As the spring weather continues to warm, the opportunity to bring what might be considered as indoor activities for children to the great outdoors. For those Parenting Reflection friends who live in year round warm climates, you may be familiar with some of these activity suggestions so please bare with those of us who have huddled indoors during the last cold winter months.
The following are suggestions of activities that parents can participate in outdoors with their children. Make modifications as necessary for your children and their likes and interests. When you have read the list make a list of your own and submit in the comment section. Lets keep this list going for the benefit of all.
- Make an old fashion mud pie by getting your hands in dirt and water
- Camp in the backyard-sleeping overnight is an option
- Draw a map of your backyard or other natural area.
- Invent a nature game-find six circles, five straight lines…etc.
- Build a boat from a leaf and a stick and go leaf boating in a puddle
- Walk through your yard in the evening with a flashlight to guide you
- Lay on the ground and listen
- Read outside under a tree
- Collect stones and build something with them
- Collect natural items to make a “wonder” bowl
- View wildlife without keeping them
- Look for animal tracks
- Make shadow rubbings with crayons and paper
What are your favorite things to do outside with your children?
Beth Gausman C.F.L.E.
Licensed in Early Childhood Education and Parent Education
Parenting Reflections 
Good ideas Beth. Here’s another one. With pegs and string mark off one square foot of grass for each child. Ask them to stare at their square for three minutes. Time it. Then they are to list all of the different things they found/saw. Whoever has the longest list gets to choose the next activity.
Sounds the same, but using chalk to mark a square foot on concrete gives a very different results.
Make it a different activity by giving each child a magnifying glass.