Summer is approaching, and parents of little ones look for ways to not just keep kids active but also find ways for them to learn. Try these educational ideas for spring and summer fun to keep kiddos engaged and outdoors.
For the Birds
The pinecone bird feeder is one of my favorite ways to do that. First, you need one or a few open pinecones. These can be purchased, but it also can be fun to explore with your kiddo first to find the pinecones.
If the pinecones you find are not open, you can bake them at 200 degrees for around an hour to open them.
Now, help your little one create a bird feeder:
- Tie twine around the top to act as a hanger.
- Add peanut butter as binding. If your little one has a peanut allergy, you can instead use shortening. Make sure all the crevices are filled with the binding.
- Add the bird seed. You can roll the pinecone firmly in the seed to make sure it’s fully coated.
You did it! Your bird feeder is complete. Hang it outside and spend some time in the sun watching to see what birds come to have a snack.
Bug Hotel
Another fun suggestion is to build a bug hotel. Together, you and your little one can gather such supplies as twigs, leaves, dirt or bark from a tree. Your kiddo can decide how big or small they want their hotel to be.
Create your “hotel rooms” in an outside area that is a bit secluded.
Once the hotel is complete, you can watch and identify what bugs are coming to stay! What do they look like? What colors are they? How many legs do they have? We love activities that get our kiddos thinking and speaking!
Treasure Hunt
A sensory texture hunt is a great way to prompt your child to identify textures found in nature. This can be done very simply or with a bit of preparation, depending on what you’re feeling that day.
Depending on the age of your kiddo, it might be helpful to print out pictures ahead of time to help them see what they are supposed to find. Once identified, discuss the texture of what they’ve found.
For children who are a bit older or more advanced, you can just prompt them verbally. “Can you find something scratchy or rough?” Ideas for things to identify could be smooth rocks or stones, soft leaves, fuzzy weeds or crunchy twigs. Use that idea with colors, too. “Can you find me something yellow?”
Nature Faces
An idea that I’m super excited to try out with my little one this spring is creating nature faces.
Simply sketch a circle on the concrete with chalk. From there, instruct your kiddo to search around outside for materials to create a face. It can be a self portrait or maybe a portrait of mom or dad.
This activity encourages creativity and helps to prompt them to search for different shapes and colors to create the face on the ground. You can make the circle really big and have them look for larger items. Or, make a small circle and small items like blades of grass and small rocks.
Just Have Fun!
There are so many options for fun outdoor play with our kiddos!
Keeping our little ones out in the sun and away from screens as much as we can, sometimes feels like a big task and a lot of pressure. I hope these ideas help you get your child excited about being out in the fresh air!
Sophie Hamel is a freelance writer and works as a crisis responder. Her son is three years old.
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