates characters for us to be and stories for us to play out.

Most of all we collect treasures. I never leave a walk without at least one thing in my pocket! Acorns and flowers are a favorite of Roo’s, I like to grab pretty or interesting leaves and rocks, and pine cones are beginning fall. Here are 10 ideas for a nature craft to make with all those collected treasures.

*Disclaimer: Some supplies listed are affiliate links. For my full disclosure click here *

Nature Treasure Collage and Suncatcher

 Supplies:

Contact paper

Collected Nature Treasures (flat and light weight items work best)

Cut two pieces of contact paper. Place one sticky side up on a flat surface. Allow child to arrange their nature treasures on the paper. Place the second piece sticky side down over the artwork. Hang your nature craft in a window or other sunny place!

Leaf Faces

 Supplies:

Googly eyes

Glue

Sharpie

Collected Leaves

This nature craft is so simple, glue eyes to the collected leaves and draw mouths and other facial features with the sharpie!

Leaf Rubbing

Supplies:

Paper

Crayons

Collected Leaves

An oldie but a goodie nature craft. Place paper over the collected leaves and rub the crayon over. Encourage the child to keep the crayon flat on its side and not press too hard.

Leaf Impressions

Supplies

Collected Leaves

Acrylic Washable Paint

Paint Pad Paper or Canvas

Pour a small amount of paint into a paper plate or other container. Have the child dip the leaves into the paint and then press them onto the canvas. Encourage them to lift gently to reveal the leaf’s impression.

Pressing Flowers

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Supplies:

Collected Flowers

Tissue or White Paper Towel

Heavy Books

Place flower on the tissue or paper towel and either fold the paper around it or place a second tissue over the flower. Place the flower sandwich in the middle of a heavy book. Depending on the thickness of the flower, you may need to stack more heavy books on top of the first book. Leave for 2-4 weeks. The pressed flowers can be placed in a scrapbook to start a nature craft collection, or used in your nature treasure collage craft above!

Rock Painting

Supplies:

Collected Rocks (smooth and flat river rocks work best)

Acrylic Washable Paint and Paintbrushes

Mod podge

Glitter (optional)

Clean your collected rocks and make sure they are completely dry before beginning. Allow your child to paint the rocks. Sprinkle on glitter if desired while the paint is still wet. Once the paint is dry, coat the rock in modge podge to avoid chipping and flaking. You can paint with them and create some Story Stones like we did!

Dipped Pine Cones

Supplies:

Collected Pine Cones

Acrylic Washable Paint

Glitter (optional)

Pour paint into a small bowl. Have the child dip one side of the pine cone into the paint. Sprinkle on glitter while the paint is still wet. Allow to dry and use this nature craft to decorate your festive bowls!

Pine Cone Decorating

Supplies:

Collected Pine Cones

Pom poms

String, Ribbon, Yarn

School Glue

Sequins and Glitter

This nature craft is suitable for toddlers and preschoolers. It is super easy and requires almost no help from the grownups except assembling the supplies and cleaning up afterwards. Just let them go to work on their creation!

Each of these nature crafts will provide beautiful memories of your hikes and nature walks together. My favorite is the Dipped Pine Cones, they look perfect in my Autumn bowl. I think Roo enjoyed the Leaf Faces the most, she created a whole pretend world for them once they were dry! I encourage you and your child, no matter what age, to bring home some treasures next time and try out some of these projects, and show me what you made.

Loose Parts Play Material List for Early Learners

Adding loose parts materials like blocks, natural objects, and household can make any space into an exciting place for young children to explore their creativity naturally. My loose parts material list to help children engage deeper in learning.

When play spaces are reduced to just a few pieces of equipment, children aren’t able to explore or get creative. Battery-powered toys, tablets, and most “educational” toys don’t align with how children’s brains develop.

Table of Contents

LOOSE PARTS LIST PDF VERSION

Printable created by Live Love Learn Blog.

What Are Loose Parts?

Loose parts are objects and materials that children can explore, experiment with, and manipulate in different ways. They stimulate the senses and invite children to play.

Because loose parts are open-ended, children can meet their individual developmental needs while playing. Loose parts help children both understand the world better and use their imagination. Learn more about the stages of play.

Open-Ended, Child-Led Play With Loose Parts

Loose parts make any space into an exciting place for children to explore their creativity naturally. Children need more places where they can use their imaginations freely. They are curious and naturally seek out what they need for the next stage of development.

Instead of adults instructing children, they can let children explore the materials independently. Loose parts provide a variety of opportunities for children to explore their interests and develop skills at their own pace.

Loose Parts And Direct Instruction

Loose parts are adaptable for both open-ended play and direct instruction. Adults can set up learning stations with loose parts, where children learn in a self-directed way. The adult does not tell a child how to play with the loose parts but chooses loose parts that target a specific skill or interest.

The adult can then use open-ended questions and modeling to facilitate learning. Loose parts can also reveal new interests for a child. Those interests can then be applied to activities that are more adult-led.

Check out these Themed Loose Parts Treasure Baskets.

Loose Parts Material List

For the sake of sanity, I created some categories to keep this list organized. Many items technically could be in multiple lists. I hit my head against the wall to make judgments, so be gentle.

Under each category, I sorted the loose parts materials by “Gather/Do It Yourself” or “Purchase.” Depending on your household or what you have access to, you may not need to purchase items.

For more ideas on where to track down loose parts from the list, jump to Where to Find Loose Parts.

#1 Natural Objects

Gather/Do It Yourself:

• Leaves

• Twigs

• Shells

• Stones

• Pinecones

• Flowers

• Clothespins

• Tile Samples

• Cardboard Tubes

Purchase:

• Wine Corks

• Cork Tiles

• Natural Loofah

• Large Wood Buttons

• Wicker or Rope Woven Hot Pads

• Bamboo Products

• Wood-Handled Brushes

• Wood Rings

• Wood Balls

• Wood Candlestick Holders

MORE LOOSE PARTS

100 Ice Play Ideas

Ice cubes: the underrated natural loose part.

EXPLORE MORE

#2 Metallic + Reflective

Gather/Do It Yourself:

• Tin Cans

• Metal Utensils

• Measuring Spoons, Cups

• Metal Jar Lid Rings

• Glass Stones

• Locks

• Cookie Cutters

• Keys on Key Ring

Purchase:

• Large Springs

• Mini Flute Pans

• Napkin Rings

#3 Pops Of Color

Gather/Do It Yourself:

• Bangle Bracelets

• Large Buttons

• Silicone Muffin Liners

• Paint Sample Cards

Purchase:

• Shower Curtain Rings

• Hair Curlers

• Pet Toys

• Plastic Eggs

• Sensory Balls

• O-Balls

One of my favorite loose parts discoveries was a bag of brightly colored snap-on pop can covers. They looked so cool on light tables or flameless tea lights.

#4 Soft + Flexible Items

Gather/Do It Yourself:

• Scarves

• Felt

• Place Mats

• Ribbons

• Hot Pads

• Handkerchiefs

• Fabric or Flt Squares

• Doilies

• Knotted Rope

• Bundt Pans

Purchase:

• Hacky Sacks

• Sponges

• Plastic Loofahs

MORE LOOSE PARTS

25 Ripped Paper Activities

Quick + easy ways to turn paper into play.

EXPLORE MORE

#5 Household Items

Gather/Do It Yourself:

• Empty Picture Frames

• Pump Bottles

• Plastic Containers

• Phone Cases

• Coasters

• Empty Spice Jars

• Free Household Loose Parts List

Purchase:

• Dip Bowls

• Measuring Cups, Spoons

• Funnels

• Flour Sifters

• Chip Clips

• Flameless Tea Light Candles

#6 Bigger Loose Parts Materials

• Buckets

• Ramps

• Gutters

• Corrugated Pipes + Tubing

• Boxes

• Jugs

• Cardboard Mailing Tubes

• Plastic Crates

Creating Themed Treasure Baskets From Loose Parts

• Black + White

• Transluscent Items

• Exploring Sound

• Light + Reflection

• Light + Shadows

• Monochromatic (all one color)

• Heavy + Light

• Ramps + Rolling

• Sorting + Classifying

• Sink or Float

• Filling + Dumping

• Construction

Where To Find Or Purchase Loose Parts

1. In-person or online garage sales

2. Thrift stores

3. Ask friends and family

4. Craft stores

5. Hardware stores

6. Estate sales

7. Home improvement stores

100+ Nature Play Ideas for Toddlers + Preschoolers

READ MORE

What Else Do You Need In A Loose Parts Play Space?

Part of the magic of loose parts is creating a sense of wonder. Set out the objects in a way that invites your child to play. You can simply set out the objects in an eye-catching way on trays or in baskets.

1. Storage bins to keep the materials organized

2. Baskets

3. Trays or platters

4. Sorting trays, muffin tins, or serving trays with compartments

5. Placemats

Add mirrors or a mirrored tray to your loose parts play for a lovely aesthetic effect.

Use Open-Ended Questions To Extend Loose Parts Play:

The Resource You'll Use Over + Over

Access a FREE list of OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS for children. Build language, critical thinking, and engagement (at home + in the classroom).

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Tips for Safety

Loose parts offer children a variety of opportunities for exploration. However, with any type of play, there are safety concerns that caregivers need to be aware of.

1. Make sure all materials are age and developmentally appropriate.

2. Keep small objects out of reach of infants and toddlers.

3. Check materials regularly for sharp edges or points that could cause injury.

4. Discard any broken or damaged materials.

5. Supervise children when they are playing with loose parts.

Loose Parts Books

If you are falling in love with the idea of loose parts play, I will leave you with some more resources here.

LOOSE PARTS LIST PDF VERSION

Printable created by Loredana. To work with her, contact through instagram, Pinterest, or email lteleguz@yahoo.com.

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Nature frame impressions craft

(fun sensory and creative activity)

October 20, 2020 by Stacy Bressler

If you’re looking for a fun craft to do that’s just about free, then check out this “fall impressions” craft that can be enjoyed by kids (and heck… adults!)!

These are a perfect way to use all those “nature treasures” your kids get in a fun way – they can look for specific things they want for their frame, find them in nature, and lay them out just how they want!

A great way to “frame” each season

I had initially wanted to call this a fall frame, since we used alot of fall specific items, but it could really be a way to get something from each season!

I think I’m going to update this post a year with a “frame” for each season even winter!)

It might also be a fun way to remember the little things that stuck out at unique or special locations such as the beach, mountains, desert etc.

Fall Impressions Nature Frame (fall craft for kids)

This fun and easy fall craft is an easy way to remember the favorite parts about fall!

PREP TIME

10 minutes

ACTIVE TIME

20 minutes

TOTAL TIME

30 minutes

Materials

• Thin paperboard (ie cereal box type stuff)

• Glue

• (Optional) Mounting putty to hold the frames in place

Tools

• Scissors

• (Optional) Hot glue gun

Instructions

1. Bring something for the kids to collect and store small items of interest with during a nature walk / camp trip / explore

1. During your nature time, make sure the kids collect enough straight(ish!) items they can turn it into a frame (we used some reeds)

2. Cut out a rectangular (or whatever shape you like) piece of the paperboard. You can optionally use mounting putty or something similar to hold the sticks in place until you can use hot glue to make the more permanent once the craft is completed.

3. Let the kids create their fall impression art! 

See also

7 Leave No Trace Principles for Backpacking and Camping (+FREE PDF Printable for Kids)

• These 55+ camping themed crafts for every occasion!

• A “rip and stick” glowing BEAR lantern craft that’s magical and oh so fun (what kid doesn’t love tearing stuff up?)

• A fun camp themed cootie catcher that inspires creativity and teamwork!

• Give your kids their very own camping journal to document each camp trip in!

• The BEST EVER kids camping planner and book that’s chock full of songs, crafts, tips and activities for camp!

• Sensory soup camping kids activity that uses sticks, grass and rocks (as well as free printable recipe cards for inspiration!)

• A DIY Campsite Sign that’s perfect for pretend play or at the actual campground!

• These 13 awesome camping books for kids that will really get the camping vibe going!

• Camping BINGO and some fun camping scavenger hunts to really bust boredom at camp!

• Tons of ways to make yummy s’mores (HINT: You DON’T need a campfire or even any open flame!)

Natural Places and Green Spaces for Nature Play that Rocks

Nancy Striniste

Because it is rare for a 21st century child to have the priveledge to roam free in the out-of-doors as children of past generations could do, we (educators, caregivers, designers, and parents) need to bring nature and natural materials to the places where children are likely to be spending their time: backyards, schoolyards, churchyards, parks, and early childhood settings.

Welcoming Children to Nature

Natural play spaces engage senses, soothe stress, touch spirits, and inspire children to move, explore, observe, imagine, create, and understand. Transforming traditional playgrounds into designed wild spaces for play means adding things like tree parts, stone, sculpted earth, sand, water, and plants, as well as including evidence of the seasons and cycles and the company of wildlife.

A play space can be designed to communicate a message of welcome to children from their very first glimpse into the space. An inviting entry tells children that this is a space for them. Artful gates, child-height arbors and arches, and intriguing views all invite children into the space. Every element can add to the potential for learning and play—including interesting textures underfoot and overhead and a variety of sizes of spaces and degrees of enclosure.

Varied Landscapes for Active Play

In a natural play space children learn to move and learn by moving. The irregular shapes and surfaces of natural elements like tree parts, boulders, and even earth mounds require focused attention and test coordination as children navigate the space by crawling, climbing, jumping, balancing, rolling, scooting, running, and sliding.

When there is variety in the degree of difficulty of different activities in the space it provides opportunities for children to choose or not choose to try things that are challenging and perhaps risky. This builds self-awareness, allows mastery to develop over time, and increases self-confidence. Examples might include balancing logs sized from wide to narrow and set at different heights; boulders and stumps of different heights and diameters to climb onto and jump off of; and natural or constructed hills of different steepnesses to scale and descend. Loose parts that are varied sizes and weights mean some things may be too cumbersome or heavy to move alone and require cooperation and collaboration with friends.

Loose Parts and Sensory Stations

Opportunities for active play can also come through offering objects to interact with. These loose parts can include tree cookies and stones of varied sizes, bales of hay, sticks, shells, and plant parts, along with tools and household items like baskets, wagons, blankets, and crates. Together these materials provide opportunities to push, pull, lift, dig, grasp, carry, drag, throw, and kick and also inspire industrious building, artful creating, and intricate imaginary play.

Sensory materials like sand, water, soil, and mud provide a wide range of play opportunities from inspiring imagination to exercising both large and small muscles. Sand play can be soothing and calming, especially when the sand is dry and silky. Lifting a full bucket builds muscles. When the sand pit is deep and children are provided with real metal shovels, serious digging can happen. I recommend at least 18” of sand with a layer of coarse gravel below for good drainage. Adding a little bit of water to dampen sand for sculpting, or a lot of water to flow through constructed channels allows for creativity, cooperation, and extensive engineering projects.

 Activating Children’s Imagination

Nature inspires imaginary play. Taking on roles in and among natural elements can support play around widely varied themes from exploring what it means to confront danger or to be safe, to follow or to be in charge, to care for others, and to take risks. Shelters within a cluster of shrubs or large grasses, under the branches of a weeping tree, or inside a lean-to built with sticks can be the setting for all sorts of pretending. High spots like a hill or a climbing tree that allow a different view of the space provide the fuel for imagination and give children a different perspective on their world.

Photo credit: Nancy Striniste

If you’ve ever had the experience of returning to a space where you spent time as a child and saw that it shrunk, you understand the importance of scale. A hill or a boulder doesn’t have to be big to feel that way to a child. Having child-sized spaces and materials is empowering to children.

Natural loose parts are the open-ended props that can be anything from a birthday cake to a spaceship. Real-life objects like kitchen implements and toys such as dolls, vehicles, musical instruments, and tools take on different meanings when paired with natural materials. A big pot, some muffin tins, a ladle, and a slotted spoon combined with soil, water, and plant parts become a mud kitchen for whipping up potions and canning some flowers or stone soup and baking goods like decorated mud pies.

All of these props allow children to try on roles, to imagine themselves as grown-ups doing important grown-up things, or as animals or superheroes or fantasy characters. Imaginary play with peers allows children opportunities to practice social interactions and conversations and to develop empathy and skills like negotiation and conflict resolution.

Miniatures such as little figures, vehicles, or animals from the block corner paired with sand, rocks, and plants from nature can inspire elaborate storytelling and complex scenarios. Creating a miniature world and orchestrating what happens there gives a child a sense of power and control that is not usually part of their
lives.

All of these elements can comprise a natural play space. Providing places that allow children to play deeply in nature is essential but it’s not enough. The other key component to meaningful play is time. Children need large blocks of unstructured time to allow themes to unfold, projects to advance, and to just be in the out-of-doors.

Backyard Truck Garden

It feels like we’ve had a slow start this year, but summer seems to be here in the Okanagan and Sam’s been enjoying his little backyard truck garden again!

Here’s what inspired us creating a truck garden… This hilly corner of our yard filled with dirt, rocks, and loads of debris discarded by our big old tree.  Now if we knew that this home was our forever home, we’d probably do something different, but without wanting to invest a whole lot of time, energy, or money, a truck garden turned out to be a fantastic solution.

Of course every yard is going to be different, but I do think the truck garden concept could be adapted to many different spaces, hilled or flat.

Another fun part of this project?  Other than the little orange pilons and some paint, we only used things we already had on hand to put it together.

First up were these road bricks…  They started out as regular old bricks left in the yard by the previous home owners, so I painted them grey with a sample of outdoor paint I picked up and then added some little yellow dashes freehand using some acrylic craft paint from the art cupboard.  More than a year later, these have held up super well. What I love about them is that they can be moved and configured how ever Sam likes, and they give him an opportunity to do some heavy lifting.

The other little upcycle / repurpose project we did was turning some wood and flooring scraps into these road planks.

I had previously seen this idea on my friend Chelsey’s site, Buggy and Buddy, and when I found a bunch of wood scraps left in one of the sheds, I knew it would be perfect.

I just painted the boards a charcoal-y black colour using an outdoor paint we already had, then freehanded the white dashes using a small paintbrush, some acrylic craft paint, and an old metre stick as a guide.  And voila – wooden roads and ramps!!

{this post contains affiliate links}

Then we added all of the fun stuff…  Our kids’ garden tool set for raking up branches, creating dirt mounds, etc., a big bin of DIY blocks Brad and his dad made using some 2×4 and 2×8 scraps that were also left in our yard, and Sam’s collection of Green Toys and Wonder Wheels trucks.  All of these have been gifted to him over the years and they’ve seen endless hours of play.  They’re big, sturdy, and made from recycled plastic. These are the ones he has currently:

dump truck

recycling truck

fire engine

tow truck

cement mixer

I also created a little picnic space at the top of the truck garden using our kids’ picnic table from Ikea and a little black and white striped umbrella, but I didn’t find that it got used a whole lot last summer, so I skipped it this summer and kept those items on our patio below instead.

It was a cute little set up though!

Possibly the biggest hit of the space?  This little sit-on excavator we got during a campaign I did with Canadian Tire.  Sam just LOVES it and could spend ages scooping up loose dirt and moving it to a different space or filling a bucket.

I can’t tell you how much play this little space has seen!

Here’s a look at the whole thing…  It’s certainly not the prettiest thing, but it’s such a great spot for playing in the dirt, getting filthy, and enjoying trucks.

One final addition that’s also been a favourite?  These PVC pipe ramps!  While this wasn’t something I felt comfortable taking on myself, I took advantage of my brother being in town and he helped me pick up the largest piece of PVC pipe Home Depot carried and then cut it in half vertically.  We sanded the edges and created these ramps that smaller cars can ZOOM down!

Nature Play By Califf Life

Here is one of my favorite nature series because it's designed to help parents teach their children using nature, bonding in the process. There are fun activities and ideas to spark conversation and exploration. Every month there is a new Ela Wild blog post and a new #ElaWildChallenge to help you get outside and have fun as a family! Check out Califf Life Creations on Instagram for inspiration.

• Recent PostsIndoor Nature Ideas for Kids – “What Nature Can Teach Us”

DIY Projects for Picnics and Nature Walks

When we lived in Bailey Colorado, our property butted up to national forest. My two boys were explorers by hature. One loved to collect nature's treasure for art and building materials. The other loved to discover evidence of animals and their homes. As you know I loved to discover why the animals lived where they did. Looking for clues like shade, sunshine, food, water, packs or herds and families. So there was always a chance of wandering off, alittle too far and literally going down a rabbit trail. So these necklaces hung by the door, to be grabbed on the way outside.

You can choose different supplies according to your childs interests. The boys liked leather laces, larger wood beads and plastic bear claws.

DIY KID’S OUTDOOR SAFETY NECKLACE CRAFT

Our family camps and hikes on a regular basis, both for personal trips, and with our Camp Fire clubs.  Since it is important to teach kids some basic outdoor safety and survival skills, our Camp Fire club just had a lesson on this topic.  Part of the lesson was a craft to create their own outdoor safety necklace. 

If you do this craft with your kids, I recommend also watching this YouTube video , which has some great,simple survival skills for children.

The necklace is a great accessory for hikes, picnics and camping.

It includes a flashlight to help see in the dark, or to flash at a beacon…

… a whistle to help get attention to your location…

… and a compass carabineer to help with direction

DIY Kid’s Outdoor Safety Necklace Craft

What you need:

• Whistle with necklace (affiliate link)

• Flashlight keychain (affiliate link)

• Compass on a clip (affiliate link)

• Assorted pony beads

Instructions:

• Remove the ring from the whistle, and string the whistle back onto the necklace cord.  You can prep this in advance if you are doing this with a group of kids.

• String beads on either side of the whistle.

• Remove the keychain from the flashlight, leaving just the small ring that’s attached to the flashlight, and string the flashlight onto the necklace.  You can prep this in advance if you are doing this with a group of kids.

• On the opposite side of the necklace from the flashlight, tie a knot in the necklace cord to make a small loop.

• Clip the compass carabineer onto the cord loop you just created. 

• Tie the necklace together, and that’s it!

Make sure to incorporate other outdoor safety tips for kids with this lesson, like the importance of staying hydrated, protecting yourself from the sun, and finding shelter. 

Have fun out there!

A Face lift for the Sit Upon

An easier version of the Sit Upon occurred to me when I was in the check out at our local grocery store and saw plastic tote bags. I thought "genius!" Turns out I didn't invent that one. Of course on Pinterest there was a tutorial that looked like someone had plucked it right out of my head. Although I was a little deflated at not having invented the modern Sit Upon, it was nice to see how someone else did it. 
 Now all I had to do was find the perfect sized bag. The last day of school I walked into Michael's and found these large lovely tote bags and bought every one they had. They were a $1.99 each but with my Michael's teacher discount and school tax exemption, they cost about $1.50 each. Here's what you need to make these cute sit upons:

Sit Upon Supplies:

• Vinyl Tote Bag-these are about 18"X18" (perfect size for kinder behinds)

• Color or patterned duct tape

• Newspapers

• Masking tape

• Scissors

• Poly-fil quilt batting

 Because the Gazette is a small sized paper, I used masking tape to put them in the shape I wanted. The newspaper gives the sit upon support. After they were taped in the shape I wanted, I opened the bag slightly (you want it to stay in a folded position) and slid the taped newspapers in.

The original sit upon I made as a Girl Scout only had newspaper but Seth tried out my modern sit upon and said it was too hard. Hmmm. To hard or have today's kiddos become too soft? Oh well. I knew if he thought that, probably the kinders would too. So I looked through my class storage room and found the perfect solution: Poly-fil quilt batting. It comes in a huge roll. You roll it out and cut out the size you need. I put an 18"X18" square layer in each totebag on top of the newspaper for a little cushioning and Seth gave it a thumbs up.

Once I had all the sit upons "stuffed" it was time for the real work. Sealing them closed with the blue duct tape I had chosen.

I'm a bit of a perfectionist so I probably duct taped too much. I laid an 18 inch strip of duct tape along one edge of the bag. I centered it so that the edge of the duct tape length was hanging off the bag by 1 inch. Once I pressed the tape onto the front of the bag, I flipped it over, folded the duct tape and pressed it along the edge on the back side. This sealed the edges. For cosmetic reasons, I did this on all four sides. Next, I put another layer of duct tape on each edge so that the tape was flush with the edge of tote bag. This gave it a neat and tidy look and hid any imperfections such as wrinkles in the tape I had folded over. For the handles, I just duct taped the tote bag on either side of each handle and then put a  strip flush with the edge all the way across.

Cool Tip: When your scissors start to get gunky from cutting the duct tape, wipe the blades down with baby wipes and it comes right off!

 When all the bags were stuffed and sealed it was time to decorate. You could get really over the top and use patterned duct tape or washi tape. For my first one I accented it with some owl Washi tape. It is the new craze and there are so many cool things you can do with it. Pinterest it and you will see. I picked this up at Hobby Lobby for $2: And here is the finished project:

ave discovered an added benefit to the sit upons: the handles. This epiphany came to me after I attended a teacher's conference in Oklahoma City in August. One of the merchant booths there was selling "Fidgets." It was a little tube of material with balls sewn inside that children can fidget with to keep them calm and able to focus. Although they are intended for children with Autism or ADHD, they help other kiddos too. Similar in texture, I figured why couldn't the tote bag handles serve the same purpose? It worked. Observe my class during lessons and you'll see some of my little ones fiddling with those handles and listening to my lesson!

Traditional Laced Sit Upon