One of my favorite ways to introduce science to my children is through nature walks. Nature walks allow for hands-on learning, observation, and conversation. Not only that, it allows my children to appreciate and have a love for their natural surroundings.
Neighborhood Nature Walks With Young Children
Nature walks do not need to be complicated. As a mom with four young children, I need to be close to home. In order for my family to plan nature walks in our week, it has to be easy or it just won’t happen. Many times all my family does is step outside! Our own neighborhood has its own natural treasures to find.
Nature Study And Toddlers
One very windy day, a small evergreen tree caught the attention of my 1yr. old. It was swaying in the wind, almost inviting her to come over and inspect it. She stood there for awhile, just touching the pine needles and smiling. Nature observation happened right in our own backyard (Of course not everything in nature can be touched! Watch small children closely.)
In our area, maple seeds blanket the area in the fall. Since these seeds are everywhere we look, I had my daughter grab a handful so that we could observe them. What were these things? Why do you think they have the long “tail”? What happens when we throw one up in the air?
Then we removed the covering to find the seed. What color is the seed? What do you think will grow from this seed? What does a seed need in order to grow? These were some of the questions that were asked as we observed maple seeds right in our own backyard.
When we were cleaning up our backyard, I lifted a flower pot and found a slug. I called my 3-year old over to see. What is this? Which end is the head? What are those two pointy-things at the top? (optic tentacles) What do you think they are used for?
My daughters have their own paper bag nature journal. The inside pages have a place where they can draw what they have observed on their walk. They can also glue nature items, or collect items and place them in the bag. There are so many ways to use paper bag books and they are the perfect size for preschoolers.
Sometimes though, I need to step away and just let my children enjoy nature on their own without the purposeful direction and questions. When I do this, I find they usually come up with questions on their own that we talk about and take time to study later.
Enjoy ALL of our preschool nature studies plus access to the Outdoor Hour Challenges curriculum for the whole family in Homeschool Nature Study Membership.
By Maureen Spell, a long-time contributor to the Outdoor Hour Challenges.Maureen helps Christian mompreneurs operate their business from a place of joy, purpose, and excellence because they are clear on how their business is serving their family and others. As a homeschool mom, she believes success at home AND business without the mom-guilt, stress and burn-out is possible! Outside of work, she loves having good conversations over a hot chai or GT Gingerberry kombucha and spending time with her husband and seven children. Visit her at MaureenSpell.com
Imagine making unforgettable memories with your children through outdoor play. Laughter, smiles, and a time of connecting as a family are only a few virtues of simply getting outside. Immersing ourselves outdoors with our children also cultivates relationships, encourages bonding, and nurtures our mental health. These 5 outdoor games are the very best to encourage a love of the outdoors and have fun!
The Importance Of Outdoor Play
“Years of research have revealed how vital being out in nature is to our mental health: from listening to water trickle, smelling the forest air, or staring at fractals and cobwebs, it all counts as healing, soul-stirring endeavor that we’d do well to invest time in as much as we can. All children benefit from being outside whether homeschooled or otherwise.”
In her book, Modern Miss Mason, Ms. Boden asserts,
“When we step outdoors, we find the seeds of science, biology, physics, history, mathematics, and more.”
Ms. Boden (p. 107)
In a recent outdoor time of exploring the beaches, my toddler was captivated by all the ladybugs congregating on an old log. He observed with interest and admired the ladybug’s arrangement: from her little legs, her coloring, and her black dots. My smitten toddler added four new words to his vocabulary, “babybug” (ladybug), “bots” (dots), “bwack” (black), and “wed” (red). We added a bit of mathematics as he counted Ms. Babybug’s legs and her little black dots. This time outside encouraged bonding, self-education, communication skills, and unfolded multiple subjects in a natural way.
When we create time to step into nature, a realm of gentle learning happens that is beneficial to a child’s development:
patience
teamwork
observation skills
fine and gross motor skills
and so much more!
So, how do we reap the all the benefits of outdoor time? And how do we involve our children outside more? Let’s take a look at a few ways we can facilitate this special time in nature with our loved ones.
The 5 Best Outdoor Games For Kids
Are you interested in spending valuable time outdoors with your children? Do you desire to hear a lot of giggles, build gross and fine motor skills, shape social skills, practice teamwork, and foster family connections? Try the five best outdoor games for kids. We have included games that are perfect for all ages. Beware! When you’re all done, you may hear your children eagerly exclaiming, “Mom, let’s play that again!”
Sack Races
This game is extremely easy and fun. Sack races also help with getting those wriggles out. Start your players with boundaries by creating a “start” line and a “finish” line. Each player places both feet in a sac or pillow. When they hear a “START!” or “GO!”, all players hop to the finish line. The first one to the finish line wins!
Sharks and Minnows
Sharks and Minnows is among one of our favorites. I love it because you don’t need any equipment, just a space large enough to run back and forth. There are several versions of Sharks and Minnows, but if this is your first time playing, I suggest beginning with the most basic rules.
Begin by setting your boundaries and safe zones; one safe zone on one end of the field and another on the other end. Pick one player to be the Shark, the rest are minnows. The minnows place themselves on the safe zone. The Shark places himself in the middle of the field. When he is ready, he calls the minnows out.
The goal of the minnows is to get safely to the other side of the field into the safe zone without getting tagged. Once they arrive at the safe zone, they are safe. If they are tagged by the shark, the minnows then turn into a shark and help tag the remaining minnows. When there is only one minnow left, it is time for the next round. The last standing minnow is the shark in the next round.
Croquette
This colorful game involves stakes, wickets, mallets, balls, and two to six players. Each player picks a colorful ball and a mallet to match. Players take turns hitting the ball through the wickets. The key is to make sure that the balls pass through the wickets and stakes in the correct order. The player who scores all fourteen wickets and two stakes wins!
Water Balloon Fight
You can play so many games with water balloons! We love to simply fill up a lot of water balloons and throw them at one another. Although this game is a blast, we find it helpful to create boundaries before the fun begins. Each family is different and may need to tailor boundaries to fit their family size and dynamics.
On a Roll
Homeschool Nature Study provides a link to this enjoyable game titled, On a Roll. It’s easy to create and is wonderful for fine and gross motor skills. Using a shovel (we used a plastic shovel that came with our beach toys), dig holes big enough to fit a tennis ball. We formed the holes very similar to the way bowling pins are set up; in a triangular pattern. Then roll the tennis ball and try to land it in the holes!
More Fun Outdoor Game Ideas
Tug of War
Hide and Seek
Eye Spy
Three Flies Up
Wiffle Ball
Homeschool Nature Study And Outdoor Play
Nature simply promotes outdoor play. When a child embarks on a journey outside, he has the freedom to explore, use his imagination, run in the grass, jump in a puddle, build a fort, touch a friendly frog, create. It’s delightful to watch a child engage in activities that are pure and lovely and learn at the very same time. Would you like to spend more time in nature with your children? Do you have a desire to make outdoor time a habit whether it’s participating in outdoor activities or simply taking a walk?
Unearth the benefits of spending outside time with your children and watch dynamic learning unfold with the Homeschool Nature Study membership. Homeschool Nature Study is designed to support your child’s healthy development, encourage outdoor time with your family, and nurture relationships. It’s equipped with endless outdoor hour challenges, courses, nature crafts, and an interactive nature calendar that keep children involved and engaged.
That’s not all! Getting outdoors isn’t beneficial just for children! It’s essential for us moms too. Homeschool Nature Study offers the Outdoor Mom Series just for mothers. Shirley Vels writes monthly devotionals that stir a time of quietness in our hearts, reflection, and the desire to slow down…even if it is for five minutes. Included are ideas for outdoor time for mom and nature journal prompts! You don’t want to miss it.
Be Inspired. Be Encouraged. Get Outdoors!
Jamie is the author of A Brown Bear’s Language Arts Study, a literature-inspired homeschool mom of eight, and a former educator. She enjoys a bookshelf bursting with colorful picture books and children’s stories of all genres. Indulging in a read aloud with all of her children around her is one of Jamie’s favorite moments of her days. Be sure to find Jamie on Instagram and visit her blog, Treasuring the Tiny Moments Homeschool, to be encouraged by all her learning adventures with her wonderful family.
Sometimes the attention of our children during our nature study time is short-lived and they get distracted from making careful observations. There is nothing wrong with letting them explore on their own. But, I also would like to encourage you to come up with a few “tricks” to keeping them interested in nature study. This fun insect study is a great way to encourage nature study in your homeschool.
One of the ideas I am sharing this week is to allow your child to use a digital camera or the camera on your phone to take photos of things they find of interest. In particular, try to get them to see things from a different perspective.
Activities and Resources For a Fun Insect Study
Take a photo from a bug’s perspective and then complete the notebook page for your nature journal.
Download Your FREE Bug’s Eye View Printable
Get your free bug’s eye view printable with fun prompts, below:
“Insects are among the most interesting and available of all living creatures for nature study. The lives of many of them afford more interesting stories than are found in fairy lore; many of them show exquisite colors; and, most important of all, they are small and are, therefore, easily confined for observation.”
Handbook of Nature Study, page 294
Make a Butterfly Puddle to Learn More About Butterflies
If your child is more interested in butterflies, you can do the same Bug’s Eye View study of butterflies. Here are some great ideas for making a butterfly puddle for closer observation of these favorite insects.
More Insect Learning for Homeschool Nature Study Members
Our members can also enjoy these great resources!
Insect studies for each season included in these courses: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter
Insect and Invertebrates Nature Study Grid (fun prompts for your insect study)
Butterfly Journal Page
Insect Photo Hunt Printable
Suggestions Getting Started in Homeschool Nature Study
If you already own this ebook, this week’s challenge would be a great addition. You can get your FREE copy, HERE. The Getting Started ebook has a complete selection of generic nature journal pages at the back for you to print and use with any challenge.
It would be great fun to have a picnic for your nature study! (Picnic ideas HERE!) Have your meal outdoors and then take a few minutes to take your Bug’s Eye View photos.
More Resources For Homeschool Nature Study
For even more homeschool nature study ideas, join us in Homeschool Nature Study membership! You’ll receive new ideas each and every week that require little or no prep – all bringing the Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool!
After many, many days of grey, dreary weather–we needed a change! So for this week I checked out Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert.
This book is a fun way to introduce children to gardening. Each page has vibrant illustrations of bulbs and flowers. Children can see how different plants and flowers come in all different colors—-all the colors of the rainbow.
After reading the book, my daughter worked on a color-matching game and did a flower craft.
Planting a Rainbow File-folder Game:
Supplies 1 file folder 1 large piece of black fun foam or construction paper colorful craft sticks glue Directions: 1. Glue the craft sticks onto one half of the file-folder in the order shown in the book: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple.
2. Glue the piece of black fun foam/construction paper over the bottoms of the sticks to represent the soil.
3. Tape a large Ziplock bag on the other half to hold the rest of the popsicle sticks for matching.
4. Have the child place the matching colors on top of the glued-down sticks.
5. Optional: On plain wooden sticks, write the name of each color and have the student try to match the color name to the colored stick.
6. Optional: Use different color flower punch-outs or foam shapes and have the children match the correct color flower to the correct color stick.
Planting a Rainbow Flower Nature Craft
Our Homeschool Nature Study members enjoy this fun Planting a Rainbow nature craft! You can even add a cute, little worm in the dirt!
Do you like the idea of involving young children in nature study but not sure how to start? Do you need a little help being intentional with your nature studies? Nature Study Printables is full of printable tools for you to use to get young children observing and talking about nature! Everything you need for engaging nature crafts for kids!
Nature Study Printables for Toddlers and Preschoolers is a 60+ page eBook included in Homeschool Nature Study Membership containing all of our toddler and preschool nature study printables plus 20 exclusive pages available only in this book! Use these tools alongside Homeschool Nature Study Preschool Curriculum to help informally introduce young children to the natural world around them.
Join us for even more homeschool nature studies for all the seasons! With a nature study each week, you will have joyful learning leading all the way through the homeschool year for all your ages!
By Maureen Spell, a long-time contributor to the Outdoor Hour Challenges.Maureen helps Christian mompreneurs operate their business from a place of joy, purpose, and excellence because they are clear on how their business is serving their family and others. As a homeschool mom, she believes success at home AND business without the mom-guilt, stress and burn-out is possible! Outside of work, she loves having good conversations over a hot chai or GT Gingerberry kombucha and spending time with her husband and seven children. Visit her at MaureenSpell.com
Find nature studies on bees for all ages! Learn the different types of bees, visit a bee farm, play bee games, create a bee garden habitat or house and more!
An Awesome List of Nature Studies on Bees and Bumblebees
In an attempt to attract native mason bees to my garden, I purchased a mason bee house a few years ago. ( I purchased this one: Esschert Design WA02 Bee House which is my amazon.com link) It just seems to make sense to me to help support any local pollinator in my rather eclectic front yard habitat. There are plenty of bees already but lately I have been observing the insects more closely. In the past I have lumped all bees together, not really taking time to identify the various kinds of bees. Even when I took part in the Great Sunflower Project and counted bees, I really had a hard time noting the different types. If you are interested in some bee identification cards, you can find them at the Great Sunflower Project.
I am attempting to educate myself…love learning new things about the creation around me right in my own yard. So, after a little digging around, I stumbled upon some information that was new to me. I guess I always assumed that all bees lived in colonies. Wrong. There are many bees that are considered “solitary bees” and live as individuals, sometimes living next to each other but not in a hive.
Learn About the Types of Bees
Here are a few basics:
Leafcutter Bee:This bee cuts a clean bit of leaf to use in its nest. I have noticed leaves in my garden that may have been used by leafcutters and now you can be sure I will be looking even more carefully. Also, they gather pollen on their bellies and not in the pollen baskets on their hind legs.
Mason Bee:These are bees that use mud to construct their nests. They create the nest in hollow tubes like the one in my pre-made mason bee house. These bees are excellent pollinators. My research says they are out and about from May to late June or July.
Carpenter Bee: These bees make their nests in wood, usually rotting and old or damaged wood.
Tricia’s family enjoyed a backyard study of bees and investigated a carpenter bee, honey bee, paper wasp, yellow jacket and more! Checkout their Bees and Buzzy Insects Nature Study.
Learn About Bee Houses
Mason Bee House Video– interesting to watch this video showing five minutes of activity at the house.
Information on building a bee house: National Wildlife Federation. A bee house would be a wonderful addition to your wildlife habitat!
Preschool Science: Learning About Bees
As part of our farm unit study for this semester we’ve been visiting all types of farms. We recently visited a bee farm! We learned all about bees, honey and products made with beeswax! During the week we pulled out various bee books, printables, games and activities for a mini-unit on bees.
Bees are such wonderful and helpful creatures. From pollinating flowers to making honey, we could not live without them. Go ahead and explore the world of bees with your child, preschool class, daycare or homeschool co-op. Use these bee ideas as a science unit, a unit to go along with Letter of the Week or a spring-themed week. I’ve included free bee printable coloring sheets and games I’ve created for my children and local co-op class plus other fun ideas.
Learning about bees came at the perfect time for my family. I have one member who is not very fond of bees, so I figured learning more about them would help her have a healthy respect for these creatures as she learned about their importance in our ecosystem.
Honey Bee Farm Field Trip
Our Farm Field Trip group visited a large honey farm where we learned about bees from a bee keeper, tasted honey sticks, saw beeswax candles being made and even got to fill our own honey bottles.
This was a great field trip because we got to experience bees in a different way than we do in our back yard. The bee keeper was able to teach the students about bees, what to do when you are around them and why they are so important to have in our environment. He took a section of the hive and was able to show the students the honey comb, worker bees and the queen. He shared why he had to use the “smoker” while handling the bees (it throws off their communication.) And don’t worry— he was in a screened in tent with the bees while we watched from the outside. 🙂
Picking Up Pollen Bee Game
Supplies:
bouncy balls, ping pong balls or pom poms
bags
several small bowls
Bee Game Directions:
Flowers have pollen and that is just what bees love to collect. Set out several “flowers” with pollen (bowls, trays etc. filled with balls or pom poms) around the room.
Give each child a bag. Have them step into the handle so it is on one leg and place the other handle on their arm. This represents the sacks on the back of a bee’s leg that holds the pollen . (If that’s too difficult for the child, let them put it on their arm). Have the children collect the pollen and bring back to the hive (select a place to be the hive like a big tub to place all the “pollen”).
Female bees have a structure on their legs that no other insects, including wasps, have: a pollen basket. The basket is made of rows of stiff hairs that arch to form a hollow space on the outside of the bees’ legs, usually her back legs. When a bee visits a flower, she combs grains of pollen into her baskets. Pollen from the flower also sticks to the bee’s hair.
We have some toddler/preschool bee-themed printables by Maureen Spell in Homeschool Nature Study Membership! Members, log in and go to your Preschool Course to find a bee number count and a bee color match printable.
Our sister site, You ARE an ARTiST, has a variety of bee art lessons to enjoy! Including a fun, Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree art lesson.
Making a Bee Habitat
I have talked before here on the blog and in my newsletter about creating a wildlife habitat in your yard. This is something that has brought such joy to our family and I highly recommend getting started even if it is in a small way like hanging a mason bee house.
In homeschool nature study membership, find Outdoor Hour Challenges on bees, yellow jackets and mud daubers. Join us for even more homeschool nature studies for all the seasons! With a nature study plan for each week, you will have joyful learning leading all the way through the homeschool year for all your ages!
My daughters have their own paper bag nature journal. The inside pages have a place where they can draw what they have observed on our nature walk. This is a perfect nature craft for kids!
Preschool Science Through Nature Study
They can also glue nature items, or collect items and place them in the bag. We have several nature flashcards that were purchased last year at for less than a dollar. When we’ve found one of the items on the flashcard (i.e. an ant) we place that card in the bag or on the page as a reference sheet.
There are so many ways to use paper bag books and they are the perfect size for preschoolers.
How to Make a Homemade Nature Journal From a Paper Bag
Paper bag journals are so easy to make and are a great size for little children to handle. Watch the video below for directions.
I just love using paper bag books as nature journals! It is just the right size for little preschool hands. They also can be customized in so many different ways that no one book will look alike. You can include observation pages, a song page, a cut-and-paste label-it page, and more.
Free Homemade Nature Journal Paper Bag Pages
Simply fill out the form to receive your free printable Nature Journal Paper Bag Pages, below!
More Nature Crafts For Kids With The Homeschool Nature Study Membership
Do you like the idea of involving young children in nature study but not sure how to start? Do you need a little help being intentional with your nature studies? Nature Study Printables is full of printable tools for you to use to get young children observing and talking about nature! Everything you need for engaging nature crafts for kids!
Nature Study Printables for Toddlers and Preschoolers is a 60+ page eBook included in Homeschool Nature Study Membership containing all of our toddler and preschool nature study printables plus 20 exclusive pages available only in this book! Use these tools alongside Homeschool Nature Study Preschool Curriculum to help informally introduce young children to the natural world around them.
Join us for even more homeschool nature studies for all the seasons! With a nature study each week, you will have joyful learning leading all the way through the homeschool year for all your ages!
By Maureen Spell, a long-time contributor to the Outdoor Hour Challenges.Maureen helps Christian mompreneurs operate their business from a place of joy, purpose, and excellence because they are clear on how their business is serving their family and others. As a homeschool mom, she believes success at home AND business without the mom-guilt, stress and burn-out is possible! Outside of work, she loves having good conversations over a hot chai or GT Gingerberry kombucha and spending time with her husband and seven children. Visit her at MaureenSpell.com
What a joyous time to enjoy the outdoors at a slow and delightful pace! These July activities for summer nature study are packed full of fun ideas for your family. Don’t miss the July nature craft and the Outdoor Mom for members!
Our homeschool nature study curriculum for summer is inspired by the wonderful nature book, Discover Nature at Sundown. Find out more about this lovely resource and enjoy a free Sunset Nature Walk printable!
More Summer Nature Study Activities
If it is too hot and humid for outdoor study, try these helpful tips! Too many mosquitoes? (We are learning about mosquitoes too!) Our Homeschool Nature Study members have a monthly Nature Study Calendar at their fingertips. Each day has a new nature study prompt! Learn and have fun while it is hot outside.
FUN Summer Nature Study Photo Challenge! Enjoy a fun summer nature study photo challenge plus first day of summer ideas! I don’t know about you but I’m so very ready for the summer season! The most noticeable change is the amount of daylight. The sun is up early and it lingers in the evenings.
Take an Early Morning Hike – enjoy these tips and inspiration for getting outside in the cool of the day!
Study Nature as You Travel This Summer – If you are planning a trip to a natural area to enjoy the outdoors, you may want to include nature study for your summer travel plans. Implement some of the ideas below to enhance your outdoor time.
Last Child in the Woods – Encouragement for Homeschool Parents – A book can transform your thinking completely or it can validate what you have experienced in your own life. Some books do both, like Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. This is a must read book for all homeschool families who are endeavoring to expose their children to the natural world on a regular basis.
A Spectacular Night Sky Nature Study for Your Summer Homeschool
Take some time this next week to get outside at night and enjoy a beautiful night sky homeschool nature study. Allow plenty of time for your eyes to adjust to the darkness and just enjoy gazing up at the heavens. Use some of these suggestions to get started with some simple night sky observations. Get your free Night Observations Printable HERE!
July Flower Craft Activity for Kids
Victoria shares, “Summer is in full swing with our gardens bursting with colour, so these flower tapestries are a brilliant way to celebrate the new blooms. With only a hand full of supplies you can capture summers bounty in a unique and artful way; using these tapestries to decorate your home or flowerpots outside.”
The Outdoor Mom Encouragement and Nature Study Prompts
Shirley shares, “For children summer seems to last forever. The days are long, lessons are over until the fall and there is so much to do and enjoy. One could be forgiven for thinking that we have endless time to enjoy these long, hot days. However, as adults we know that this is not the case. In fact, time seems to rush by the older one gets!
In this post I hope to encourage you to make the most of July and to take every opportunity to live each of its days with joy, peace and purpose.”
Enjoy ideas for the creative outdoor mom using lavender and making gifts, visiting a pick your own fruit farm, lovely recipes for your picked fruit, July nature journal and outdoor prompts and more!
Enjoy an Outdoor Homeschool This Year!
The Joy of Nature Study for Your Homeschool Year – We are excited to announce several fun resources that will make is easy for you to add the joy of nature study for your homeschool year! “Make this a time to learn a little something new about your world. Finding time for these challenges will help this season be one that your child will not only learn something new but make special memories for a lifetime.” – Barbara McCoy (founder of The Outdoor Hour Challenges)
Enjoy these preschool printables alongside our Delightful Preschool Homeschool Nature Study Curriculum!
Do you like the idea of involving young children in nature study but not sure how to start? Do you need a little help being intentional with your nature studies? Nature Study Printables is full of printable tools for you to use to get young children observing and talking about nature!
Nature Study Printables For Toddlers And Preschoolers: An Overview
Nature Study Printables for Toddlers and Preschoolers is a 60+ page eBook containing all of our toddler and preschool nature study printables plus 20 exclusive pages available only in this book! Use these tools to help informally introduce young children to the natural world around them.
Table of Contents:
*Debunking Preschool Science Myths *Neighborhood Nature Walks with Young Children *10 Tips for Studying Nature with Toddlers and Preschoolers *Printable I Spy Cards
Animal Edition
Spring Edition
Garden Edition
Fall Edition
Winter Edition
*Printable Nature Booklets
Ants
Butterflies
Fish
Worms
Nature
Frogs
Ladybugs
F.A.Q.’s About Nature Study Printables For Toddlers And Preschoolers
Copypaper and cardstock. Basic supplies such as binoculars and a magnifying glass are fun tools to have on hand but are not necessary. If you don’t have frogs, butterflies, ants, worms, or ladybugs on hand to observe there are kits available for purchase.
How do you make the preschool nature journals?
How to make easy preschool science nature journals.
Fun Preschool Learning in Homeschool Nature Study Membership
Enjoy relaxed preschool nature study plans for your homeschool with nature table suggestions, simple nature study activities, field trip ideas, images to print, coloring pages, and so much more. What a privilege to introduce children to the glorious world God created!
Have children eager to be outside? You can think of the earliest years outdoors with your children as the way to grow a love and curiosity about the natural world. This habit develops gradually over their childhood. The earlier you start building a habit of nature study in your family, the easier it will be to encourage children to be engaged in nature study.
By Maureen Spell, a long-time contributor to the Outdoor Hour Challenges.Maureen helps Christian mompreneurs operate their business from a place of joy, purpose, and excellence because they are clear on how their business is serving their family and others. As a homeschool mom, she believes success at home AND business without the mom-guilt, stress and burn-out is possible! Outside of work, she loves having good conversations over a hot chai or GT Gingerberry kombucha and spending time with her husband and seven children. Visit her at MaureenSpell.com
This guide has everything you need for camping activities for kids. Includes ideas for preschool through high school.
Family Camping Activities for All Ages
You might want to start with the super simple ideas in our Backyard Camping: Fun for the Whole Family! If you have been reluctant to try camping, this is an easy way to test it out with your family closer to home. You may just end up liking it! Who knows where you will take your tent next? Make memories together that will last a lifetime.
S’mores are another natural start to family camping activities. Roasting marshmallows around the campfire is an experience we all need to check off our summer bucket list. Find an easy s’mores recipe here.
One fun family camping activity for kids is to plan a picnic! Even a snack in your backyard will make for a fun time together outdoors. You will be surprised at all you notice while you are outside.
Keeping your running Calendar of Firsts updated – mark the first campfire of the season and any other camping discoveries in your nature journal.
If you are camping towards the end of summer, you might enjoy this fun Last Days of Summer printable and have fun checking off the items!
Of course, camping in the backyard is fun but here are some ideas for nature study while you travel for your camping adventures.
You might want to take along the book, Last Child in the Woods, to read while you are camping!
And if you’d like to skip the mosquitoes all together, consider Online Summer Art Camp with our sister site, You ARE an ARTiST, for some really fun activities including a treasure map, a camp song, your own backyard tent site and campfire.
The Curriculum Choice also has a great round up of summer camp fun for your family.
Enjoy a family homeschool river study finding crawdads and crayfish!
Have a creek near by? What a great way to make memories together. This study is part of Homeschool Nature Study membership and is so much fun!
Camping Activities For Kids: Toddlers and Preschoolers
This summer, many families will be joining the Great American Backyard Campout. In honor of that event, I thought I’d share some toddler and preschool camping activities you can do camping at a camp ground or in your own backyard. Here are five toddler and preschool camping activities to keep your kids exploring and entertained:
Even my 19mo. old was able to join in our treasure quest. She was quite proud of all the rocks she found.
1. Nature Walks and Nature Treasure Hunts
Sometimes we use our printable Nature I Spy cards when on our hikes, or we have a certain object that is the “treasure” of the walk that we must find. On this particular walk we were looking for rock and sea shell treasures (Be sure to know the rules of the campground and whether or not you can remove items found in nature.) Find printable Nature I Spy cards in Homeschool Nature Study membership.
My 3yr. old was thrilled whenever she found a shell. It’s not every day that we find shells in the Midwest.
2. Nature Crafts: Create Nature Sculptures
Now I had a specific purpose in mind when we went on our various treasure hunts. We were going to use these nature treasure to make nature sculptures.
I made a batch of lavender playdough ahead of time and brought it with. The girls used this to make various sculptures and imprints of the objects they had collected on our nature walks. For the lavender playdough recipe, check out Sun Hats & Wellies post on making natural nature playdough.
3. Outdoor Games For Kids: Rock Memory Game
My 19mo. old was so good at collecting rocks that we had enough to make our own rock memory game!
I just used a Sharpie marker to make simple designs on the rocks and flipped them over for an easy game of memory!
4. Bandana Bingo
I found these Bandana Bingo games a few years ago and love how easy they are to carry along on a hike or camping. We own Bug Bingo, but there are other boards available. This is fun to play in teams and see who can find the most items on the grid.
5. Camping Clipboards
Each of my children have their own clipboard (afflink) that stores paper and pencils. I fill these clipboards with blank paper, some printed activities such as the nocturnal animals sort, and a couple of pencils. Sometimes they draw their nature treasures, do tree bark rubbings, or just doodle. They love their clipboards and I’m thankful for a quiet sitting activity that they can do.
Camping Activities for Older Children
Oregon Camping – some beautiful tidal pools, beach and trees to explore!
Homeschool Nature Study Printables for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Do you like the idea of involving young children in nature study but not sure how to start? Do you need a little help being intentional with your nature studies? Nature Study Printables is full of printable tools for you to use to get young children observing and talking about nature!
Nature Study Printables for Toddlers and Preschoolers is a 60+ page eBook included in Homeschool Nature Study Membership containing all of our toddler and preschool nature study printables plus 20 exclusive pages available only in this book! Use these tools alongside Homeschool Nature Study Preschool Curriculum to help informally introduce young children to the natural world around them.
Homeschool Nature Study Membership
Join us for even more homeschool nature studies for all the seasons! With a new nature study each week, you will have joyful learning leading all the way through the homeschool year for all your ages!
Do you have any family camping or camping with toddlers and preschoolers tips? Will you be doing a backyard campout this year?
By Maureen Spell, a long-time contributor to the Outdoor Hour Challenges.Maureen helps Christian mompreneurs operate their business from a place of joy, purpose, and excellence because they are clear on how their business is serving their family and others. As a homeschool mom, she believes success at home AND business without the mom-guilt, stress and burn-out is possible! Outside of work, she loves having good conversations over a hot chai or GT Gingerberry kombucha and spending time with her husband and seven children. Visit her at MaureenSpell.com
Backyard Camping with The Great American Backyard Campout
Each year, The National Wildlife Federation sponsors the Great American Backyard Campout and you are invited. From their website,”Spend the night under the stars with National Wildlife Federation and take your family’s first step into a lifetime filled with healthy, outdoor fun.”
If you have been reluctant to try camping, this is an easy way to test it out with your family closer to home. You may just end up liking it! Who knows where you will take your tent next?
I know that sleeping outdoors can seem scary and unfamiliar but overcoming the fear of being outside at night is worth the effort. You will realize there are some amazing things going on between sunset and sunrise right in your own backyard!
Combine nature study with an overnight backyard campout and you will build family memories that last a lifetime.
Nature Study Ideas from the Outdoor Hour Challenge for Backyard Camping Fun
Stars and Moon (winter study you can adapt – Winter Curriculum)
Sounds (Summer Curriculum)
Night Blooming Flowers (Summer Curriculum)
Pick a challenge, read the pages in the Handbook of Nature Study, and then look for an opportunity to apply what you learned. Keep it fun and always, always, always follow your child’s lead if they find something they are interested in. You can follow up with a library book or a Google search in the morning.
Bring a few art supplies outdoors and your nature journal so you are prepared if you find something of interest. If you have a nature related storybook or a favorite outdoor adventure book, bring it out for some after dark reading with a flashlight.
More than anything else, be aware of your surroundings and use all your senses, when you can’t rely on your vision…listen, feel, and smell the nighttime in your backyard. Try to spend a few minutes just sitting quietly in the dark if your children are able and see what you notice. Even a few seconds of quiet is good for younger children.
Summer Nature Study with Homeschool Nature Study Membership
Join us for even more homeschool nature studies for all the seasons! With a new nature study each week, you will have joyful learning leading all the way through the homeschool year for all your ages!
