Category: Nature

Nature “Size Hunt”

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This mini scavenger hunt will inject some math into your next nature walk. We had a  beautiful family afternoon along a local trail, and I challenged Travis to find a few things of various sizes compared to something else along the way. You can vary your list, but here are a few ideas:

First up, he needed to spot something smaller than his fingernail. I thought he might find a bug, but he surprised me with this little pebble.

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Longer than his arm? A stick!

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A rock was bigger than his hand, and an acorn was smaller than his foot.

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For the last one, he needed to spot something larger than a leaf. The leaf we found was cool all by itself, almost mitten-shaped! 

Nature Size (1)What items do you find on your “size hunt”? Please share in the comments!

Bring Out the Baby Bathtub

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The title of this post means exactly what it says: don’t use the baby bathtub inside this summer… Bring it outside!

Being outdoors in hot summer weather and trying to keep baby cool can be tricky. Even many kiddie pools are toddler-sized, and can be large and intimidating for a baby… Not to mention for the parent who has to keep a double eye on things when water is involved.

The perfect hack? Use the baby bathtub! It’s much smaller, and Veronika loves sitting in this even dry outside while we play But today I filled it with lukewarm water and added a few of her favorite bath toys.

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At first she just seemed amazed ato be in water outside, quickly followed by delight. She played with the toys…

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Kicked her legs…

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And loved when I showed her how to pour from funnels and cups.

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She also loves when I splash my fingers in the water to make “fireworks”!

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In sum, this is the perfect way to keep baby cool in the pool, whether it’s just the two of you or if big siblings are playing outside, too.

Bugs vs. Birds

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To slip some subtle math and science into your child’s next summer nature walk, turn it into a tally hunt for bugs and birds. I told Travis we’d be counting both, and asked him whether he thought he would find more birds or bugs. He quickly replied birds, but then thought about it for a moment; we passed a bunch of flowers, already teeming with five bees. “Bugs!” he guessed.

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To prepare a little scientific notebook, print out a picture of a bug and a bird, and tape or glue down to notebook paper. Now you can tally as you walk.

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This will also be a great lesson on tallying and making marks in groupings of 5 (good for skip-counting!).

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As we walked, Travis sometimes forgot to count, since there was so much else to see. Eventually we decided he would look out for bugs, and I was in charge of birds.

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It quickly became apparent that bugs were far more abundant…so much so we eventually stopped our tally at around 35. Although hard to see, the picture above shows two beautiful dragonflies perched on a limb.

In short, this game is a great way to get your little one noticing nature on a closer scale, as well as to think about the differing populations of species within an area.

Mood Enhancer: Play in the Grass

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Science has shown over and over that “green exercise” (i.e. getting outdoors for a walk) is a quick way to boost your mood and get a natural high. This is equally as true for busy parents as it is for the baby who comes along for the ride. So today’s assignment for myself and Veronika was simply to get out some place green!

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I scoped out a local park in our new town with a trail through the woods. First, we paused on a picnic blanket together. Already she looked happy!

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Primarily, I wanted her to feel the grass, a fantastic new sensation for babies. I dangled her toes in it for a tickly feeling.

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Then I plucked one blade to tickle her feet and her legs.

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She really wanted to hold the grass, but I had to be careful because she wanted to eat it!

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Then I strapped her in the stroller and we headed off on a trail walk. I could feel the change in my own body immediately, parts I hadn’t even known were tense letting go as we listened to the leaves rustling and heard birds chirping.

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More importantly, a little girl who had been fussy from the energy of unpacking at home loosened up.

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There’s a Veronika smile!

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The wonder in her eyes watching the trees overhead was worth it alone.

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And then of course there’s the ultimate power of “green exercise”; you might just lull baby to sleep and get a real pause to yourself!

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If you live in a more urban area, consider this activity in a local park or square. You’ll reap those same outdoor benefits, even if it’s slightly less green!

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Nature Game

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The outdoor challenge this week in Travis’s summer workbook was to create a game using items found in nature. Not only was Travis up for the challenge, he requested an extra long nature walk to make sure we had enough materials, turning it into a fantastic opportunity to get outside.

First, he gathered up any items that caught his eye. Soon we had a collection of leaves, sticks, and two pebbles.

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I laid everything out on a picnic table and challenged him to think of how he could combine the items into a game. At first he was at a loss. Lining up the sticks helped provide a bit of direction. Since there were two pebbles, it made sense that those would be our playing pieces.

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Aha, now an idea was forming. With each turn, we could jump our piece forward over one stick. He still had to decide what we would do to earn that move forward. Looking around, he settled on spotting any animal or bug; the same animal could not be used twice.

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Soon he was finding birds, butterflies, ants, spiders, and more. With each new creature, his stone jumped forward. He was delighted when he was ahead of me!

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The first player to reach the leaf “jackpot” wins. I was so proud of him; this activity involved a bit of nature, a bit of creativity, and lots of problem solving. He truly came up with a game that can now be our family pastime almost anywhere outdoors!

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Garden Games

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A trip to a local botanical garden had us playing garden games in two ways today. First up: a scavenger hunt! The printable Garden Bingo card from Raddish Kids gave purpose to our walk along the paths and past the beautiful blooms.

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Some items we spotted right away (grass, flowers, leaves, hoses).

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Others we really had to look for, like sprinklers:

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And wheelbarrows:

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Travis got down low to spot clover:

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And dug in the dirt for worms!

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I was amazed when he spotted a rollie poly bug crossing the gravel path. I thought for sure that one would go unmarked on our sheet.

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Travis loved the hunt; near the end we had four boxes crossed off in multiple directions, but no actual Bingo. Then a watering can sealed the deal!

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Meanwhile, midway through our hunt we paused to play Bug Detective. I challenged Travis to pick an insect and observe it in close detail. He found a big fat wood ant and stopped to watch.

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We kept it in our bug jar for a short time, but then released it.

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Travis watched the ant scurry about. We hoped it would pick something up, but never did.

Later, Travis drew the ant, working from memory to make the three parts of the body and the legs. He added an arrow for the direction the ant had gone, as well as the grass it had been crawling through.

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Both of these activities really had Travis thinking about nature in new ways, and challenged him to see the garden on the macro and micro levels. What fun!

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Homemade Butterfly Feeder

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Butterfly Feeder (5)Travis and I have made bird feeders before… but never a butterfly feeder! So we were delighted to make this simple little craft, connected to his Garden Party Raddish Kids crate.

Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in 1/4 cup sugar; reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes, until the sugar dissolves. Cool completely.

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Use a pen or pencil to punch a hole near the top of a sponge. Travis loved this part! Thread twine or string through the hole.

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Carefully submerge the sponge in the sugar syrup. We found that it helped to use a stick to push the sponge down, so our fingers didn’t get sticky.

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Hold the sponge over the bowl to let any excess drip off, then hang some place that will attract butterflies outside.

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The craft was beautiful already, even without any visitors. I will post an update picture if a butterfly comes calling!

Try a Hike with a Carrier

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Today was hiking day for Veronika!

A baby carrier is such a great investment for experiences like these; whether the one you choose is worn on the front or the back, and whether it has baby tummy-facing or facing out, I highly encourage a hike. There is so much for your baby to learn about in nature!

Although Veronika has had plenty of moments in the carrier, today we made a big event of a family walk in the woods. Big brother Travis loved heading off on the adventure!

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Stop to point out marvels of nature, like the face in this tree.

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Or the dappled sunlight on these roots.

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We spotted lots of little chipmunks and she loved watching them scurry.

Eventually the motion did lull her to sleep, and this will likely happen to your baby on a hike too… And that’s not a bad thing! Let baby nap while you take in the calm of nature. Once she was up about forty-five minutes later, her big eyes drank in the surroundings.

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What an adventure!

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Where have you taken your baby in a carrier? Please share in the comments!

Feel the Wind

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Introducing your baby to the elements is a beautiful way to foster a lifelong love of nature. Since she was born just before winter, Veronika has already felt snowflakes, and the pitter-patter of raindrops. Now that it’s warmer, there are some new sensations I’ve been excited to introduce her to!

We had a windy but warm day today, which made it a nice day to let Veronika feel the breeze without getting a chill. It’s hard to tell in the picture above, but the leaves were whipping around! As we watched the leaves dance and felt the breeze, I signed “wind” for her as well.

Next, I sat her on a blanket in the grass simply to enjoy the feel of warm sunshine on her skin (don’t forget the sunscreen and a sun hat, of course!). “Sun” is another great sign to teach your baby, as are other general weather words like “clouds”, “rain”, and “snow”.

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Later, I removed her socks and dangled her feet in the grass for that perfect sensation of tickly grass on bare feet.

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These sensations were just a brief intro to nature, and I can’t wait for all of Veronika’s nature firsts to come: the first leaf pile to jump in, smelling a flower, watching autumn leaves turn colors and fall. What are you looking forward to in nature with your baby? Please share in the comments!

 

Exercise Outdoors

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Veronika was born just before the cold of winter set in, and all winter I couldn’t wait for fresh, spring weather. Not just so my baby girl could feel warm sun on her skin, but also because it means I get to exercise outdoors!

There’s no need to do anything fancy, but today, make a point of getting some exercise in the fresh air. You can find an easy walking or running trail near you – just make sure you have a true running stroller, if you’re going to be moving fast. Veronika loves the change of scenery when I do my power walks around the lake in our park, including a chance to see ducks and geese.

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For something a bit more organized, check out your local Stroller Strides. Veronika gets to check out the silly moves that mom does from nestled in her stroller, plus interact with the other babies! Our class has been indoors all winter, but I can’t wait for it to move out to the park once May rolls around.

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What’s your favorite way to exercise with baby outside? Please share in the comments.

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