Explore the Backyard

You and your kids will need a backyard for this activity. Even if you live in an apartment, chances are there is some small patch of trees and/or shrubs and maybe even a bit of grass. Don’t discount that patch of greenery.

Oftentimes, we overlook the things closest to us, and that includes nature. Granted a patch of grass shaded by a tree isn’t the same as local conservation land with paths leading you through acres of forests, fields, or wetlands, but you can still explore.

• Give kids a magnifying glass for getting an up close view of insects, seeds, soil, leaves, flower parts, etc.
• A collection jar with holes doesn’t cost a lot of money (check dollar stores) and gives kids the chance to hold onto insects, worms, and small frogs for a short period, giving them the opportunity to examine the creature. Keep the creatures out of direct sun and release them after ten-or-fifteen minutes.
• A white pillow case or piece of fabric will allow kids to set their discoveries – including crawling insects – on the ground while providing maximum contrast.
• Paper and crayons, markers, or watercolors encourages children to take a closer look at their discoveries as they create a journal entry or create a picture.
• A digital camera also encourages exploration, particularly if you challenge a child to take a certain number of photographs of their surroundings.
• With kids ages 8-or-9 and up, you might want to supply some “First” field guides that can help the children to identify the trees, flowers, or insects around them. Trying to identify aspects of nature is something like solving a mystery – can the children notice enough clues that will lead them to the correct conclusion.

Don’t worry if kids don’t stay “on task” by accomplishing some specific exploration. Get them outside with a hook, “Can we find any caterpillars in the garden?” and then watch them discover the things that most interest them.

Backyard Nature Fun

Whether your child loves collecting rocks or looking at insects, you don't have to travel far to encourage their interest in nature. By looking at the nature in their backyard, kids learn that nature is all around them and that it isn't limited to rainforests and polar bears that they can watch on television.

Below are links to explorations, games, and craft projects that kids can do in their own backyard, some on their own and other activities with at least one other child (or adult).

Play This Magic Square Nature Collection Game
Go Bug Collecting for Outdoor Fun
Make a Stone Cairn
Nature Memory Games
Backyard Games that Get Kids Playing in Nature
Activities for Kids Who Collect Rocks
How to Discover What Worms Need to Survive

Kid Science for Parents

Are you intimidated by the idea of going into nature with your child because you don’t know a lot about nature? It really isn’t necessary to know a lot about nature in order to enjoy it. Although I am an environmental educator, I’ve come to believe that it is more important to simply go outside and experience nature with your senses than it is to identify trees and birdsong and expound on the process of photosynthesis.

However, some facts are useful. For example, frogs, toads, and turtles, when picked up, will release a prodigious stream of urine to make them less appetizing to the creature that picked them up. (Remember, although we could use our hands, most creatures would have scooped up these critters into their mouths. – There is a fun fact that’s sure to be a hit with the kids!) So, where is a parent to start?

Go to the juvenile section of your public library. Don’t go crazy trying to learn a little bit of everything in a week. Pick a topic that is a favorite with your child – birds, frogs, insects. Now, these books aren’t for your child, they aren’t for you to read to your child; these books are for you to read. Don’t belittle starting with kids’ books these will give you a lot of the basics that you need to build on. Flip through a few books for grades 1 and 2, if they seem simplistic then go with books for grades 3 through 5.

Fourteen years ago when I started my switch into the environmental field, I didn’t have a science background (I was an English major who then taught English classes). Science books for adults were overwhelming. So, I’d go to the library and read a dozen or so books on a topic and then go off and teach about the topic.

The more you read about a topic the more sense it will make. The first time you learn a fact, it just kind of floats around in your mind wondering where to rest. When you see the same information numerous times it becomes easier to both remember those facts and learn new facts. Other advantages to reading science books for kids is that they are a quick read and they have lots of pictures – and even adults can appreciate that!