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Fun With Nature
Exploring the Great Outdoors By Kendeyl Johansen
Close your eyes and listen for animal sounds. Can you hear dogs bark? Bees buzzing? Look for birds. Make crayon rubbings of interesting things that you find, maybe feathers, pinecones or flower petals. "When we visit my grandma's house on a lake, we take buckets down to the lake and look for 'treasures.' These could be rocks, driftwood, a feather, or anything," says Smith. While on the lookout for "treasures," keep your eyes open for the perfect soon-to-be pet rock. Your child can decorate the rock when you return home. Don't forget to free your "guests" at the end of the day.
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Immortalize your nature trip with a picture diary. "I lived in a subdivision, so the only nature we had was landscaping," says Kimberly Wright of Florida, mother of preschoolers, McKenna and Walker. "But we collected leaves and rocks and sticks and made rubbings out of them, and the kids thought it was like magic!" Take your child outside and make some magic of your own.