go outside and play!

My kids love playing outside and do so frequently, but I don’t always take the time to get out and explore nature with them. Earlier this week, we decided to go on a tadpole hunt, as we’ve had a lot of rain recently. We found some only a few feet away from the parking lot at a local nature park. In a flooded area there were dozens of tadpoles as well as oodles of mosquito larvae. We filled up a couple of large mason jars with the water, and my daughter spent quite a while fishing tadpoles out of the water into her jar. Unfortunately for me, there was no way to avoid getting some of the mosquito nasties as well, but the girls thought they were fascinating to watch. We transferred them to a different container at home and will observe them as they grow (provided that we have better luck trying to raise tadpoles than I did when I was a kid!).

June is Great Outdoors Month, so if you don’t already get outside regularly with your family, it’s a great time to start! Here are some links and resources that you might find helpful.

• 10 Ways to Get Your Kid to Play Outside: This article has some fun suggestions for getting kids away from the TV, video games, and other electronic gadgets so they can enjoy the outdoors.
• National Get Outdoors Day (June 12): Many organizations will be hosting outdoor activities for families as part of this event; click the link to find events in your area.
• Fee-Free Weekend at National Parks (June 20-21): The National Park Service has announced three weekends this summer. You and your family can visit any of the more than 100 national parks that usually charge entrance fees for free! Other dates are July 18-19 and August 15-16.
• The Great American Backyard Campout (June 27): Take the kids to the backyard or a local campground for a campout, and make some memories.
• REI has a Passport to Adventure program for kids. After downloading an Adventure Journal, participants keep track of hikes, bike rides, and other outdoor activities and complete guided journal pages about what they did. The Adventure Journal includes games, puzzles, and other related activities. After kids complete one outdoor adventure, parents can request a certificate of completion and a free pair of binoculars with a compass, signal mirror, and magnifying glass.

More ideas can be found at the National Wildlife Federation’s wonderful nature study site Green Hour. Just click the image below.

Related Posts:

Creative Nature Study

Green Hour