Nature Activities for Families & Learners
Nature is the best exploration lab of all, offering opportunities for growth at every turn. In my years educating children, the outdoors is where every child can thrive. With no bright overhead lights, overstimulating sounds (and smells), or walls and ceilings to contain or echo, kids can find themselves. It’s also absolutely true that a few kids might not love the droning of bees or the scratch of a dandelion stem. For all, having a guide present that is comfortable and calm is key!
Find your favorite park or green space and try one of these activities. Most require minimal materials (if any!), for ease of entry for all grown ups. You are your child’s best teacher, because you know them unlike anyone else. Lead with kindness and compassion for Learners and the Earth. After that, watch the magic of child-led learning and curiosity take the rest of your afternoon.
1. NATURE SQUARE
Children are naturally curious, about everything! Help them focus that curiosity outdoors with a cardstock square. You can use picture frame mats or create your own from a piece of cardstock. Provide your child with some observational materials - a magnifying glass, a ruler, and a notebook and pencil to record their findings. Have them choose a single spot and see what evidence of life they can find within their square. They could find ants in the grass, a caterpillar in the garden, or a unique flower.
2. PAINTING WITH WATER
This activity is great for younger children. They’ll have fun painting with water, while also refining their fine motor skills. On very warm days, they’ll be able to see the water evaporating while they work. This is another great way to introduce states of matter, in this case, both liquids and gases.
3. FIND OUT WHAT MELTS IN THE SUN
This super simple activity engages a child’s curiosity and gets them excited about science! Who doesn’t love melting things?! Start with discussing the process of melting focusing on the simple process of a solid becoming a liquid. This can easily be demonstrated with an ice cube and a cup of water - pour the water over the ice cube in a tray and watch it melt. Then, have your child choose the items you will test. Food items, toys, and art materials are a great start. Then set your tray outside on a sunny day to see the results!
4. MAKING S’MORES IN TINFOIL
Combining chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers can only result in happiness all around. Have your child build the s’mores and place them inside a tinfoil packet. Before placing outside to “cook,” ask your child what they think will happen.
5. FIZZING SIDEWALK CHALK PAINT
This fun activity only takes a few ingredients, but results in some incredible reactions from kids. For the paint, mix cornstarch, baking soda, water, and food coloring. We used the recipe from Kid’s Activities Blog (hyperlink “Kids Activities Blog” to https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/5509/fizzing-sidewalk-paint). This will create a chalky liquid that’s perfect for painting. Next, fill a spray bottle with vinegar and let your child spray their chalk creations. Watch their eyes light up when the shapes fizz up!
6. PAINTING WITH MUD
Another messy project that kids will love! The kids can even help make this paint, just by mixing dirt and water. They can paint on paper or on outdoor surfaces like fences and walls. Bonus points if they use a natural material, like pine needles or sticks, to paint.
7. SPLATTER GRAVITY PAINTING
Now this is a messy project! Kids can explore the concept of gravity with only two materials and a little help from a step stool. After dipping pom poms or cotton balls in liquid watercolor or food coloring (and getting a little messy in the process), have your child drop them from different heights. Then, compare the splatters. Soon, they’ll see that the higher they are, the larger the splatters are! Gravity is a tricky topic to tackle, but this activity provides concrete evidence that everything that goes up, must come down.
8. ROCK BALANCING
This is a fantastic STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) activity that’s easy for all ages. Challenge your child to make the highest sculpture they can using only rocks. The resulting tower is a piece of art in itself.
9. DIRT DRAWING
Anything can be a canvas, even a small area of dirt. Experiment with different drawing materials - fingers, hands, sticks, rocks. There’s no limit to what your child can create!
10. SCAVENGER HUNT
This activity is super customizable depending on your child’s interests and age level. Choose a theme based on color, shape, or material. This activity is best in a familiar environment, but can help them see things they may have missed before.
Getting outside doesn’t need to involve a lot of preparation or research. Take cues from your child and follow their interests! The most important part of all of these activities is parent engagement. Children learn from conversation, experience, and fun!
