1. Explore a creek or stream.
2. Observe living creatures.
3. Have a designated spot available
for free-range creativity and loose-part play.
4. Climb trees, rocks, hills...
5. Ride on a boat or go canoeing.
6. Walk in the rain.
7. Splash in puddles.
8. Get muddy.
9. Walk in the woods or hike on a trail.
11. Visit a botanical garden, local nursery,
or secret garden.
12. Engage in digital photography.
 Photo taken by Gerrick (age 6) at a local botanical garden. |
13. Have a scavenger hunt
14. Search for four-leaf clovers or gather flowers.
15. Get a closer look with a magnifying glass,
hand-held microscope, or binoculars.
16. Experiment with a prism.
17. Blow, pop, or watch bubbles.
18. Fly a kite.
19. Paint with water on fences, walls, rocks, sidewalks...
20. Lie on the ground and look for shapes in the clouds,
watch the trees sway in the breeze or the hawks soar...
or just take a rest.
21. Ride a bicycle, scooter, skateboard, rollerblades...
22. Take some inside toys outside.
23. Roll down a hill or run through a field.
24. Blow dandelions (or beat them with sticks).
25. Build a tree house or simple fort and play in it all day.
26. Stack rocks, skip or throw them in a lake,
or search for special ones to add to a collection.
27. Relax on a blanket with a picnic and a good book.
28. Go camping or put up a tent in the backyard.
29. Build a fire; roast marshmallows or make s'mores.
30. Plant something and care for it.
31. Play with a ball, frisbee, jump rope, hula hoop,
horseshoes, croquet set...
32. Make a masterpiece with chalk.
33. Swing!
34. Draw in a nature journal.
35. Paint en plein air or paint with nature.
36. Go fishing.
37. Target shoot with a b.b. gun, bow and arrows,
Nerf gun, sling shot, etc., or have a Nerf, water,
or marshmallow gun battle.
38. Touch animals at a farm or petting zoo.
39. Wash the family car together or give the wagon
or other outdoor toys a good scrubbing.
40. Watch a sunset.
41. Make BIG, messy, experimental art.
42. Make a volcano...or just
experiment with baking soda and vinegar.
43. Make soups, mud-pies, and various other treats
in an outdoor "kitchen" or "restaurant".
46. Cool off in a sprinkler or wading pool
or go to a local pool or splash pad.
48. Observe the moon and stars on a clear night.
49. Visit a farm to pick stawberries, blueberries, or apples, or cut a pumpkin right off the vine; or harvest items from their own garden.
50. Take time to smell the roses.
*****
This is a great list - and your pictures are wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this! I just sat down and made my Spring/Summer Must Do list from some of your suggestions!! Yay!!
ReplyDeleteThis is great!
ReplyDeleteImpressive! This list took a lot of work to put together, and the pictures are absolutely beautiful!! I had to laugh at #22, because for my boys there has always been something so very magical about bringing the inside toys *outside*. Oh my...such a fabulous time! Great post. :)
ReplyDeleteNaturally, delightful! I can soak up the lovliness of nature, simply looking at the pictures.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post! :)
Love it! I made a similar list of my own last summer (minus all the fab photos you have here): http://goexplorenature.blogspot.com/2010/08/50-ways-to-explore-nature-in-your-own.html
ReplyDeleteI am in love with this list. Thank you so much for putting it out there. This is a definite share!
ReplyDeleteOh and all the pictures of your kids doing the activities were a great bonus. : )
Thanks for sharing your fun ideas on our linky!
ReplyDeletehttp://canyoucomeoutsidetoplay.blogspot.com
I am so happy to have you join our challenge!
Fantastic, Sherry! Thank you for sharing! We've done many of these things, but not often enough to make it "habit." I am totally inspired!!!
ReplyDeleteWonderful list!
ReplyDeleteFabulous list. The photos are wonderful! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLiving in the city it seems like much more of a challenge to do all of these things. Still, it inspires me to try. I can definitely see all of the benefits to living somewhere else.
ReplyDeleteNow that is an impressive list! Perfect for me with school holidays on the horizon :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great and very inspiring list of simple things that we can do with our kids! Sometimes it is easy to forget that we have everything we need and can do right at our fingertips! Beautiful pictures to go along with it all.
ReplyDelete:)Lisa
Oh my goodness...I love the photos of G as a little, tiny boy.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how he's grown since I started reading your blog--he's like a "big kid" now.
Great list--and I'm proud to say we can easily check off all 50!
Great ideas, and what wonderful memories you all must have!
ReplyDeleteDelightful! Boys and the great outdoors always make for a good time at our home as well!
ReplyDeleteI'm inspired to bring the inside toys outside :).
ReplyDeleteAwesome list! Thanks for sharing. Your pictures are great too.
ReplyDeleteA great post!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great list! All the best that nature has to offer! #43 looks a bit like your kids are in a fairy garden, such a beautiful setting!
ReplyDeleteawesome list! Makes me excited for Spring!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! Love all your ideas and beautiful pics!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely list! The photos add so very much to an already amazing list. Visting from Magic Onions today.
ReplyDeleteLove the list, and to be outside with my littles!
ReplyDeleteJust added myself as a follower!
Amazing list. I loved reading through it. And the photos! I love the dins through that beautiful blond boy hair.
ReplyDeleteOh... I can't wait for spring!! We still have snow! Although yesterday, we were playing baseball IN the snow because it was nearly 50 degrees out and sunny. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this fun post with the CM Carnival! Letterboxing is new to me and looks like like something we would enjoy.
ReplyDeletePainting with water is one of my favorites for keeping small hands 'good kind' of busy while schooling the older.
What a wonderful list of things to do out in the fresh air. And they are all such classic activities I can imagine kids did all day everyday in the past. So beautiful. My little man is just 2 so some of these we will look forward to doing when he is older.
ReplyDeleteLove this! The simple things in life are so important!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a terrific list. I am making a to do list for this summer from them!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful list!
ReplyDeleteFantastic ideas and beautiful photos! Your family certainly have wonderful times outdoors!
ReplyDeleteWow! What a great list! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThis is an amazing list and fantastic pictures! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure your kid had a blast! Great outdoor adventure.
ReplyDelete