Growing a cut flower garden with kids 

Starting and growing a cut flower garden is a relaxing and beautiful hobby. Involving children in the planning, growing, and harvesting of flowers can be a great learning and bonding experience. No matter your previous gardening experience, this post is designed to help you get started growing your own cut flower garden. I’m sharing some great plants to start off incorporating into your garden or yard, including a list of the easiest flowers to grow for kids and beginners. 

What is a cut flower garden?

A cut flower garden is a garden specifically for flowers or foliage that will be harvested for fresh or dried bouquets and flower arrangements. The flowers are selected based on their bloom time, size, and color. Ideally, they have long stems and bright colors and maintain a long shelf life in a vase. Cut flowers can be annuals or perennials, flowers, filler plants, bushes, and foliage. Purposefully choosing a wide variety of flowers with differing bloom times will allow you to enjoy bouquets throughout the growing season, including spring, summer, and fall. These plants intended for cutting can be planted throughout your outdoor landscaping or in a separate area designated for cutting. 

Benefits of growing a cut flower garden with kids

Growing a cut flower garden with kids can offer numerous benefits and educational opportunities. Here are a few benefits of growing a cut flower garden with your kids:

• Botanical knowledge: Kids can learn about various flowers, their life cycles, and the different parts of plants.
• Science skills: Observing the growth process teaches them about biology, ecology, and the importance of sunlight, water, and soil.
• Responsibility: Caring for the garden instills a sense of responsibility as kids learn to water, weed, and nurture the plants.
• Patience and delayed gratification: Waiting for flowers to bloom teaches patience and the reward of delayed gratification.
• Appreciation for nature: Kids develop a deeper appreciation for the environment and the beauty of nature.
• Environmental stewardship: Caring for plants helps instill a sense of environmental responsibility and stewardship.
• Creativity through floral arranging: Picking and arranging flowers encourages creativity and artistic expression and teaches art principles like color theory, lines, and textures.
• Sensory stimulation: Engaging with flowers provides a sensory-rich experience, from touching the petals to smelling the blooms.
• Tactile learning: Gardening involves hands-on activities that enhance tactile learning.
• Outdoor exercise: Gardening is a physical activity that encourages kids to spend time outdoors and get exercise in a natural setting.
• Sense of accomplishment: Watching their garden bloom gives children a sense of accomplishment and boosts their self-esteem.
• Stress reduction: Being in nature and tending to plants has been shown to reduce stress and promote overall well-being.
• Math and organizational skills: Involving kids in planning the garden layout and spacing of plants enhances their math and organizational skills.
• Culinary exploration: Some flowers are edible, and kids can explore using them in culinary activities, adding another dimension to their learning.
• Teamwork: Gardening can be a collaborative effort, promoting teamwork and social interaction among kids.
• Sharing and generosity: Kids can share the flowers they grow, teaching them about generosity and sharing with others.

Uses for a cut flower garden

Why should you grow a cut flower garden? The possibilities and reasons are endless! 

First and foremost, the main reason most people grow flowers is because they are beautiful. Flowers not only make your garden and landscape more captivating and enticing but harvesting flowers from your garden allows you to create stunning and fresh floral arrangements to decorate your home. Handpicked flowers make thoughtful and personalized gifts for friends and family. Growing your own flowers can be cost-effective compared to purchasing floral bouquets regularly.

Flower gardens attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, contributing to the health of the local ecosystem. Growing your own flowers supports local and sustainable practices, reducing the environmental impact associated with commercially grown and transported flowers.

And, of course, gardening and working with flowers have therapeutic benefits, promoting relaxation and reducing stress. The act of nurturing plants and watching them bloom can positively impact mental well-being. Gardening and cultivating a cut flower garden can be a rewarding and enjoyable hobby, offering a connection to nature and a break from daily routines.

How to set up your cut flower garden

Before choosing your flowers, you’ll need to figure out where to plant them so your garden will flourish. There are a few factors that make for a great cut flower garden location: access to sunlight, protection from the wind, a well-drained area, and healthy soil. 

Where to plant your cut garden

First, decide where you will be planting these flowers and foliage. Will you have a separate bed just for cut flowers, or will you space them out among your current landscaping? A cut flower garden doesn’t have to take up a lot of room. You can easily grow from the small pots on the porch, in a raised bed in the backyard, or on a sunny windowsill! 

Find a location in your yard that receives adequate sunlight. Most flowers prefer full sun, so picking a spot that achieves 6-8 hours of sunlight per day is ideal. This will also satisfy any flowers that require partial sun. Be sure to check the back of the seed packets for sunlight requirements.

Also, consider wind and rain exposure. Lots of flowers grow fairly tall, and a strong wind can easily break them down. See if you can give them some protection from the elements if you live in a blustery or rainy environment.

It’s also important to find a well-drained area that won’t hold rainwater. Flowers don’t like to be kept overly moist, and too much water, especially standing water, will impede your flowers from growing and thriving.

Finally, a cut garden also needs fertile, workable soil (typically topsoil and compost). Obtaining a soil test will help you to determine what nutrients you might be missing in your soil, so you can add those missing nutrients back into the soil. Adding organic matter, including compost, leaf litter, and composted manure, will add nutrients to the soil and assist with proper water retention and drainage.

Creating flower beds

If you will be making new beds for your cut garden, it’s best to have long and narrow beds with room to walk in between. This way, you can reach all of the flowers for cutting. When gardening with children, you will want to make sure the flowers won’t be too high up for them to cut. So keep tall flowers on the ground and shorter flowers and raised beds. 

I have my cut flowers planted on the ground around my raised garden beds. Many cut flowers are also deer-resistant, so last year, I planted them around my vegetable garden for a dual purpose!

Easy, kid-friendly flowers to grow in your cut garden 

There are so many different flowers and foliage that can be grown in a cut flower garden. When choosing flowers, consider a mix of colors, shapes, sizes, and textures. This will give you the most variety in your flower arrangements! Depending on what climate zone (find your hardiness zone here) you are in, you will have different plants that are appropriate for your area.  When growing with kids, it’s best to choose flowers that are low-maintenance and have showy, colorful blooms to drool over.

Here are a few of my favorite flowers that can be grown almost anywhere with a little maintenance.

Annuals (needs planning every year)

• Zinnias 
• Cosmos
• Sunflowers 
• Celosia 
• Snapdragons
• Nasturtium
• Sweet peas

Perennial plants and flowers (comes back each year)

• Black-eyed Susan’s 
• Echinacea (cone glower)
• Yarrow
• Aster 
• Daisies
• Hydrangeas
• Dahlias (perennial, depending on where you live)
• Tulips
• Peonies

Greens and fillers to grow in your cut garden 

Fillers and foliage not only give contrast and texture to flower arrangements, but they can also offer beautiful scents! Here are some easy-to-grow greens and fillers!

• Bells of Ireland 
• Green or purple Basil 
• Mint 
• Dill 

Tips for choosing cut flower seeds and bulbs 

Once you have decided where you will be planting, you will need to choose the right seeds or bulbs for that area. If you want your cut garden to produce across seasons, you’ll need to consider this when choosing your flowers. Bulbs will have to be planted in the fall for spring blooms.  Seeds can be planted in the spring for summer and fall blooms.

In order to get the most out of your garden for the longest time, I suggest picking different varieties of spring and summer flowers for each location. An example would be planting tulips or daffodils in the same area as Black-eyed Susans and purple coneflowers. Since these flowers grow in different seasons, they will not be competing with each other for nutrients, but they’ll maximize the number of flowers you can get out of one location. 

Another thing to consider when choosing your seeds is germination time. Germination time is the time it takes for the seed to begin to sprout. Seeds that have a long germination time will be more difficult to grow and will need to be started indoors if you live in a cooler climate. Flowers like sunflowers and zinnias usually germinate in a week or so, which makes them ideal for anxious kids who are ready to see their flowers growing. 

Where to find flower seeds, plants, and bulbs

There are lots of places you can get seeds, bulbs, plants, tubers, and transplants. For starters, check with your local nurseries or garden centers. This way you can see the flowers in person and ask any questions to the knowledgeable staff. In addition, starting in early spring, you should be able to find seed packets at your local hardware store, grocery store, farmer’s markets, or even the dollar store! Get the kids involved in this process and let them choose a flower, plant, or seed packet. 

Planting seeds indoors

If you are itching to get the garden started, there are many options for starting your flowers indoors. This is also a fun way to get kids excited about spring and working in the garden. Most seeds will tell you on the back of their packet when to start indoors. Some seed flowers prefer to be sowed directly in the ground, so those will have to wait to be planted until after the danger of frost.

To start seeds inside, you will need:

• Seed starting soil
• Seed starting cells and trays 
• light source (window or grow lights)
• warm area 

Tips for starting seeds inside

To begin, mix some water with your seed-starting soil.  The soil should be damp but not soupy. Fill the cells or pots with the mixture. Read the package for the desired planting depth. Make a small space in the middle of the pot or cell and plant the seed at the correct depth. Make sure you label what you have planted!  

Place your newly planted seeds in a warm place with plenty of natural light or under a grow light. You will want to keep the seed nice and damp while waiting for germination! You can use a fan blowing on your seed tray to mimic wind, which can help the stalks grow stronger. 

For bigger seeds like sunflowers, it can be fun to fold them into a damp paper towel and place them in a plastic bag and a warm area. This way, you can watch the seeds begin to sprout. After they sprout, plant them at the desired depth in a small pot or cell. 

Once your seeds have sprouted and you’re out of the danger of frost, you can begin to move your sprouts outside. It is a good idea to put your trays of seeds/seedlings outside for a few hours on warm days to help them get acclimated to the wind, bright sun, and outdoor temperatures before planting. A few hours a day is a good start. 

Planting bulbs outdoors

Bulb planting typically happens in the fall before the first frost. Each plant will have a specific planting depth and spacing, so be sure to follow the directions for that plant. Planting bulbs in the fall will help your garden span more seasons, as these plants usually come up in the spring prior to the last frost. This gives you fresh flowers sooner!

Here are some easy bulbs that grow flowers great for cutting: 

• Tulips 
• Daffodil
• Hyacinth 
• Hosta
• Iris
• Crocus

Planting seeds outdoors

Seed planting typically happens in the spring after the danger of the last frost. For perennials, you will only have to plant one time, and then they will come up each year. For annuals, you will have to plant them again each year. Although, there are some annuals that will re-seed themselves.

Before planting your seeds, make sure the ground is raked and loose so the seeds can enter the soil. If you are planting in a small space or between other landscaping, be sure to give your seeds enough room for their full height and width. If you are planting in a large area, spreading the seeds around by hand can be a great task for your child.

Once the seeds have been planted, be sure to keep the ground damp for a few weeks to help the seeds germinate. You may have to watch out for squirrels and chipmunks, who love to feed on sunflower seedlings!

Transplanting seedlings outdoors

Transplanting your seedlings (that you started indoors) outdoors will also happen after the danger of the last frost. It is a good idea to put your seedlings outside for a few hours each day before transplanting outside. That way, they can get acclimated to temperatures and wind.

To transplant your seedlings, gently take the entire root bundle from its cell.  And make your hole a little deeper than the depth of the cell. Put your root bundle in the hole and cover it completely. Again, make sure to keep the soil moist for the first couple of weeks after transplanting.

Caring for your cut flower garden

Between planting your garden and harvesting flowers, you’ll need to care for and maintain your cut flower garden. It will be important to keep the weeds or grass from growing around your growing flowers. Weeding is a great task for kids; just make sure they know what is a weed and what is a flower! Weeding can be done as often as every day or as little as once a week, depending on where your garden is located.

It will also be important to monitor how much rain your garden is getting. If you go more than a few days without rain, it’s a good idea to water them. It is best to water early in the morning or late in the evening. Again, watering the flowers is a great task for kids. Kids love using the garden hose; just be sure to show them how to water the plants properly (not too hard of spray) and not too much.  

You may also want to fertilize your flowers twice a month with a well-balanced fertilizer. 

Some flowers may need support, such as staking, netting, or corralling. For simple purposes at home, I would suggest using bamboo stakes and plant velcro to help support your flowers upright to get straighter stems.

How to make gardening fun for kids

There are so many ways to get the kids involved in the gardening process and make it fun for them. When planning your cut flower garden, be sure to involve kids in the seed-choosing process. Ask them to choose their favorite color flower, or let them pick a seed packet to plant. A specific color flower for each kid would be fun if you have multiple kids.

Get them involved in the maintenance process, too! It’s more fun when you dress the part, right? Getting some kid-size gardening gloves, a fun apron, and maybe a bucket hat can help kids look and feel ready to help! Smaller tools like shovels,  mini rakes, and small watering cans will make it easier for them to assist in all the different ways we care for the garden!

And finally, make sure they get to help harvest the flowers and enjoy the fruit of their labor by helping make flower arrangements and bouquets. Before cutting, talk to your child about what colors or textures they want in the flower arrangement! Let them be the boss for choosing the flowers, and let the adult do the cutting until it’s appropriate for the child to use shears. 

Harvesting flowers with kids 

Now, we’re ready for the good part…harvesting the flowers! 

For many cut flowers, the more you cut, the more they will bloom. This is definitely the case with cosmos and zinnias! So don’t be afraid to get in there and start cutting when blooming begins. Just be sure to leave enough of the plant so that other buds can grow.

However, some plants are a “one-hit wonder” and will only bloom once. Plants, such as single-stemmed sunflowers and tulips, only produce one flower and then are done. The one-hit wonders you will want to plant more of so that you have more blooms, and you may want to consider succession sowing them.

The best time to cut flowers is at the beginning of bloom or right at peak bloom. When going to cut flowers, it’s a good idea to know what size vase you are going to put them in. That way, you know how long of a stem to cut.

Using garden shears,  cut at a 45° angle, this will allow the stem to get, the most water once in the vase. Harvest cut flowers when it is cool outside, either early in the morning or later in the evening. Place your flowers immediately in a bucket/vase of cool water and let them sit at least a few hours before you work with them. You may want to check the flower for her bugs and spiders before bringing it into the home!

How to make your cut flowers last longer

Once you’ve harvested your cut flowers from the garden, it’s time to arrange them. Here are simple steps to help extend the life of your flower bouquet:

• Remove all the leaves off the bottom of the stem (the part that will be submerged in water) to keep them from rotting underwater.
• Cut the stems at an angle to allow for greater water absorption.
• Add some cut flower food into the vase of water.
• Change the water daily or when it becomes murky (don’t just add more water).
• When changing the water, re-cut the ends of the stems at an angle and add more flower food.
• Remove any flowers or leaves that are dead or dying.
• As you remove dead blooms, downsize to a smaller vase when your bouquet gets smaller.

Creating cut flower arrangements with kids 

There are five design elements to keep in mind when it comes to arranging flowers. These elements are line, color, form, space, and texture. Depending on your child’s age, you may pick anywhere from one or all of these elements to focus on when designing your arrangement.

To start, I would focus on color and texture. These flower bouquets, based on color, will be the easiest for children to identify. When choosing colors for your arrangement, think of choosing complementary colors or analogous colors. Complementary colors are opposites on the color wheel, like yellow and purple, or red and green. Analogous colors are colors close together on the color wheel (e.g. yellow, peach, and orange). 

When thinking about texture, try to have the child choose flowers with different petals, sizes, and shapes. Flowers with large petals (like zinnia and peonies), tend to be a more softer texture.  Flowers with small, round, or frilly petals, like aster or yarrow, tend to give a contrasting texture.

When putting arrangements together, start small with just one or two different flowers, keeping their leaves for fill and contrast. As you get better at designing, you can snip the leaves off the stem so you only have the flowers and then choose your own filler flowers and foliage that add to your arrangement’s overall theme. To learn more about floral design, I loved the book Love Language Of Flowers.

Something fun I do with my kids after creating an arrangement is naming it. We usually name our arrangement of beautiful blooms based on its colors. A few examples are Sunset, this arrangement was full of bold magenta, yellows, and oranges like a sunset. Another flower bouquet example is one named Just Peachy; this one was full of peachy colors and lacy floral accents! The best thing about flower arranging is that you can do it however you want! 

Sharing the love of flowers

Once your garden is producing a lot of flowers, you may have enough for multiple arrangements or bouquets. Have your child pick a person to gift an arrangement to and let them do all the work of making it and delivering it.  Not only does this teach your child the importance of giving and sharing, but it will likely make somebody else’s day! Your child will have such a sense of pride when they see how happy their gift has made someone else! In addition to giving flowers to people you know, donating flower arrangements to local nursing homes and community centers can help children feel a sense of accomplishment for all their hard work!

Drying and pressing flowers 

Live flower arrangements are not the only way you can enjoy your flowers. Drying and pressing flowers are a great way to enjoy and preserve your flowers. Flowers like daisies and pansies lend themselves to be easily pressed. Plants like strawflower, lavender, and Celosia can make beautiful dried arrangements that can be enjoyed all year long! You can even use pressed flowers to make a fun Halloween costume, like pressed flower butterfly wings.

Saving and collecting seeds 

Once the blooming season is over, there is still work that can be done in the garden. Flowers like zinnia and cosmos are very easy to collect seeds from to save for the next year. Collecting seeds is not only an easy job for kids, but it is a great way to prepare for next year and save money.  We collect seeds in paper sandwich bags and label them with the type of flower they are. We store these bags in a cool, dry place until next year. Seeds collected from your own garden are also a great gift to give to others!

Sustainability and recycling  

It is important to teach sustainable practices for your cut flower garden. Saving seeds is a great start! Using reusable starter trays instead of plastic ones can also cut down on plastic waste. Used spaghetti jars, glass juice containers, and old mason jars can make great vases for arrangements. When you save these items, not only are you repurposing and recycling, but you have more vases to give away without spending money!

Learning while you grow

Creating a cut flower garden with your children is such a great way to teach science, math, and art skills. The time spent with your children in the garden will increase their confidence and give them a sense of responsibility. Plus, the flower arrangements you create will bring daily joy. It may be difficult getting started this first time, but it’s worth it. And every year, you and your children will learn and grow as people and as gardeners. Each year will be more bountiful, joyful, and meaningful. Good luck with starting your own cut flower garden this year! 

Do you grow cut flowers in your garden?

About the author

Meghan is a midwestern mom of 3 kids and one dog. She is a physical therapist assistant and family photographer. At home, Meghan and her family enjoy gardening (both indoors and outside), riding ATVs, and exploring the river behind their house. When not at home, they can usually be found at the lake or exploring Illinois state parks. Meghan’s family has always loved the outdoors, but they really found a passion for being outside and photography when her oldest son had to undergo a bone marrow transplant as a baby. During her son’s recovery, being outside became a safe place for the whole family to learn, grow, and thrive. 

You can find more from Meghan online in the following locations:
Instagram: @meghangarriott
Meghan’s RWMC posts: Meghan Garriott

The post How to Start & Grow a Cut Flower Garden with Kids appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

Nature books that inspire adventure

Now that you know many wonderful ways to use your public library for outdoor adventuring, let’s highlight some of the best nature books for going on outdoor adventures. In this post, we’ll delve into a handpicked selection of the best 25+ nature books for kids that are tailor-made to ignite the spirit of adventure and foster a deep appreciation for the great outdoors.

These literary companions aren’t just meant to be read – they’re designed to inspire adventure and provide valuable insights, fascinating facts, and imaginative tales that will make every step feel like a page turned in real life. These books can be used to prepare for an adventure or to take along with you to your outdoor activities to enhance nature appreciation and play.

Whether our kids are preparing to try a new outdoor activity, or they are getting excited for an adventure tradition, books can bring joy and fun to the experience. Books can give kids a chance to view an experience from the outside looking in. They can help a child explore how they might feel or act in the situation. Through the lens of the characters, our kids can imagine themselves solving problems, exploring, or jumping in water in similar situations.

Where to find the recommended books

Of course, I love public libraries and will always support them by checking out books. However, if you’d like to purchase any of these recommendations, this post contains affiliate links, so your purchase helps RWMC earn a tiny commission (with no extra cost to you), which our small business really appreciates! Or finally, if you would like to support independent and local bookstores by buying these books, we recommend Bookshop!

Best nature books for spring & summer outdoor adventures

In this post, I have gathered some of the best books that highlight outdoor adventures to be done in the spring and summer. We are enjoying the warm weather and all the unique experiences we can have as a family during this time of year.

I love these books because they are beautifully made and capture exactly what we want our kids to see and experience on our outdoor adventures. There are so many different climates, situations, locations, etc., that nature books can highlight. I have compiled a wide variety of those.

I have also chosen these books because they cover a wide variety of attitudes, emotions, and approaches to nature adventures. There are board books for babies, early chapter and non-fiction books for older kids, and picture books for all. There is problem-solving, appreciation and celebration, sensory processing, and fun.

And finally, there is inclusion. If we want kids with many different identities to enjoy the outdoors, they must be able to see someone like them enjoying it as well. This opens a world of possibilities and thrills they might not have connected with otherwise. 

How to use these nature books

Before an adventure (preparing for an adventure)

Use these books leading up to your adventure to prepare and enhance! Start reading the selected books with your kids in the weeks leading up to your planned outdoor adventure. Make it a family activity by setting aside dedicated reading time. Encourage discussions about the topics covered in the books, and let your kids ask questions and share their thoughts. This shared exploration will build excitement and anticipation for the upcoming outdoor adventure.

When we take kids to an outdoor adventure they have never experienced before, we want to prepare them to know what to expect. Just as you might pretend-play going to the doctor with your kids, you can read books to help kids imagine the experience. Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall can help calm your child’s nerves before swimming. And This Beach is Loud! by Samantha Cotterill can help give you and your child some calming tips when sensory overload threatens to derail an adventure. With tools and examples found in these nature books, our kids can feel confident in themselves as they head out to a new adventure. 

During an adventure

Bring the books onto your adventure so your kids can read them on the long drive, while taking a break for lunch, or relaxing outdoors. Give your kids one of these books when they have some downtime on an adventure, and simply observe how they might use the world around them to build off of the story.

During the actual outdoor adventure, encourage your kids to reference the books they’ve read whenever they come across a plant, animal, or landmark they recognize. Discuss the real-world connections between what they’ve learned from the books and what they’re experiencing firsthand. Engage in conversations about the environment, ecosystems, and conservation based on the themes explored in the books.

Incorporate activities and challenges inspired by the books into your outdoor adventure plans. For example, if you’ve read about tracking animals in the wild, make it a game to identify animal tracks during the hike. If a story mentioned building a shelter, try constructing a simple one together during your camping trip. These interactive experiences will make the adventure feel like a real-life extension of the books and encourage hands-on learning.

After the adventure

After the adventure, set aside time to reflect on the experience together. Have your kids write or draw in their journals, documenting the things they discovered, the challenges they overcame, and the moments of awe and wonder they experienced. This reflection process reinforces the lessons learned from the books and helps cement their newfound appreciation for nature.

Nature books for kids of all ages

There are many picture books, some board books, and some early chapter books. Whether your kids are pre-readers, new readers, or venturing into books all on their own, there is something for everyone on this list. Besides, the research shows that reading out loud with kids of ALL ages is beneficial to their retention.

Toddlers and preschoolers

For the youngest adventurers, I’ve included some beautifully illustrated picture books that showcase the diversity of nature. When reading these books with your little ones, point out animals, plants, and landscapes in the pictures, sparking their curiosity and vocabulary. You can also engage with the book through tactile experiences like touching leaves or feeling textures. Let them mimic animal sounds or movements mentioned in the book, encouraging playful learning.

Elementary school age 

For elementary school kids, I’ve included some books that dive deeper into specific nature-related topics like rocks, weather, or animal behavior. If they want to go beyond the book, have them research the ecosystem of the adventure site, making them feel like junior naturalists. Feel free to also utilize beginner-friendly field guides that focus on local wildlife, trees, and insects. Teach them how to use the guide to identify species, and encourage them to make their own nature journal.

This is also a great age to start reading adventure novels set in the great outdoors. These stories can inspire imagination and creativity, while also teaching valuable lessons about teamwork, problem-solving, and environmental awareness.

25 of the best nature books for outdoor adventures

Books about national parks

1. All Aboard! National Parks by Kevin and Haily Meyers
2. The Sequoia Lives On by Joanna Cooke
3. Oliver: The Second Largest Living Thing on Earth by Josh Crute
4. National Parks of the U.S.A. by Kate Siber

There are many National Parks to explore, and these books can provide you and your kids with information about the history and the uniqueness of each one. If you are taking a road trip or flying to a National Park this summer, bring these books along to get ready. The Sequoia Lives On and Oliver both showcase the mystery and awe of trees. All Aboard! Nationals Parks is a board book and contains basic information on National Parks and National Parks of the U.S.A. is a lovely and more in-depth look at each park. 

Books about camping

1. Fatima’s Great Outdoors by Ambreen Tariq
2. The Camping Trip by Jennifer K. Mann
3. C is for Camping by Greg Paprocki

All three of these books can help you are your kids prepare for a camping trip. Camping requires a lot of arrangements, and these books will give your kids the chance to gather and pack their own gear and supplies, as well as prime them for the things they can help with and do once you are at the site. They also highlight the many fun things they might do on the camping trip- like hiking and making s’mores.   

Books about hiking

1. Cece Loves Science and Adventure by Kimberly Derting and Shelli R Johannes
2. Hike by Pete Oswald
3. The Hike by Alison Farrell

We hike weekly with our friends, and each of my kids finds something different to enjoy on these adventures. We can be on a trail for hours and only travel one mile because of the many climbing, stick-collecting, and building stops we make. Other times, we can summit a hike and feel so accomplished as we take in the beauty. These books showcase the wonderful experience of heading outdoors and starting and stopping along a path in order to see the interesting things around you. 

Books about visiting the beach and swimming

1. Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall
2. The Whale in My Swimming Pool by Joyce Wan
3. Our Pool by Lucy Ruth Cummins
4. Bluey: The Beach
5. This Beach is Loud! by Samantha Cotterill
6. Day at the Beach by Tom Booth

Swimming and heading to the beach are great group and family outings, and each of these books celebrates the joy and confidence that kids can find through water play. Our Pool encapsulates an exciting summer day spent at the pool with games and snacks, and all-around fun. All the other books present problem-solving scenarios for kids to learn from, prepare, and even laugh through with imagination. Every book here would be an entertaining addition to your pool or beach trip.   

Books about collecting and observing bugs, animals, natural objects

1. Look What I Found in the Woods by Moira Butterfield
2. Hank’s Big Day by Evan Kuhlman
3. Howl Like a Wolf by Kathleen Yale
4. Billy Loves Birds by Jess French
5. What’s in Your Pocket by Heather L. Montgomery
6. The Bug Collector by Alex G. Griffiths
7. Zoey and Sassafras by Asia Citro

Do your kids love to come home with pockets full of rocks or watch bugs in the yard? Do they know a lot about different animals or want to keep journals of all the things they learn? Any of these books would thrill your kids! 

Each of these books help kids know how to safely, ethically, and interestingly connect to the living world around them. Look What I Found is a series, and I love that there are non-fiction and seek-and-find pages mixed into the story. Zoey and Sassafras is an early chapter book series that mixes scientific facts and processes with mythical creatures living around Zoey’s house. Howl Like a Wolf even encourages kids to act like animals through games as they learn about animal behaviors.   

Books about exploring different environments (series)

1. Over and Under the Canyon by Kate Messner
2. Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner
3. Over and Under the Rainforest by Kate Messner
4. Over and Under the Waves by Kate Messner
5. Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner

This series highlights multiple environments, from your own backyard garden to the rainforest. The books draw specific attention to sights and sounds above the water or below the dirt of a canyon. Find the book that best fits the environment you will be visiting to help kids familiarize themselves with the unique things they might see on your adventure. 

Nature books enhance adventures

Just as important as gathering all the gear for an adventure is enhancing our kids’ imagination *on* the adventure. If we read books about swimming at a pool or the beach, our kids can imagine themselves there as well. They will have a well-rounded picture of what they could or want to experience. When we read with our kids, we are encouraging their imagination, inspiring creativity, eliminating some apprehension, and helping them prepare for getting outside and exploring. 

I have seen firsthand how reading has prepared my kids for our outdoor activities and adventures. I’ve watched them reenact or extend the story from a book we’ve read while they are outdoors, which is just amazing to see! After reading The Camping Trip by Jennifer K. Mann, we went on a nature trail with friends. My toddler and her friends built pretend fires and “warmed” themselves. And the older siblings dragged logs together to build forts or bed platforms. The information from the story I had read them combined with their own imaginative play led to hours of entertainment and cross-age playtime. They engaged in cooperative and imaginative play that wonderfully included everyone. This led to a more immersive outdoor experience because they were using the nature around them to make the game possible.  

How will you use these nature books?

About the author

Emily and her family have moved across the US multiple times, and the best things about each state have been the outdoor adventures and the public libraries! Now living in Utah, Emily has continued her love for both. She explores both mountain and city outdoor spaces weekly with her three kids and friends and attends library story times, as well as leads a local story time. Emily has a passion for children’s literature. She uses books to educate, promote inclusion, understanding, and justice, and inspire adventure and creativity. Emily loves how reading and being outdoors overlap in so many exciting ways!

You can find Emily online in the following locations:
Instagram: @inclusivelibrary
RWMC Posts: Emily Liebel

The post 25 Best Nature Books for Outdoor Adventures appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

What is foraging?

Foraging is the act of searching for, identifying, and collecting wild food and resources. Before the days of modern agriculture, humans relied on foraging from the land they lived. Many cultures forage not only to feed their family, but they also used these wild plants and mushrooms for medicines and hygiene. Contrary to popular belief, just because a plant is not commercially grown or mass-produced, does not mean it’s not healthy! There are so many things around you (possibly in your own backyard) you probably never realized are not only edible but are also healthy and delicious!

Importance of foraging with kids 

Kids love a good scavenger hunt. Foraging is like a scavenger hunt where you can eat your prizes for dinner or dessert once you’re done. It is fun and productive. When you are out in the forest foraging, this is a perfect time to pass down traditions and culture about foraging. Explain to your children what you are gathering, and weave in storytelling elements while you gather. My grandmother loves to tell me about her childhood foraging for violets and making violet jelly.  

Being outside and taking from nature is a great time to teach kids about respecting nature and how we can try to live more sustainably. A foraging haul can provide a nutritious meal or snack, but be sure to harvest mature plants, only to take what you need and leave some for others. When gathering food with your own hands, you tend to appreciate what you’re eating and waste less. These are all good lessons for children to learn. Additionally, the act of foraging keeps little bodies active, promotes better eyesight, and improves self-confidence.

Foraging rules and regulations 

Before heading out to forage, make sure you know the laws or restrictions on foraging in your area. Different plants have different rules, as well as different areas.  These laws dictate not only what you can take, but how to harvest it. As a general rule, foraging is not allowed in nature preserves or conservation areas. Public or state land may allow you to forage, but only native species. If you are foraging on private land, you should always have the land owners permission. Do your research and know the rules before you go. 

Sustainable foraging 

There are some plants like ramps/wild leeks that have recently become very popular, so to ensure future growth, forgers are instructed to cut from the base and not to take the bulb. It is best practice when foraging to only take 1/4 of what you see.  This ensures that there are enough wild plants and flowers left for other species, and enough to regrow or spore for next year.

Identification when foraging

Being able to correctly identify what you are foraging is incredibly important, even more so when forging with kids. You should always have multiple identifiers before picking or eating anything you find outside. Identifiers for plants and flowers are things like color, leaf shape, petal shape, and number of petals. For mushrooms, some identifiers are color, presence of gills, and shape of the cap and stem. Remind your children that they should never touch, eat, or pick anything that has not been properly identified by an adult (one that knows what they’re doing) first. 

If you are unsure if you have the right item, do not pick it. Using tools like Google Lens and nature-identifying apps can be helpful, but should not relied upon solely.

Special considerations when foraging with kids 

Precautions should always be taken when out in nature, but special precautions should be taken when children are helping. If you are not familiar with the area you are foraging, make sure an adult checks the area for animal or insect nests and poisonous foliage first. Educate kids about using multiple identifiers before picking. When you’re done foraging, make sure to double-check your haul to make sure extras aren’t brought home, like bugs, spiderwebs, or unwanted plants. Be sure to remind kids that when out in nature, we should always respect the other species and their habitats, and try not to take more than needed. 

Spring flowers to forage with kids

Flowers are one of the best and easiest things to start foraging for when you are just getting started. Because of their multiple identifiers, colors, and beauty they are easy to spot and correctly identify. Spring is a great time to forage flowers.

Dandelions

Dandelions are probably one of the most well-known landscaping weeds. People work very hard to get these out of their yards. But did you know the entire plant is edible? The roots, the stem, the leaves, and the flowers all have amazing benefits health benefits! And, because of their bright color, these are one of the easiest flowers for a little hands to find and to pick. Because there is an abundance of dandelions around, there’s also an abundance of things you can do with them.

Here are my top 3 things you should do with dandelions:

• Dandelion fritters
• Dandelion jelly
• Dandelion tea

Violets 

Violets are another flower commonly found in the early spring. In addition to growing in people’s yards, they also grow in forests and along river banks. Although they can come in many variations of purple, their color makes them easy to spot against the contrasting green grass and leaves.

Similar to dandelions, the flowers and the leaves of violets are edible. Violet flowers can be used to make jellies, simple, syrups, and candies. Here is an article dedicated to foraging violets with kids and using them to make a simple syrup that will change colors! 

Forsythia 

Forsythia is a flowering plant in the olive family. In the spring, its branches are full of bright yellow flowers.  This bright shrub is usually found in gardens and landscaping, but can be found in parks, as well.

Because the flowers are large and close together, it doesn’t take long to fill up a jar of them. The bright yellow flowers not only taste good but are used for medicinal purposes in traditional Chinese medicine. We have used these golden flowers to make Forsythia Honey. Forsythia can also be used to make soaps, lotion,  and toners. 

Muscari/ Grape hyacinth

Muscari/Grape Hyacinth

Grape Hyacinths are actually not Hyacinths at all. Thank goodness because true hyacinths are not at all edible! Muscari are extremely invasive, so you can take as many flowers as you want; just try to leave a few for the bees. People often plant just a few and end up with them invading and overtaking their entire yard.

Grape hyacinth blossoms are used as a flavoring in Europe. You can use the little blossoms to make simple syrups to add a little flavor to teas and lemonades. Like violets, grape hyacinths are pH sensitive. This means if you add grape hyacinth syrup to a base, it will turn from purple to more blue, and if you add it to an acid, it will turn more pink!

Here is a video showing how to make the Grape Hyacinth Lemonade 

Magnolia blossoms

Magnolia blossoms are such a beautiful site after a long winter. The flowers of the magnolia tree are large, brightly colored blooms and are some of the first blooms of spring. Foraging magnolia blooms might be difficult for smaller kids due to the branches being so up high. The blossoms can be used to make Magnolia snap cookies, and petals can also be pickled for a sweet and tangy treat. My bet is, kids will be more excited about the cookies.

Red bud 

Red bud trees are easy to spot, and their buds and blooms are edible! Like magnolias, it may be hard for kids to reach high enough to pick the blossoms to forage, but they can definitely be spotters! Red bird blooms are high in vitamin C, and, like other flowers, can be used to make jellies and syrups! If you want to sprinkle some color on a salad, these can be eaten raw as well.

Red Clover 

Similar to dandelions and violets, red clovers are commonly found in yards, landscaping, and along roadsides and sidewalks. Red clovers are easy to spot and their flowers usually stick up 6 inches or more from the ground.

The flowers not only smell delicious but are tasty as well. These pretty pink flowers are mostly used for tea. Red clover tea is not recommended for children, as it is traditionally, used to help with women’s health issues, such as menstrual and menopausal symptoms. A more kid-friendly way to use red clover is in these Red Clover biscuits. 

Lilac

Nothing smells better in the spring than fresh lilac in the breeze. Lilac tastes as good as it smells! The flowers can be used to make syrup, flower-infused sugar, and candies. Infuse lilacs in oil to make delicious-smelling soaps and lotions! Here is a video on how to ferment lilac water using the yeast that is naturally on it to make a fizzy lilac drink!

Spring plants to forage with kids

Wild plants are a little harder to for untrained eyes to find than flowers. Luckily, the plants listed below are readily available and probably in your front yard, back yard, or along your local sidewalks! Here are a few of our favorite local plants to forage in the spring. 

Ramps/wild leeks

Ramps are a species of wild onion that can be found all over North America. Ramps are among some of the first plants to appear in the forest in the spring. The very strong garlicky smell of ramps can help to identify them properly.  Be aware when foraging for ramps that lily-of-the-valley looks very similar, but is NOT edible. Both ramps and lily-of-the-valley can’t have white or red stems. If you are not for sure, do not eat it.

Ramps have recently risen dramatically in popularity over the last few years, and because of this, some places have put restrictions on foraging ramps or instructed foragers to cut ramps instead of pulling out the bulb. Please do your research and be aware of any rules or restrictions when harvesting. 

Plantain 

You have probably seen this plant in the cracks of sidewalks. Plantains grow all over and have qualities you probably didn’t even know about! Did you know that plantain can be used to help sores, blisters, and insect stings? Indigenous people would chew up the leaves of plantain and use the poultice to soothe insect bites. This could come in handy, especially for kids, who are often stung by bees and bit by mosquitoes while outside playing!

Here you can read about the medicinal benefits of plantain with sources and science to back up the claims!

Onion grass/wild onion/wild garlic

If you’ve spent any time outside in the spring, you’ve probably seen wild onion grass. It pops up in the spring, usually before the regular grass, and it grows twice as fast and much taller. You can often find it growing in small patches or clumps.

When identifying, you can pull out the patch, and you will see small white bulbs at the end, just like miniature green onions. The stems/grass part of the plant can be used like chives (fresh or dried), or you can grind up dried stems to make onion powder!

Fiddlehead ferns/ostrich fern

Fiddleheads are the furled fronds of a young fern. Say that 5 times fast! Fiddlehead ferns are edible ferns before they unfurl and become inedible ferns. They are edible when in the furled-up stage of a fern, just after they start to shoot through the ground in spring. As they emerge through the fertile, wet April soil, they grow and unfurl quickly (sometimes lasting just a few days in their furled-up stage) – so you have to act fast! At this unfurled stage, they are tender and edible. 

Though all ferns have a fiddlehead stage, it’s the Ostrich fern, a specific edible fern species, that has become synonymous with the words “fiddlehead ferns.”  Their taste is often described somewhere between asparagus, broccoli, and spinach. The ostrich fern is pictured here. 

Hosta Shoots 

Did you know these shade, loving ornamental plants were also edible? Hostas usually spread/multiply quickly over the years. So instead of getting rid of them to keep from overcrowding, you can dig up, young shoots and eat them!

Most people prepare them like you would asparagus, with a similar taste and texture. All species of hosta are edible, but they are best eaten right when they shoot up. Here is a recipe for Bacon Wrapped Hosta Shoots. 

Mullein 

Mullein is probably most recognizable when it is large, tall, and its yellow stalk is flowering along roadsides and sidewalks. Foraging mullein is best done in the spring when the leaves are young and tender. These fuzzy leaves are fun and easy for kids to identify. Mullein is most known for its respiratory benefits. Smoking Mullen is probably not the best way to utilize it with kids, but mullein tea is also raved about for its respiratory healing properties.

Morel mushroom picture by @c_l_allofus

Foraging spring mushrooms

There are thousands of mushrooms/fungi to find out in the woods or even just in the backyard. It’s important to know that while a lot of mushrooms are edible, there are a lot that are not. Some mushrooms are very dangerous and even deadly if ingested.

Morels

Morel mushrooms are a great way to start foraging mushrooms because they are easier than most to identify! Not to mention, they’re delicious! You can find morels under or around fallen and decaying trees, and along south-facing slopes. Morels have deeply ridged camps that resemble honeycombs. The stem of the morel is hollow. These mushrooms are delicious when sautéed or when fried!

Family time foraging 

You don’t have to venture far to begin your foraging adventures. Nearly everything listed here was found on or around my own property without too much searching. Even if you don’t plan to eat the things you find, looking for these spring treasures is still a fun and educational scavenger hunt! How much can you forage in your backyard this spring!?!

What do you forage in the spring? 

About the author

Meghan is a midwestern mom of 3 kids and one dog. She is a physical therapist assistant and family photographer. At home, her and her family enjoy gardening (both indoors and outside), riding ATVs, and exploring the river behind their house. When not at home, they can usually be found at the lake or exploring Illinois state parks. Meghan’s family has always loved the outdoors, but they really found a passion for being outside and photography when her oldest son had to undergo a bone marrow transplant as a baby. During her son’s recovery, being outside became a safe place for the whole family to learn, grow and thrive. 

You can find more from Meghan online in the following locations:
Instagram: @meghangarriott
Meghan’s RWMC posts: Meghan Garriott

The post Spring Foraging With Kids appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

Free outdoor scavenger hunts for kids

We’ve put all the outdoor scavenger hunt ideas into one fun FREE printable bundle for you! Click the button below to download the entire bundle of 20+ free outdoor scavenger hunts! The free printable bundle includes the following scavenger hunts for kids:

1. Alaphabet Scavenger Hunt
2. Color Wheel Scavenger Hunt
3. Beach Scavenger Hunt
4. Hiking/Forest Scavenger Hunt
5. Holiday Walk Scavenger Hunt
6. Halloween Scavenger Hunt
7. 4th of July Scavenger Hunt
8. Sensory Scavenger Hunt
9. Texture Scavenger Hunt
10. Park/Playground Scavenger Hunt
11. Spring Scavenger Hunt
12. Summer Scavenger Hunt
13. Fall Scavenger Hunt
14. Winter Scavenger Hunt
15. Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt
16. Creature/Critter Scavenger Hunt
17. City Scavenger Hunt
18. Farm Scavenger Hunt
19. Creek Scavenger Hunt
20. Camping Scavenger Hunt
21. Road Trip Scavenger Hunt
22. Indoor Scavenger Hunt (for days when you cant’ get outside)
23. Zoo Scavenger Hunt

FREE SCAVENGER HUNT BUNDLE

Great activity for all ages

Scavenger hunts are great for kids of any age. The great thing about scavenger hunts is that there are so many ways to make them adaptable, not only for kids of all ages, but for whatever location and adventure you want to have. Use the printables like traditional scavenger hunts for the little ones. Younger kids love the thrill of finding something on the list of items and checking it off. If you have older kids and want to take it up a notch, turn it into a photo scavenger hunt and let them take a picture of each item they find. Older kids can also help out the little ones and show their reading skills and leadership. Scavenger hunts don’t have to take up much time and can help kids get comfortable in new locations. 

Alphabet scavenger hunt for kids

“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.” – Fred Rogers

With school-aged children, use their knowledge of the alphabet as a starting point for a scavenger hunt. This simple scavenger hunt idea allows the children to find objects that coordinate with each letter of the alphabet and can adapt to any location or environment you are exploring. This activity can be done outside on nature trails, running errands, or in the grocery store with your young kids. Our free printable list of scavenger hunts includes an alphabet page for kids to cross off each letter as they find something outside that starts with that letter. 

Color wheel scavenger hunt for kids

“Colors are the smiles of nature” – Leigh Hunt

Nature is a rainbow of elements, colorful, vibrant, and ready to be explored. Use our color scavenger hunt for kids to inspire your children to get outside and identify all of the colors mother nature produces. This will help younger children identify colors and name them. You may even be surprised by what colors you can find that are purely natural!

Beach scavenger hunt for kids

“When two roads diverge, take the one that leads to the beach!” – Hannah McKinnon

Do you have the privilege of living near a beach? Or plan to visit one on vacation? If so, keep our beach scavenger hunt for kids in mind. Your child can add shells, rocks, tiny sea creatures, driftwood, or even an unfortunate litter to their search. Collect smaller items with a paper bag or bucket if you’d like, but remember to leave any living creatures at the beach!

Forest/hiking scavenger hunt for kids

“Into the forest, I go, to lose my mind and find my soul” – John Muir.

I love this quote because it shows the healing power of the woods, where children can play freely and reap the benefits of fresh air and sunshine. So why not facilitate a scavenger hunt in a beautiful forest? Hit the trails and keep your kids entertained while hiking with our forest/hiking scavenger hunt.

Many items can be found on a scavenger hunt in the forest. Mushrooms, insects, flowers, a variety of trees, colorful leaves, pine cones, bird nests, stones, and animal tracks are just some of the treasures you may find. 

Holiday scavenger hunt for kids 

“May you never be too grown up to search the skies on Christmas Eve” – Unknown

Not all scavenger hunts with your kids need to be physically collecting items. The holidays, specifically winter holidays, can be a great time to participate in a holiday-themed scavenger hunt in your town or neighborhood. Take a drive or walk around and see what sights you can find. Christmas trees, wreaths, blow-up lawn decorations, rainbow light displays, the grinch, and a snowman wearing a top hat are just some items you can seek out. 

We’ve also included free scavenger hunts for Halloween and the 4th of July! 

Five senses scavenger hunt for kids

“My five senses are a doorway to the present” – Unknown

While most of these scavenger hunts utilize your child’s eyesight solely to find treasures, you can also do a scavenger hunt based on your other senses. Go on a nature walk and listen for a bird chirping, feel something wet, smell something pretty, taste a wild blueberry. This sensory scavenger hunt will help kids feel completely immersed in nature and aware of all the wonderful things around them.

Texture scavenger hunt for kids

“Play is our brain’s favorite way of learning.” -Diane Ackerman

A texture-based scavenger hunt is an engaging, outside-the-box option for your child to explore the outdoors. Find something soft (moss, a bird feather, a cattail). Look for something rough (bark, pavement under your feet, a rock). Find something smooth (birch bark, a rounded stone, an acorn). Can you find something prickly (holly leaves, pinecones, butterflies feet)? Or silky (water, mica, beetle wings)?

Playground or park scavenger hunt for kids

“It is a happy talent to know how to play” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

A playground at your local park is a great place for outdoor fun and to initiate a scavenger hunt. Include the other young kids at the park for even more fun! Our playground scavenger hunt will have your kids looking for swings, a slide, a water fountain, a trash can, a sign, a tree, etc. 

Seasonal scavenger hunt for kids 

“There is a beauty to be found in the changing of the earth’s seasons, and an inner grace in honoring the cycles of life.” -Jack Kornfield

Each season comes with beautiful changes, many visible to the keen eye of your children. Changing leaf colors, snow or ice, new sprouting flowers, or leaf buds are signs of change. You may even weave your scavenger hunt activities into your homeschool curriculum if you homeschool your children. Our free printable scavenger hunt bundle includes a separate scavenger hunt for each of the four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall. There are specific items to find in each season, relating to the change of the seasons and weather. 

Backyard scavenger hunt for kids

“Play is the highest form of research.” – Albert Einstein

No need to travel to initiate a scavenger hunt! If you have an outdoor space where you live, head outside! Or go for a walk around your local neighborhood. Look for garden tools, toys, and even small animals or insects that live near your house. This is a great way to explore your own backyard with your kids! 

These scavenger hunts are perfect activities to use at a birthday party, a local park, and with kids of all ages. You can set a time limit or adjust each hunt depending on your child’s skill level. I hope you enjoy these printable scavenger hunt lists and exploring with your family!

Neighborhood scavenger hunt for kids

“We become neighbors when we are willing to cross the road for one another” – Henri J. M. Nouwen

Get outside and explore your neighborhood with your kids! This fun scavenger hunt gives you many different things to look for: fire hydrants, mailboxes, stop signs, pets, flowers, and even wild animals can be found in your neighborhood. A fun walk through your neighborhood is a great option for an easy dose of fresh air and one of our favorite outdoor activities for families. 

Creature/critter scavenger hunt for kids

May we raise children who love the unloved things–the dandelion, the worms, and spiderlings. – Nicolette Sowder

What is more fun than finding small animals and insects? Birds, bugs, chipmunks, deer, or foxes could be found! This scavenger hunt is perfect for kids who love all creatures of the world and teaches us how to care for the critters that live in our environment. 

City scavenger hunt for kids

“To live in a city is to live the life it was built for, adapt to its schedule and rhythms, and move within the transit layout made for you during the morning and evening rush, winding through the crowds of fellow commuters. To live in a city is to consume its offerings.

Do you live in a bustling city? Will you be visiting one soon? Scavenger hunts can be so fun in an urban environment and are a great option for keeping kids entertained when traveling through the city. Keep an eye out for buses and taxis, pigeons and dog walkers, and don’t forget to seek out the elements of nature that are always present, like trees and flowers!

Indoor scavenger hunt

Yes, I know we’ve mentioned multiple times that these scavenger hunts are designed to help kids, and families get OUTSIDE. But, as parents, we know that’s not always a possibility. When you need a fun indoor activity on a rainy day, we’ve got you covered. We included a free printable indoor scavenger hunt in our bundle with items kids can easily find around any house. 

20+ free printable outdoor scavenger hunts for kids

We hope this free PFD printable scavenger hunt bundle for kids will help get you outside with your kids and keep them entertained and on the lookout for nature all around them! Scavenger hunts are a fun outdoor activity for the whole family. Spending time together outside and in nature is always worth it! Download your free copy of our printable scavenger hunts today and let us know which one is your kids’ favorite! Happy hunting! 

Which scavenger hunt will you choose first?

About the author

Lissy lives near the ocean on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, with her husband, 2 rambunctious boys (aged 4 & 7), and an ever-growing number of pets. She grew up walking nature trails and finding joy in the beauty of nature. She now shares that love for local adventures with her community through her blog, “Get Outside Cape Cod”. Lissy knows that everyone can benefit from spending more time outdoors, and wants to inspire and support families to do just that!

You can find more from Lissy in the following online locations:
Instagram: @getoutsidecapecod
Website: Get Outside Cape Cod
Facebook: @getoutsidecapecod
RWMC Posts: Lissy Perna

The post Free Outdoor Scavenger Hunts for Kids appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

Raising monarch butterflies with children

Have you ever seen photos of children holding bright orange monarch butterflies or families enjoying the process of raising and releasing these delicate animals? Well, I’m here to tell you that you can raise monarch butterflies with your children too! And it’s a great way for the whole family to get involved in nature, conservation, and science. It’s a simple, inexpensive, and beneficial process that’s important to the sustainability of the monarch species. Here are your step-by-step instructions and family-friendly guide for raising monarch butterflies with kids. 

Monarch butterfly facts for kids

• The monarch butterfly’s proper name is Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus, 1758)
• The upper side of a male monarch is bright orange with wide black borders and black veins. The upper side of a female monarch is orange-brown with wide black borders and blurred black veins. Both sexes have white spots on the borders and apex.
• Monarchs can be found from southern Canada south through the United States, Central America, and most of South America. Monarchs are also present in Hawaii, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. 
• Monarchs live mainly in open habitats including fields, meadows, marshes, and along roadsides.
• Monarchs feed on nectar from milkweeds. Milkweed contains poisons that are distasteful or toxic to birds and other predators. After tasting a monarch, a predator learns to associate the bright warning colors of the adult or caterpillar with an unpleasant meal, and avoid eating monarchs in the future. 
• Monarchs make a 3,000-mile journey each year, migrating between Canada and Mexico. These monarchs return each winter to roosts in the hills of Michoacan, Mexico, where they gather by the millions.

*Source

Lifecycle of a monarch butterfly

Before you raise monarch butterflies, encourage your child to learn about the monarch butterfly life cycle.

The life cycle of the monarch butterfly has four stages and four generations. The stages are (1) egg, (2) larvae, (3) pupa, and (4) adult butterfly. “Four generations” means four butterflies passing through these four stages within a year. 

The previous generation’s adult butterfly lays eggs on the milkweed, when stage one of the first generation starts. Within 4 days, the eggs hatch to form a caterpillar or larva, the second stage. At this stage, the larvae eat the milkweed on which it lives. 

Within two weeks, it attains full growth and attaches to someplace like a leaf or stem by discharging silk, and undergoes the process of metamorphosis to transform into a pupa or chrysalis.  Over the next 10 days, the continuous process of metamorphosis transforms the old body parts of the pupa into the beautiful parts of the future adult butterfly. The adult butterfly will emerge and fly away in search of food and a mate. 

First-generation monarch butterflies live a short life that ranges from two to six weeks. Within this period, it will lay eggs for the second generation. The second generation flies roughly one month after the migrating monarchs arrive and reproduce which would be anytime from May through July.  It lays eggs for the third generation in July or August.

The fourth-generation process is almost the same except for one point. The fourth-generation eggs are laid in the month of September or October, but they live more than eight to nine months. This fourth-generation butterfly also has a specialty; it migrates to the warmer regions of California or Mexico.

*Source – www.saveourmonarchs.org

The importance of the monarch butterfly

Monarch butterflies are pollinators. Pollinators like monarchs play a vital role in the natural ecosystem and our food system. As pollinators, the monarch butterfly migration across the continent provides an invaluable service, essential for many ecosystems to thrive. It is thanks to pollinators, such as butterflies, bees, and other insects, that we have many of the flowers and dietary staples that we enjoy. 

But monarch butterflies and their migration are now threatened by temperature changes, drought, deforestation, development, and other impacts. The loss of milkweed plants (due to eradication, urbanization and increased use of herbicides), loss of winter habitat, and climate change are all pushing monarchs to the brink. The monarch butterfly is now a candidate to be listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. 

Does it help the species to raise monarch butterflies in captivity?

In nature, monarchs are prey to various predators, and only ten percent of monarch eggs in the wild make it to the butterfly stage. Ants, wasps, birds, spiders, and other insects have easy access to the little eggs and consume them regularly. Even without the threat of predators, bacterial and viral diseases are also ever-present and cause widespread damage. In addition, tachinid flies prey on the soft chrysalis’ that house the transforming monarchs. Raising monarch butterflies with your children in captivity can help protect these eggs and ensure they are safely brought into adulthood and help the recovery of the monarch butterfly population. It’s one little thing we can do with our children to help make a difference. 

Reasons to raise monarchs with children

Many children learn best from hands-on experiences, and the process of raising a beautiful butterfly (from egg to caterpillar to butterfly) is a perfect example of that type of education. It’s a great backyard project for kids that’s not expensive, but has huge benefits for both the animal and the child.

One of my favorite quotes by an unknown author exemplifies this, “Because little nature lovers grow into big nature lovers.” Children are the future, and their attention to wildlife protection is crucial. Introducing them to this type of experience makes them more likely to care for wildlife once they are adults. Your children can play a big part during the monarch-raising process, and the lessons learned will be invaluable. Raising butterflies from eggs and the entire process will be a delight (and valuable learning experience) for your young nature enthusiast. 

What you need to get started raising monarchs with children

You don’t need too much when it comes to raising monarchs, and it’s not a huge investment (but there is a huge payout and benefit). Here are the supplies you should gather: 

• Butterfly enclosure
• Cotton swabs
• Paper towels
• Spray bottle with clean water
• Small clean, shallow plastic container with the top (sandwich-sized)
• Magnifying glass (optional)
• An abundance of milkweed plants, not treated by any chemicals

Finding milkweed for monarchs

The first step in raising monarch butterflies with children is to find live monarch butterfly eggs and a food source for your caterpillars. Luckily, monarch butterflies will always lay these eggs on the leaves of milkweed plants (usually on the underside of the leaves), which is also their main food source. With a keen eye, you can easily spot these tiny eggs. The globular whitish-yellow eggs are only .9 to 1.2 millimeters long. 

How to identify milkweed plants to search for monarch eggs

The presence of milkweed is extremely important to the monarch. Milkweed leaves are the only food that monarch caterpillars eat. Adult butterflies also lay their eggs on the back of milkweed leaves. 

There are multiple milkweed species, and this plant grows in many climates and habitats. You can often find milkweed growing alongside fences, on the sides of roads, or in ravines. Key characteristics of common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) are:

Types of milkweed plants

• Common milkweed
• Butterflyweed
• Swamp milkweed
• Antelope-horns milkweed
• Purple milkweed
• Showy milkweed
• California milkweed
• White milkweed
• Whorled milkweed
• Mexican whorled milkweed
• Desert milkweed
• Green milkweed

These are just some of the milkweed plants native to North America. If you want to plant milkweed at your home, please be sure you choose a native species, as they are the healthiest for your monarchs and the local environment.

Collecting monarch eggs from milkweed

Once you locate an egg on the underside of milkweed leaves, gently remove the leaf and place it in a clean container, egg side up, and secure the lid. Please do not touch the egg; even a gentle touch may harm it. We like to line these containers with damp paper towels to keep the environment moist.

Depending on your comfort level, you may want to start with only a few eggs. Your first time raising monarch butterflies will teach you so much about the entire experience and what works (and doesn’t). Once you are familiar with the process, you will know if you can take on more tiny caterpillars in the future. 

When harvesting anything in nature, always make sure you have permission to remove the leaves from these plants. A friend’s garden (or your own garden) would be the best place, followed by wild areas where responsible foraging is permitted. If you don’t know where to find milkweed, but want to help the caterpillars, you can plant and grow it yourself. Make sure that the plants you harvest are from areas with no chemical spraying, including pesticides or other harmful applications. 

Also, before taking an egg or young caterpillar home, it’s important to have a source nearby that you can use to feed your growing caterpillar. Once your small caterpillar hatches from its egg, it will need fresh milkweed for its main food source. For your convenience and their health, make sure you have a nearby milkweed patch to serve as your source of fresh food. 

Caring for your monarch eggs

Monarch caterpillar eggs hatch three to eight days after being laid. So, you’ll want to keep a close eye on the eggs in your care. First, you will want to keep your closed container in a safe place. We keep ours on the window sill in our bathroom- away from curious dogs and cats. Natural light is best, but not in direct sunlight. Next, check on your eggs daily to give them fresh air and clean off any mold forming. Then, lightly mist the leaves with clean water from your spray bottle to moisten the environment. 

A monarch egg hatched; what do I do now?

Success! The first egg has hatched! Now, what do you do?

Well, not much for the first few days. You will see an extremely tiny (less than one-tenth of an inch!) yellow caterpillar chewing on its eggshell. Once the caterpillar has eaten its shell, it will start to chew on the surrounding milkweed for food. Monarchs stay in this caterpillar stage for ten to fourteen days, growing every day. They move through stages called instars; there will be five in total!

This stage is a great time to break out that magnifying glass for your children to better view these miniature, hungry caterpillars. But don’t worry, they won’t stay tiny for very long! They grow at an incredibly rapid pace. Very hungry caterpillar, indeed!

Move small caterpillars to a butterfly enclosure

When your monarch caterpillars are small, this stage is ideal for moving your container into the mesh butterfly enclosure. An enclosure will keep your caterpillars safe from predators and allow you and your young children to observe them easily. You can take off the lid once you have the container inside the mesh enclosure. Remember to keep these enclosures somewhere safe; you don’t want them to knock over. 

The size of your enclosure should determine the number of caterpillars you can safely house. Because we wanted something large and very sturdy to last us years, my father built us a wooden butterfly house out of scrap wood and an old screen, loosely based on styles we found online. If you would like a wooden house, here are a few options. Although, the inexpensive mesh ones work perfectly fine as well. You might want to purchase or construct a more permanent butterfly house, because raising monarch butterflies with your children is so fun!

Here is a wooden enclosure on Etsy that is very similar to mine. This is an aluminum mesh butterfly enclosure I found on Amazon. A pop-up mesh cage also works just fine.

How to clean your monarch caterpillar container

As your caterpillar grows, it will be consuming more and more milkweed. And what goes in, as we all know…must come out. You’ll want to keep your enclosure clean, so here’s how to take care of the waste. 

First, you will need to remove the poop or frass that accumulates on the leaves and the bottom of your container. The best way to do this is with a cotton swab. You can gently wipe it away from the milkweed leaves to give your caterpillar a clean living environment. Then, as they grow even larger, you will need to throw out the damp paper towel lining your container and replace them at least once a day. The frass can range in color from dark green to dark brown and will vary in size depending on the size of your caterpillars. 

Instar stages of your monarch caterpillars

As mentioned previously, monarch caterpillars move through five stages before fully growing. These stages are called instars. First, the caterpillar grows (from eating the healthy milkweed you are providing) and becomes too big for its skin. After that, they shed their black skin through a molting process, and sometimes, they even consume their shed skin after the molting is complete. This molting process is fascinating; the caterpillar will almost vibrate and shake to remove its skin. If you happen to witness this stage, feel honored! It’s a quick process but is so crucial in their growth. 

During the instar stages, the caterpillars will be eating quite a bit of milkweed. Make sure to provide enough milkweed leaves to keep them satiated. They will eat all of the leaves, leaving only the stems behind. As the caterpillars grow bigger, see if you can hear them munching. It’s louder than you’d expect! Isn’t that fascinating! 

Sizes of monarch caterpillars at each stage

• First instar: 2-6mm
• Second instar: 6-9mm
• Third instar: 10-14mm
• Fourth instar: 13-25mm
• Fifth (and final!) instar: 25-45mm

It takes ten to fourteen days to complete these five instar stages. 

Preparing for pupa

The next stage in our monarch caterpillars’ life is their pupa stage. This stage is when the caterpillar transforms from larvae to the monarch butterfly. The length of this stage is anywhere from ten to fourteen days. 

Once your tiny caterpillars reach full size, their eating will slow down a bit and they’ll get ready for metamorphosis. When your monarch caterpillars are ready to form their chrysalis, they will climb to the top of the butterfly enclosure.

First, they will create a silk patch from their tail end to the top of the enclosure’s roof. Then, they will hang upside down in a “J” shape. Keep an eye on them once they do this, as it means they will form the chrysalis within twenty-four hours! I have noticed that right before they move into the pupa stage and are in “J” formation, their antennas will go limp, and their bodies will straighten out a bit. At this point, it will be only minutes until the transformation starts. 

Larvae to pupa, the amazing transformation

Watching a larva pupate is fascinating and bizarre – it’s a true miracle in the natural world and to witness one is absolutely incredible! It goes rather quickly (or at least faster than you might expect), so timing is critical. You have to be paying very close attention to know it’s coming and be ready!

First, the top layer of skin splits, and the green chrysalis becomes visible. The monarch caterpillar then expands and contracts until the outer layer of skin falls off, and the chrysalis is fully formed. Notice the tiny gold dots along the edge of the chrysalis. Once this happens, try not to touch the chrysalis and just let it be.

You do not have to do anything during this period except keep the chrysalis out of reach of predators. After eight to ten days, the butterfly will be ready to emerge. You will be able to tell that it is nearly time to come out because you can see the monarch’s wings through the exterior shell of the chrysalis. 

Monarch emerging from the chrysalis

When the butterfly is ready, it will emerge from the chrysalis. It will hang upside down for a few hours after coming out, its tiny sticky feet clinging to the broken shell of its chrysalis. If you happen to see a butterfly fall to the floor of the enclosure, gently scoop it up and allow it to re-attach to the chrysalis or the roof of the pen. 

While hanging upside down, the butterfly will pump its wings, allowing the fluid from its body to flow to the wings so they may fully expand. You may also notice the proboscis, or tongue-like appendage, rolling and unrolling from their mouth.

The wings need this time to dry to fly safely and effectively; this process usually takes three to four hours. Once the monarch starts fluttering around your enclosure, and it has been at least three to four hours, you can set it free. 

Resources to help you on your monarch-raising journey

When we first started raising monarchs, we used a local Facebook group as a resource. I would ask the group any questions I had about locating milkweed, the setup of my butterfly enclosure, or the behavior of the monarch caterpillars. You may have a group local to your area, but if not, there is a national one called The Beautiful Monarch. 

Of course, there are always books to reference; here are some of my favorite resources that you can purchase online or check out from your local public library:

• Raise Your Own Monarch Butterflies, by Annie Carrol
• Raising Monarchs, by Sue Fox McGovern
• Raise Healthy Monarchs at Home, by Jeanne Megel
• A Tutorial for Raising Monarch, by Doria Karrenberg

How else can you help monarch butterflies?

Raising monarch butterflies with your children is a great way to help the monarch population recover, but there are other ways you can help, too!

• Plant a pollinator garden in your own backyard. Include native plants in your area that are either host plants such as milkweed, or nectar plants for the butterflies to feed on, such as nasturtiums, zinnias, or cosmos. Here’s a great tutorial on how to plant a butterfly garden with your kids. 
• Share the word! Now that you are an expert on these beautiful creatures, share that information with your friends and family. Then, maybe they will start raising monarchs with their children!
• Please donate to the non-profit Save Our Monarchs, which is committed to saving monarch butterflies and serves as a great resource for any monarch enthusiast. Find out how at www.saveourmonarchs.org.
• Fight climate change. The monarch’s innate urge to migrate is based on temperature changes that come with the seasons. Unfortunately, climate change has affected these temperatures, and the continued shift threatens their population. 

Have you ever raised monarch butterflies with kids?

About the author 

Lissy lives near the ocean on Cape Cod, Massachusetts with her husband, 2 rambunctious boys (aged 4 & 7), and an ever-growing number of pets. She grew up walking nature trails and finding joy in the beauty of nature. She now shares that love for local adventures with her community through her blog, “Get Outside Cape Cod”. Lissy knows that everyone can benefit from spending more time outdoors, and wants to inspire and support families to do just that!

You can find more from Lissy in the following online locations:
Instagram: @getoutsidecapecod
Website: Get Outside Cape Cod
Facebook: @getoutsidecapecod
RWMC Posts: Lissy Perna

The post Raising Monarch Butterflies with Children appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

Solo mom adventures

Whether you are married/co-parenting or not, at times, we moms find ourselves parenting solo. Whether you’re solo parenting full-time or part-time, because of divorce, your partner’s demanding work schedule, deployment, choice, or other circumstances, you can still have amazing adventures with your kids. Adventuring on your own solo with your kids might sound overwhelming and scary, but I’m here to assure you that you can do it! It may not go perfectly (it won’t), but your solo mom adventure will be a fantastic bonding experience with your children and make you feel more confident and comfortable in your parenting skills. 

Seeking adventure may not be on your priority list when you’re solo parenting. But it should be! Let me take you along on my most recent solo-mom adventure, which started with chasing pretty spring flowers and ended with us going on our first campervan trip ever, heading for the blossoms in Dutch Zeeland! It was terrific and something we’ll remember forever, but I will assure you, it didn’t go exactly as planned! 

My solo mom spring experience

This past March, my husband went to the U.S. to visit his family for nine weeks. It was the first time that I was alone with the girls for such a long time. So here you have it, a solo-mom seeking adventure! As a family, we are very active and love to explore. We didn’t want my husband’s absence to slow us down or keep us from doing fun outdoor activities. I made a plan for the whole nine weeks, with tons of fun adventures and some time to slow down at home, too.

Springtime in our area is magical, with all the spring blossoms and tulips. I knew I would make the girls happy to go see them, so I planned some time to visit our nearby blossom fields. However, I forgot that looking for blossoms or flowers in spring can be tricky since it often depends on the weather. The weather in Belgium and Holland can be very unpredictable and unstable, especially during springtime! One day it is 70°C and sunny; the next day, it snows! 

Apple Blossom in Minderhout, Belgium

Spring blossoms in Belgium

The first solo mom adventure I planned was to see spring blossoms in the beautiful region of Limburg in Belgium. If you ever get to visit Belgium, you should definitely explore this area! This region has so many child-friendly, nature-based tours of art and culture. Plus, it boasts some of the most beautiful fields and forests. It is a special region where you get the sense of time slowing down and life just flows at you. It might sound crazy, but you should experience it for yourself! 

Unfortunately, a visit to the blossom fields didn’t work out for us due to weather. So, what does a mom do best? Postpone and change plans! Weather conditions didn’t keep us from going on an adventure! We visited some amazing museums, had fun at an indoor playground, went to the forest, and took off for a shopping afternoon. Not exactly what we had in mind (and we were disappointed), but we made the most out of our experience and still managed to have fun.  This probably sounds familiar to a lot of moms! Solo mom adventures require a lot of flexibility!

Moms can do hard things

I will tell you a secret. I have an enormous urge to prove that I can do everything alone. Do you have this feeling too? I used to hate asking for help. I was upset with myself when I was overwhelmed but would never admit that I couldn’t do everything on my own. 

I have learned throughout this past year that this is a foolish way of thinking, especially for a mom. My children benefit more from a mom who can regularly ask for help (and graciously receive it) and is more relaxed than a mom who is often exhausted, easily stressed out, and nervous all the time. I’m getting better at asking for help when I need it, which means my children get a better version of me. 

Setting a solo mom mission

However, there are times when moms need to do everything on their own. And solo mom adventures with your kids are the perfect time to prove to yourself that you can do hard things! It’s not about proving to myself how much work and pressure I can handle, it’s about me discovering how much fun I can have by myself with the girls. I also wanted to show that solo moms can seek adventure with kids in all kinds of fun ways completely on my own! 

So, we came up with an adventure plan and this is what we did! The mission of the weekend: enjoying our first campervan trip ever, looking for the most beautiful blossom fields on the coastline of Holland. 

Famous cherry blossom in the Zoo of Antwerp, Belgium

Solo mom adventure in a campervan

For our camping adventure, we rented the most beautiful and practical Hymer Campervan with a sleeping roof from Rent and Away. The sleeping roof takes your experience to the next level and it’s a true campervan escape. Traveling by campervan through Europe has been on my bucket list for years and I’m so proud of myself for taking on this adventure by myself with my girls. I think it proved to all of us just how capable we are of adventuring! 

Seeing Europe in a campervan

If you are ever traveling in Central Europe and you love exploring with a campervan, I advise you to start in Belgium! Get your well-equipped campervan from Rent and Away, which is run by a beautiful young family. Jo and An will make sure you will have everything you need for an unforgettable stay in Europe and take great care of you. We had the best experience with them.

Start your adventure by exploring Belgium – its such a beautiful country and conveniently located in central Europe. Drive south, passing through Luxembourg and France. Next, you can head further southeast to Spain or Portugal, or southwest to Italy via Switzerland. Both are amazing options! If these itineraries don’t inspire (although, how could they not?), you can also head up north, via the Netherlands to Scandinavia, passing through Denmark to magical Scandinavia. And I didn’t even mention how beautiful Croatia, Germany, Austria, and Slovenia are! There are so many possibilities! 

Hymer Campervan with sleeping roof

Solo mom campervan adventure starts here

Unfortunately, none of the above exotic multi-country trips were on our agenda, as we only had a weekend to travel. But that’s ok! Again, we made the most out of the time we had and had a wonderful time adventuring a bit closer to home.

We started out in Herzele, a beautiful municipal in the province of East-Flanders. An and Jo and their two lovely daughters welcomed us into their beautiful domain of Rent And Away. The perfect start for any mom seeking adventure. They are such a lovely family that loves adventuring, and this shows in their vans. You notice instantly that they have thought about every little detail. These vans are the perfect family (and solo-mom) traveling vehicles.

After a very complete and thorough tour in the van with all the necessary explanations, we were ready to go!  Since it was already nightfall when we got going, we opted to stay there and spend our first night in the van in Herzele. This way, we could leave early in the morning and go and search for flowers in the beautiful nature of Zeeland. The girls were so proud of their campervan. The only thing they weren’t very fond of at first was the indoor toilet. But I can guarantee you, it was an incredible luxury to have our mobile toilet with us! 

Chasing blossoms in Dutch Zeeland

Heading on to the Dutch coast, we made plenty of stops for picnicking and taking some beautiful pictures. I was surprised at how easy it was to park with the Hymer campervan. The size of this van is so compact that you will always find a spot to park. For a van with a kitchen, shower, toilet, table space, and sleeping space for four people, that’s pretty incredible! 

The only thing we didn’t find were the blossom fields! I completely miscalculated my route and trusted on faith and luck to find one. We did not. However, instead of being stressed out about it, we just went with the flow, drove to a destination called Cadzand, and enjoyed the beach for a couple of hours. It was not what we planned, but it worked out for the best! The girls completely forgot about the flowers and enjoyed the trip. They were so proud of their campervan that I could have taken them to an industrial zone to run around and they wouldn’t care! 

Mill in Cadzand, the Netherlands

We stayed for the night at a camping area of an asparagus farm in Ede, where they also grow blueberries. No flowers, no blossom, but instead a beautiful area with a playground and an incredible quietness. No need to seek adventure. We had a crazy fun night on the campervan’s sleeping roof after an amazing sunset. 

Sunset in Ede, the Netherlands

Embracing a change in plans

So, what about the flowers? Well, we just had to let go of this idea for the weekend and make the most of the other moments. Once I was able to let go of my expectations and follow the speed of the children, everything got easier and felt less stressful. When adventuring as a solo mom, sometimes even the best laid plans just don’t work out and the best way to stay calm and have fun is to embrace the change.

I planned our trip with only one destination in mind, the Dutch coastline, which left us a lot of room for flexibility. And this is key when you travel with kids. I don’t believe you can push children too much in what you want to do with them. You can dream of climbing a mountain during your trip. But even if you only get halfway, you also can still have an amazing experience.

Cadzand-Bad in the Netherlands

Trust yourself and your kids

One of the most important things you learn from doing solo mom adventures with your kids is to trust yourself and your parenting abilities. Pulling off a solo adventure (even if it goes wrong), is empowering! Every time you adventure with your kids, you strengthen that “mommy muscle” and want to see what else you can do.

Plus, adventuring with your kids also makes you trust your children more. I believe that kids are able to do more than they (or most grownups) think. Kids are very capable if we let them be, and solo adventuring sometimes means that they have to step up and help out more. This is a great opportunity for them to grow and learn. Getting them out of their comfort zone a bit and experiencing new things together will strengthen your family bonds. Together you will find the most magical moments and incredible places, without tight planning and high expectations.

Rent and Away Campervan

Best places to view spring blossoms in Belgium and Holland

Since I’ve lured you here with the promise of spring flower blossoms in Belgium and Holland, here’s a short list of some of the most beautiful places to visit when you go to Belgium or Holland, each described in more detail below:

• Rivierenhof Park – Belgium
• Arboretum Kalmthout – Belgium
• Hoogstraten – Belgium
• Royal Serres – Belgium
• Hallerforest – Belgium
• Keukenhof in Lisse – Holland

Magnolia blossom at Rivierenhof Park – Deurne (Belgium)

Rivierenhof Park in Antwerp is a beautiful extended park with a digital Magnolia route to explore the magnificent Magnolia trees in the park. Even though a lot of these trees are still young here (and thus relatively small), there are some larger trees spread around the park with big gorgeous blooms. I even found one with a low-hanging branch to sit on!

If you want to practice some camera skills in order to capture your adventure and tell your story, this is the perfect spot! You will find other blossoms and flowers as well here, like cherry blossoms and daffodils. So this park is definitely a must-visit if you want to experience spring in Belgium.

Bloom period: mid-March – mid-April

Rivierenhof, Antwerp

Arboretum Kalmthout (Belgium)

The garden of Arboretum Kalmthout is one of the most impressive gardens in the North of Belgium. The arboretum, as the name refers to, is a sum of different trees and plants that were all planted with a scientific purpose. Research is always ongoing in the park, and it results in a beautiful scenery of vegetation. During blossom season, you can find colorful flowers everywhere.

Bloom period: April-May

Easter Egg Hunt in Arboretum Kalmthout

Blossom route in Hoogstraten (Belgium)

Hoogstraten is a city in Belgium famous for its strawberries and beautiful hikes between the prairies. Most people don’t know that during the blossom time, they have beautiful routes to follow between the apple trees, blueberries fields, and pear and cherry flowers. This hike of 9km takes you through magnificent areas where you don’t find anything else but nature and quietness. It’s amazing! 

Bloom period: Beginning of April through the first week of May

Apple Blossom in Hoogstraten, Belgium

Royal Serres in Brussels (Belgium)

Once a year, when the flowers and trees are blooming, the king and queen open the doors of their Royal Garden for visitors. You can walk through the ancient park used by all Belgian Kings and Queens. At the end of this route, you enter the Royal Serres with many tropical flowers and trees.

Opens to the public: three weeks in April

Royal Serres Belgium

Hallerforest in Halle

Once a year, some of the Belgian forests turn completely purple thanks to the purple hyacinths that bloom from mid-April till the first weeks of May. This, of course, depends on the weather. When the weather is warmer, the hyacinths bloom more. But, the sun also makes the leaves of the trees grow faster. This robs the flowers from the light. Without sunlight, the small flowers disappear.

Bloom period: mid-April through the first weeks of May

Hallerforest Belgium

Keukenhof in Lisse

The most beautiful flower park in the Netherlands is het Keukenhof in Lisse, the North of Holland. Here you will find a colorful show of all kinds of flowers. Each and every year, you will find different creations and art pieces made of flowers. The park is located in between the tulip fields of Lisse. During this time of the year, you will find tulip fields all over.

Opens to the public: mid-March through mid-May

Keukenhof Lisse, the Netherlands

Flower fields and more

These are just a couple of places to visit in Belgium and the Netherland, but we have many more during spring. Too much to see in one season! But it is so worth visiting these two countries during this colorful season. Check out the website of Kids del Mundo for more adventures in Europe!

Solo mom adventure? Yes, you can!

So, to all of you strong women that want to go on more adventures with your kids, don’t stop going outdoors with your kids just because you don’t have someone to adventure with! You can do it! Solo mom adventures are empowering and powerful! Your kids will love seeing you being brave and courageous. It’ll plant seeds for them to grow up as independent girls and boys, too!

Just remember: Start with a plan on what to do, but don’t be afraid to let go of the idea of how to get there! Embrace the change and be flexible. You might just find an even better adventure! You can do hard things, mama! Let your inner child come out and play, sing and dance with the kids! They will love it, and you will too!

Have you ever taking your kids on a solo mom adventure?

About the author

Tine is a natural-born adventurer from Belgium. She met her husband, soulmate, and the father of her two girls while working and living in the Dominican Republic. Nine years ago they moved back to Europe and are still exploring European grounds. Her happy place is wherever her kids are, but she spices up life by discovering unknown places, planning new adventures, and going outdoors as much as possible. Having kids added a big value to her life, because seeing life through the eyes of her little ones lifted it to a completely different dimension. Their family goal is to travel the world, living a location-independent lifestyle. The family is now working on a couple of projects to make this dream happen! In the meantime, they keep on exploring and Tine keeps on writing and inspiring other families to explore just like them. 

You can find more from Tine online in the following locations:
Instagram: @kidsdelmundo
RWMC posts: Tine Voeten
Website: www.kidsdelmundo.com

The post Adventuring as a Solo Mom appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

Growing herbs with kids

There’s something about spring that seems to give even the brownest of thumbs the urge to put a seed in the earth and watch it slowly flourish. I am one of those brown thumbs, both literally and figuratively, who has attempted repeatedly to plant herbs and vegetables only for them to reach their inevitable untimely death weeks later. But this year is different! We’re determined to start and grow an herb garden!

Kids are intrigued by planting seeds. But, because the process of getting to the finished plant can be a long one, kids’ interest wanes fairly quickly. The difficult part for me, and so many would-be gardeners, has always been that my seedlings could never really get far beyond the sprouting phase. So, this year I decided to try something new. Today, I am going to show you the easiest way, in my opinion, to start a garden with your kids that will immediately garner their excitement. I will also share what I have learned through this process which has allowed our garden to flourish and reap a harvest.

Start with plants

I wholeheartedly believe that our garden’s success is largely due to the fact that we did not start it with seeds this year. As I mentioned earlier, our previous attempts growing an herb garden from seeds never made it past the sprouting phase. Some of you may have had more luck than us with seeds, but if you want to guarantee that your plants will at least get the “plant” stage, skip the seeds. 

This year, instead of purchasing seeds, I visited our local Home Depot to purchase a variety of vegetables, herbs, and fruit plants that were already growing strong. I felt confident because the plants at the store were already eons ahead of any of the seeds that I’ve ever planted! They had roots and strong stems and leaves, oh my! 

My kids were also ecstatic because they were looking at live plants from the beginning and not simply seeds covered by dirt. You can get your kids involved even at this stage by having them choose the plants they want to grow. After all, it is their garden as well. We settled on tomatoes, bell pepper, squash, cucumber, strawberries, sweet onions, sage, mint, rosemary, chives, fennel, thyme, and basil. While transplants are notorious for being more expensive than a packet of seeds, there are a lot of benefits to using them. The benefits of planting transplants are:

• They mature sooner than if you had planted seeds, which means an earlier harvest.
• They save time and are ready to go into the soil immediately.
• The transplanted plants have stronger root systems which make them less vulnerable to weather conditions.

Choose your plants wisely

When choosing which plants to have in your garden, I would highly suggest researching plant compatibility. Basically, you need to make sure that your plants will be friends and not foes to each other. This was something that I almost learned the hard way when I planted 2 mint plants smack dab in the middle of my garden bed. If you’re a newbie gardener, you’re probably thinking, “what’s the big deal?” Well, mint is an aggressive plant that has the power to take over your garden completely. Yikes! Luckily, I was made aware of my mistake and quickly replanted the mint in a pot before its roots had a chance to take hold.

While you might not want mint in your garden bed, there are other plants that are highly compatible and beneficial when planted next to each other. For example, if you are planting tomatoes, you should also plant basil nearby. Basil repels insects that can harm tomato plants and can also improve yield.

Get the kids involved

My kids were happy to see the live plants, but even more so at the fact that it meant we were going to be elbow-deep in dirt! We inherited a semi-raised bed in our backyard from previous owners, but it was in serious need of some TLC. So, armed with shovels and garden forks, my kids, husband, mom, and I got to work making the soil perfect for our new transplants.

The great thing about gardening is that it is an incredible learning opportunity for kids that is also really fun. My kids have been fascinated with the garden every step of the way. They were surprisingly excellent help with prepping the soil and especially enjoyed helping to pull the weeds out of the garden bed.

Choosing the right containers

Keep in mind that your transplants will not necessarily have to be planted in the ground. If you’re tight on space or simply don’t want to plant in the ground, you could also use pots or large stand-alone raised garden beds. The majority of the plants in our garden are in the ground. However, some of our herbs are potted in containers, which we can move around to give them exactly what they need. A little bit of research on each plant to help you determine if it’s well-suited for containers or should be planted directly in the ground.

Prepping your garden and soil

When you’re ready to start planting, there are a few things that you’ll need to have on hand and few things to do to your soil to ensure your plants have the best growing environment. Here are some things that you will need to get started on the right foot:

• Shovel
• Garden fork (if you are planting in the ground, this will help to turn over the soil)
• Garden soil  (not just for potted plants; we added bags of soil to our garden bed for enrichment)
• Hose or watering cans
• Fertilizer (optional)

These items can be purchased at your local nursery or hardware store. I also found a great selection of smaller gardening tools for my kids at DollarTree. The first step was tilling the dirt in the garden to break up all the hard-packed soil. Next, we added 6 large bags of potting soil to the existing dirt, to add additional nutrients and balance the composition of the soil. You can also add compost to your soil.

Gardening is a team sport

Once your soil is prepped, it’s time to figure out where each plant will go in the garden. The plant info should tell you how much space the plant will need, so you know how far apart to space out each plant to give it plenty of room to flourish without overtaking the nearby plants. Finally, you are ready to plant your transplants.

If there’s one thing that I have learned through this entire experience, is that gardening is a team effort. In planting our transplants, I thoroughly enjoyed working together with my 3-year-old and 5-year-old as we dug holes in the earth deep enough for our plants and gently covered the roots with dirt. It was a joy to see their independence and focus as they took ownership of their work. Don’t be afraid to get your kids involved with each step in this process. The great thing about transplants, is that they are strong. Even if they don’t seem to be “perfectly” planted, the roots will take hold.

H2O and let it grow

After the transplants have been planted, the hard work is nearly over. Now you just have to maintain, feed, water, weed, and be patient. Be sure to research how much water your plants will need to ensure they not only stay alive but thrive. We have been watering our garden with tap water from the hose in the backyard, which has worked out fine. You could also gather and store rainwater for your garden, but that’s a whole other process and post.

I have learned that it is best to water your garden in the evening when temperatures are a bit cooler, rather than in the middle of the day. Watering our garden is an activity that can be handed off almost completely to your children (if they enjoy it). My kids love getting the hose and watering cans out and taking care of the garden each evening. We also take some time to discuss the changes that can be seen happening right before our eyes! It’s so much fun to see them notice the plants getting bigger each day and being observant of how their efforts are paying off. 

Herb garden maintenance  

Watering will likely not be all that you need to do to keep your garden healthy. Most edible plants will need to be pruned or trimmed. This is done to increase growth and yield, and it is necessary for the overall wellness of the plant. Depending on the transplants that you have, you will need to research how to prune your plant properly. You may also need/choose to fertilize your plants. Adding some plant food to your soil will help the plants get the nutrients they need to grow bigger and heartier. 

Harvesting your garden

Since we did not plant our herb garden from seed, we were able to reap a harvest much sooner than we would have otherwise. In just over three months, we’ve already harvested herbs, tomatoes, and a lone strawberry. Our squash should be ready any day now, and we cannot wait.

Each time we are able to harvest, no matter how small, it brightens our day. It is awesome for kids because they are able to see the finished product of their work and patience. They are able to see food that they would normally only get at the grocery store growing right in front of them. It gives them a feeling of pride and accomplishment.

Gardening with kids resources

Starting and growing an herb garden with your kids is an amazing opportunity for learning and connection. If you have been apprehensive about starting a garden (especially with children), I hope that you have learned a few things from this post and that I have encouraged you to go for it. If you’d like more info on gardening with kids, here are a few of our favorite gardening posts:

• How to make gardening fun for kids
• 5 easy vegetables to grow with kids
• Tips for fall gardening with kids
• Winter garden planning
• Kid-friendly snacks from the garden
• How to plant a butterfly garden

Are you planting an herb garden with your kids this year?

About the author

Lauren is a California native turned Texan, who loves to get out in nature and discover hidden gems all around the Dallas/Fort Worth area. She is a wife and homeschooling mama to three kids who definitely keep her on her toes. She truly believes in the value of homeschooling and that there are learning opportunities available all around us. In addition to homeschooling, Lauren is also an entrepreneur; she’s the co-owner of Crunchy Boutique (a natural-living/eco-friendly boutique). 

You can find more from Lauren in the following places:
Instagram: @crunchymamadfw
Facebook: @crunchymamadfw
RWMC Posts: Lauren Cain

The post Starting an Outdoor Herb Garden with Your Kids appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

Children learn by touching

I loved daffodils and tulips long before I had children. But their wonder and delight grew when I began to experience them with my kids. To a small child, whose outdoor world has been governed by cold and snow for so many months, daffodils and tulips bring sheer amazement. They’re so cheerful, so undaunted by the often frigid world around them.  

Children learn so much by touching and feeling the natural world around them. Dissecting tulips and daffodils is particularly delightful because it allows kids to take apart and touch each part of the flowers. Other than common weeds like dandelions, I don’t usually let my kids tear flowers apart! So, this activity definitely felt special to them. It reminded me that the simple beauty of nature brings so much wonder and delight to a child. Learning experiences don’t have to be complicated. They can simply involve removing the delicate pieces of a flower and learning what those pieces are called.

Picking daffodils and tulips

If you choose to do a flower dissection, be sure your child has permission to pick the flowers. Asking before picking flowers has been a hard lesson for each of my children to learn. It usually comes up most during their preschool years. They’re just so overcome by the beauty of the flower, they find picking it irresistible!

Tulips, in particular, seem to just call them. This has always been a big deal because tulips are often a little sparse in our flowerbeds. Yet, at some point in their early years, every one of my children has systematically picked the handful we had. One of my offspring once even picked and dissected the only bud we had, just to see what it looked like inside. Childhood curiosity! This dissection activity satisfies that curiosity. It also deepens kids’ understanding and appreciation of daffodils and tulips.

This is also a great time to teach them that just because it’s okay to pick some flowers doesn’t mean it’s okay to pick all flowers! I try to remind my children of the old adage, “What if everybody did?” If everyone picked every daffodil or tulip they saw, there wouldn’t be any left for us to enjoy in nature.

If you don’t have permission to pick flowers (or don’t have access to flowers), you can usually find cut flowers to purchase at a grocery or flower store. 

Daffodil and tulip dissection with kids

Daffodil or tulip dissection is one of the easiest and simplest nature experiments you can do with your kids! All you need is a couple flowers and a sheet of paper. You can also use this printable if you’d rather not make your own. We enjoyed laying out our own pages and labeling them ourselves. If you have a magnifying glass, be sure to keep that handy so your kids can examine each part more closely!

For our daffodil and tulip dissection, we simply separated the pieces of each flower and arranged them on a piece of paper. You can also cut the flower in half with a sharp knife, but my kids voted for taking it apart by hand. That way even the little one could participate.

My oldest daughter copied a chart showing the parts of the flowers, then the younger girls got to arrange their own flower pieces. This simple activity was so much fun! They all learned so much about the details of the flowers. It felt like playing, taking apart the petals and stems and other parts of the blossoms. After dissecting a daffodil, the girls couldn’t wait to try a tulip.

Identifying parts of a daffodil or tulip

For younger children, a simple breakdown of stem, leaves, and petals may be a deep enough look into the parts of the daffodils and tulips. For older kids, we’re also including a more in-depth at the parts of these flowers and their functions. If you’re looking for a little more information about the parts of a daffodil, check out this page.

• Stem: The stem is the tall, green stalk that carries water and nutrients from the earth up to the flower.
• Leaves: This is where photosynthesis happens—where the plant takes the sun’s energy and turns it into food for the plant!
• Spathe: The papery brown sheath that covered the bud before it opened.
• Ovary: Filled with ovules, or eggs, which later become seeds after the flower has been pollinated by bees or other insects.
• Pistil: This is the center part of the flower, including the style and the stigma at the top.
• Stamen: The six little stalks surrounding the pistil. The stalk part is called the filament and the pollen-covered tip is the anther.
• Petals: This is most visible and colorful part of the flower.
• Corona: The inside layer of petals on the daffodil, also called the crown or trumpet

Planting bulbs with kids

Daffodils and tulips are both bulb plants, meaning they grow from a bulb deep in the earth, rather than a seed. The bulb stores up energy for the plant and goes dormant over the winter. Daffodil and tulip bulbs are best planted in the fall, so they can emerge as the daylight strengthens and the earth thaws at the end of winter. A healthy bulb will multiply year by year—if you plant a single daffodil bulb, within a few years you should have several!

My mother-in-law likes to tell how she once assigned her children the job of planting some daffodil bulbs in her new flower bed. They carefully inserted a single bulb in each hole, neatly spaced around the flower garden. The next year, she had single daffodils blooming everywhere! But after several years, she had the beautiful clusters she had once dreamed of.

To turn this into a long-term science project, plant some daffodil or tulip bulbs with your child this fall. You can find them at home improvement or garden centers in the fall months. You can also order them from seed catalogs or even see if a friend or neighbor has some to share. Then plant them about twice as deep as the bulb is tall (probably about 2-3 inches deep). In the spring, you’ll have your own daffodils and tulips to enjoy!

Tulips and daffodils in the cold

As cold-hardy plants, tulips and daffodils are able to survive chilly and even briefly freezing weather. If you live in an area where spring comes in fits and starts, like we do, you’ve probably seen daffodils with their heads bowed down with frost or even tulips dusted with snow. Amazingly, once the temperatures warm and the sun comes out, these hardy plants usually bounce back like nothing ever happened! Although temperatures below 25 may kill the blooms, the plants themselves will survive and bloom again the next year.

Making spring flower bouquets with kids

If you can’t get enough of these beautiful spring flowers, here are some more activities involving daffodils and tulips. First of all, make flower arrangements! This is one of the easiest and most rewarding hands-on activities you could ever let your kids do. It builds artistic skills and deeply satisfies the love of beauty that’s built into every one of us. If you don’t have spring flowers to pick, maybe a neighbor or friend has a yard full of them. Many times people won’t mind letting children pick a few for a bouquet.

Flower picking instructions for kids

This is a great time to help children learn how to pick flowers intentionally. Have them think through these questions as they select and pick their flowers:

• How many flowers do I need for this arrangement?
• Which colors and shapes will look good in my arrangement?
• What varieties/colors are there most of?
• Which flowers can I pick without leaving a hole in the beauty of the mother plant?
• Are there other flowers or greenery to pick from to complement the flowers in my arrangement?

Teach your kids how to pick the flowers carefully, carefully breaking off or cutting the stem. If you have a vase in mind, show them the vase and how much stem length they’ll need for their arrangement. (For some reason it’s hard for kids to learn to leave enough stem with the flower. They seem to have their eye on the flower and break the stem just past the flower. It always takes a while to teach them to cut the stem with their flower!) But most of all, just let them have fun putting together beautiful flowers to display inside your home. Or have them make a bouquet to give to a friend or neighbor!

Dyeing daffodils with kids

Did you know daffodils can be turned different colors? This fun and simple experiment shows how their veins draw fluids up, through the stems, and out into the petals. Place a daffodil with white or light-colored petals into a glass of water and add food coloring. Better yet, try several daffodils in different colors of water. Set in a safe place and check back every day to watch the magic happen! 

You should be able to see colors in the petals within 24 hours. My kids are fascinated with this–even our four-year-old loved checking in to see the colors changing. We’ve had issues with the flowers beginning to wilt and fade before the colors had time to make a really vibrant difference, though. So I’d recommend using the freshest blooms you can find and a strong food coloring solution for the best results.

In the meantime, since I failed to get a photo before our daffodils started getting all sad and wilted, my friend Ginny shared one of her amazing colored daffodils. Aren’t those lacy-colored veins just gorgeous?  

Photo credit Ginny Yurich @1000hoursoutside

Spring flower fun for kids

Whether you dissect them, dye them, plant them, or just pick some for a bouquet, daffodils and tulips are some of spring’s greatest delights. So be sure to get out and find some to enjoy with your kids!

Have you ever dissected tulips or daffodils with your kids?

About the author

Leslie is an Ohio farm girl and chaser of light, children, and sometimes chickens. She’s a lover of Jesus, wife to her high school sweetheart, and a homeschooling mom of four wild rascals who love the great outdoors as much as she does. As a family, they love hiking, camping, fishing, and just about any outdoor activity. She and her husband are just beginning the process of building a homestead from the ground up, doing most of the work themselves. Leslie has a lifelong obsession with writing and capturing everyday life from behind the lens. Follow along with their homesteading, homeschooling, and everyday adventures on her Instagram account.

You can find more from Leslie in the following locations:
Instagram: @c_l_allofus
Leslie’s RWMC posts: Leslie Alvis

The post Dissecting Daffodils and Tulips with Kids appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

Skimboarding with kids

Going to the beach as a parent is a far cry from the days when all you needed was a towel and a good book. Now, a trip to the beach means you’re schlepping shovels, buckets, towels, sunscreen, chairs, snacks, water bottles, an umbrella, and so much more through the hot sand. And then, when you get to the beach, your kids are either nervous of the water and afraid of the loud waves crashing on the shore or so interested they can’t stay out of them! And in the latter case, maybe it’s you that’s nervous about sending them out into the deep blue.

Either way, if you want to find a happy medium where your kids can play in the water but not be way out in the depths of the ocean, the solution you’re looking for is a skimboard. Skimboarding is a great way for kids to stay close to the shore in shallow water but still have fun.

What is skimboarding?

Skimboarding is a water sport, similar to surfing, where you can skid or slide across the surface of the water close to the shore on a small flat board. Skimboards are much smaller and thinner than surfboards, and they do not have any fins. Skimboarding happens in shallow water on the water’s edge, so there’s no need to go out into the water and wait for a wave, as you would when surfing. 

5 reasons to let your kids try skimboarding

1. Size of the skimboard is manageable

A skimboard is small and easy to carry. Have you ever tried carrying a surfboard from the car to the waves? It is not easy! Surfboards are large and heavy (and expensive). When carrying, I have to constantly readjust the surfboard and try to find a way to make it comfortable. However, skimboards are much more manageable for parents (and kids) to bring to the beach. Plus, storage is less of an issue with a smaller board, and they’re more affordable. 

2. Skimboarding gets kids familiar with the ocean

Skimboarding is a good introduction to the ocean for any kids (or parents) who might be apprehensive about surfing or swimming in the waves. For anyone not comfortable with waves and surf, skimboarding is the perfect introduction to help your child (and the parent) get more comfortable with the water and confident in their skills.

Skimboarding allows you to stay right at the shoreline. You can get a feel for the ocean without getting all the way in. Skimboarding is a great way to allow your kids to get a feel for the waves and how they break while still being able to touch the ground and stay close to the shore. They will feel the pull of the ocean and understand better how strong the water can be, while remaining safe.  Skimboarding is a great introduction to spending time in the ocean.

3. Cold weather approved

Skimboarding doesn’t require you to submerge yourself in the water like surfing or swimming. You can skimboard on a cold day and not get completely soaked or frozen. Once you have the hang of it, you can skimboard without even getting very wet. My kids have even gone skimboarding while wearing a sweatshirt! I wouldn’t necessarily recommend that, but it can be done. Our beaches on the West Coast can get chilly in the fall and winter, but often we can still skimboard in the off-season. 

4. Skimboarding is great for most ages

Skimboarding is great for kids age 6 years old and up. The basic techniques are relatively easy to master and you don’t have to be a proficient swimmer to be able to skimboard. When skimboarding, you don’t go very deep into the water, so it’s an activity that kids can enjoy before they’re advanced swimmers. We always recommend a life jacket or other floatation device and vigilant parental supervision for any child playing near water that can’t swim. 

The light weight and smaller size of a skimboard also make it easy for kids as young as 6 to use. Skimboards are much smaller than surfboards, so they can easily be used by kids 6 and older. If you have a child that’s younger than six that really wants to skimboard, it’s doable! Smaller boards are easiest for little ones to toss when getting started. You know your child best, so if they are younger but have good balance, athleticism, and agility, then let them give it a go.

5. Skimboarding is inexpensive

You can purchase a beginner skimboard for less than $25. While a professional skimboard can get extremely pricey, you don’t need the best skimboard on the market when you’re just getting started. Skimboards for a beginner are relatively inexpensive and will last for years when well taken care of. See our tips below for choosing the right skimboard for your child and what you should know before buying a skimboard. 

Buying a skimboard

Now that we’ve covered the basics of skimboarding and all the benefits, hopefully, you’re convinced to give skimboarding with your kids a try! If you’re ready to purchase a skimboard, there are a few things you should know and take into consideration. First, you’ll want to consider the size, weight, type, and shape of the board, as well as the size, age and skill level of the person who will be using it.

Skimboards come in a variety of sizes, so you’ll want to match the skimboard sizes to the rider’s height and weight, and ability. Here’s a good skimboard size chart with some great info on how to get the proper skimboard fit. When just getting started, let a professional at the surf shop can help you choose the right board, to ensure the child’s success, and maximize the purchase. Many shops offer this service free of charge.

In addition to size, you’ll want to consider the material of the skimboard. High-quality boards will last much longer and be less dangerous to use. Cheaper wooden skimboards can splinter, break, and can be dangerous to use. The main types of skimboards are wood boards coated in epoxy, foam boards, carbon fiber boards, and fiberglass boards. These are a bit more expensive than plain wood boards, but they are much safer and last for many years.  If a new board is out of your price range, try searching online resale groups for used boards.

Our family has two skimboards. They both have a foam surface on the top in order to get better grip and to avoid having to use wax. These beginner skimboards have worked well for us for many years. As my kids get older, we’re just now considering getting larger boards. 

Teaching kids how to skimboard

The most typical way to skimboard is to glide over a thin layer of water with the board parallel to the waves. This is the best way for kids to learn how to skimboard. Skimboarding can be easy to learn and pick-up on your own, but if you’re really into it, many surf shops offer group and private lessons, as well as skim camps. 

To skimboard by gliding, here are the steps you’ll need to take:

1. Stand in shallow water where there are at least a few inches of water between the surface and the ground.
2. Hold the skimboard in both hands, with your dominant hand on the base (bottom) of the board and your other hand on the top of the board.
3. With the board parallel to the surface of the water, take a few steps and swing the board, then release it in front of you. The board should skim over the surface of the water. (It’s sort of like skipping a giant rock on the water with two hands.)
   • You’ll want to throw the board hard enough that it’s moving and doesn’t lose momentum when you step on, but not so hard that you can’t quickly jump on after a few steps. This part takes a lot of practice to perfect. 
4. Take a few running steps behind the board and step onto the board with your non-dominate foot in front and your dominant foot in the back. You’ll want to step into the skimboard gently and not jump on top of the board (which will sink the board and kill the momentum). It’s similar to sliding on hardwood floors in your socks. 
5. Now skim across the surface of the water! Repeat, repeat, repeat! 

Skimboarding into the surf

The more advanced way to skimboard is to skim yourself into deeper water and directly into the oncoming waves. This type of skimboard wave riding is great fun for older kids. You use the same technique as mentioned above but point the nose of the skimboard into the ocean. My 12-year-old prefers to skimboard this way. He loves to try new tricks, like getting air as the white water comes in. We’ve seen advanced and pro skimboarders do all kinds of spins, flips, and tricks this way. It’s something to work up to for sure!

Skimboarding spills and falls

When your kids are just starting out with skimboarding, it’s important to let them know that they will inevitably fall down. Spills and falls happen. A lot. Many times when trying to step onto the skimboard, it pulls your feet right out from underneath you, and you end up flat on your back in the water. Expect some falls and prepare your kids for not only the crash (in the sand), but the fact that water and sand may get in their mouth, eyes, and nose. It can be scary for kids the first few times it happens. 

The plus side to falling off a skimboard is that, unlike skateboarding, the fall won’t be on a hard concrete surface. Wet sand is considerably softer than concrete, but can still hurt. Falling down is an important part of life in general though, so celebrate the fact that they keep trying even when it gets hard.

Choosing the best beaches for skimboarding

Some beaches are better for skimboarding with kids than others. Try to avoid beaches with rocky shores. Falling on a rock is not pleasant! Beaches with a lot of seaweed on the shore are also not ideal for skimboarding because the seaweed can inhibit the board from skimming smoothly over the water. You’ll also want a beach that isn’t super crowded so you have space to run and skim without running into others.

The best type of beach will have a long, soft sandy stretch of shoreline. Also, beginner skimboarders will have the best success at low tide.

Here in Southern California, we have some really great soft sandy beaches, but we also have rocky ones. We have to be choosy when we know we’ll be skimboarding. 

Benefits of skimboarding for kids

Skimboarding has so many health benefits for kids (and even for you)! Some of these benefits of skimboarding include:

• increased balance
• stronger legs and core
• greater coordination
• improved awareness of ocean/wave patterns
• exposure to Vitamin D
• strengthening of smaller muscles in the feet by running on the uneven surface of the sand

Enjoying the beach while kids skimboard

I am currently reading a book by Wallace J. Nichols titled Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do. How about that for a claim and title?! 

Do you remember how Jo took Beth to the seashore in Little Women when she was sick? In Jane Austen’s Emma, Emma’s sister Isabella wanted to take her children to the seashore for their health after a recommendation from her doctor. I think Mr. Nichols and all of those doctors were on to something!

I don’t know about you, but being near the ocean just makes me feel better and helps me to think more clearly. The ocean is both soothing and healing. It helps relax and inspires creativity. Just being near the water is good for your mood, spirit, and health. 

And while I sometimes wish I could take my kids to the beach just to sit and enjoy the beauty of it in peaceful silence, that’s unrealistic for parents of small kids. However, we’ve found that everyone is a thousand times happier when they have something active to do at the beach and we still get the benefits of being there, despite the chaos and all the activity! Going to the beach is always worth it for us. 

Multi-purpose skimboard

My kids really enjoy skimboarding when we’re at the beach. It keeps them active and entertained for hours! It’s something that all of my kids can do, and it fits so easily in the beach wagon. However, we’ve also found many uses for our skimboards other than skimboarding! When no one is using the board to skim around, it can also be stuck in the sand as a makeshift backstop for a game of wiffle ball. The board is the perfect surface to put your beach treasures on, like all of these sand dollars my kids found in Morro Bay. We’ve used our skimboards as a tabletop for picnic lunches on the beach. 

Additional beach planning resources

The beach has so much to offer families! It’s a fun destination with the potential to make some unforgettable memories. Before your beach day, check out a few of our favorite posts about all things beach:

• Beach day packing tips
• 8 tips for a successful beach trip with kids
• Sandcastle building with kids
• 15 water activities for kids
• Best reef-safe sunscreens
• Boogie boarding with kids
• How to stand-up paddleboard with kids
• Exploring California tidepools
• Tips for taking amazing beach photos
• Winter crabbing with kids

I hope you’re able to add skimboarding to your kids’ repertoire of things to do at the beach.

Have your kids ever tried skimboarding?

About the author

Wendy is a married momma living in central San Diego, CA, raising 4 human kids, 2 goat kids, 4 chickens, and one grumpy cat. She enjoys gardening, hiking, camping, backpacking, going to the beach, and generally getting out of doors. Wendy is a family photographer and also works at several local elementary schools as a garden educator. She dreams of traveling to all 50 states and beyond, and believes that there is great beauty to be found in all parts of the earth, we just have to open our eyes to see it.

You can find more from Wendy online in the following locations:
Instagram: @wendycoxphotography
RWMC posts: Wendy Cox

The post How to Get Started Skimboarding With Kids appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

Benefits of foraging for violets

Foraging is gathering plant matter provided by nature to eat, use, or consume. Did you know that violet flowers (as well as their young leaves) are edible? Violets are known to be high in vitamin A and vitamin C and can be used in many different ways. In addition to being edible, violets have many known medicinal uses. Studies have shown that violets can help with insomnia, decrease oral cancers, and are good for skincare oils and salves.

Identifying wild violets for foraging

There are many different species of violets that can be found across the United States, Canada, and Australia. Violets can be white, yellow, or their namesake purple color. The violet colors can range from dark purple to a light lavender color. The contrast between the green leaves and violet flowers makes them the easiest to spot.  Yellow varieties are may cause an upset stomach in large quantities, so we stick to the purple and white flowers.

The flower portion of a violet has five irregular petals that usually range from a penny to a half dollar in size. The stems of the flowers can be 3-6 inches long, which makes them easy for little hands to pick. The stems stick out from heart-shaped leaves with serrated edges. There are usually many flowers clumped together in one patch making them easy to spot even for the littlest foragers.

Violets spread and reproduce by underground rhizomes and seeds. These seeds sprout later in the season after the blooms are long gone. This is great news because it means you don’t have to worry about your harvest affecting next year’s growth. You can pick all you want! 

Foraging for violets with children

The first time my 4 year old went violet foraging it only took a few minutes for him to begin finding patches by himself by identifying the leaves alone. When your children find them on their own for the first time, make sure to praise their efforts. Get excited with them! It’s a big deal for them to find things on their own and this extra encouragement can make foraging a lot more fun when they are proud of themselves.

Where to look for violets in the wild

Violets prefer partial sun or light shade and a good amount of moisture. We have the best luck finding them along shallow creeks with adequate tree coverage. In the earliest part of spring, you will find the first violets where the sun can warm the soil. The shadier areas will have violets in the later spring once the soil there warms to the right temperature. Violets can also be found in yards in early spring before the first mowing.

When to forage violets 

The best time of year to forage for violet is early spring, when nighttime temperatures begin to rise above freezing. Once you see violet leaves unraveling from the ground it won’t be long (about a week) before the flowers are there, as well.

Since violets are found across the US and Canada, the best time to find violets can vary based on the weather conditions of that year and the general seasonality of the area. Here in the Midwest, April is a sure time to forage for violets. Violets only bloom for about 4-6 weeks, so if you are hoping to find them, you’ll want to keep an eye on the weather so you don’t miss this window. 

While not as plentiful, violets also bloom in late fall when the temperatures begin to drop again. 

Foraging safety tips

Foraging with kids is a fun outdoor physical family activity that can really connect you with nature, but some precautions should be taken. First, you (and your children) should always be very aware of where you are foraging for violets (or anything, really). If you are not familiar with the area, take some time to look around before you begin picking. Check for animal nests and be alert for snakes or insects that may be around your area. Also, check for poison ivy or poison oak. It’s best to find a patch of violets, then do a quick visual check of the area. Once cleared, then direct the kids to that area for foraging. Remind kids that nature is home to wildlife, and they should keep watch for dangers as well. 

You should also be aware of any local rules or regulations regarding foraging or harvesting if you’re on public land or parks. Many parks have rules about taking nothing out of the park or restrictions against picking flora. Only forage in places where it’s allowed or you have express permission from the landowner. 

You also need to be very cautious with your find before ever consuming something that you foraged. Double and triple-check your haul to make sure that you have accurately identified the plant and didn’t include any other plants or materials (including bugs, webs, etc.). Remove anything that is not the item you were foraging and NEVER consume anything you’re unsure about. Find more outdoor safety tips here.

Using wild violets to make color-changing simple syrup 

Violet simple syrup is our favorite thing to make with our foraged violets. Not only is it delicious, but it’s so much fun for kids! The syrup changes colors based on the type of liquid you add it to! It’s a really neat hands-on science experiment for kids to learn about pH.

The violet syrup itself can range from bright purple to dark blue. When added to an acid like lemonade, the drink will turn pink. In a base like baking soda water, it will turn greenish. How fun is that?! Let me show you how to make it.

Lemonade, violet syrup, baking soda water before mixing

Lemonade with syrup added on the left and backing soda water with violet syrup added on the right.

How to make wild violet syrup

When we search for violets to make syrup, we usually aim to loosely fill a quart-sized mason jar. This gives you just the right amount of foraged violets to make a batch of color-changing simple syrup. Here’s the process:

• Remove the stems of the plants from the flowers. Keep only the flowers for the syrup.
• Do a quick rinse of the flowers to remove any dirt, sand, or insects.
• Once rinsed, put the flowers back in the quart jar and fill it to the top with it hot distilled water.
• Seal the jar and let it steep overnight.
• In the morning, strain the flowers from the liquid, leaving behind beautiful violet-tinted water.
• Set the mason jar filled with the violet water into a pot of water to heat it up enough so that it’s warm.
• To make the syrup, mix equal parts warm violet water and sugar (1 cup water + 1 cup sugar) and stir until the super is dissolved.

Here is a video from Alexis @blackforager on how to make the syrup. 

Ways to use violet syrup 

You can mix the violet simple syrup into all kinds of drinks. If you add it to an acid drink (like lemonade), it’ll turn pink! 

Our favorite way to use our forage wild violet simple syrup is in homemade lime water. The citrus mixed with the sweet floral of the violet syrup is so good! The resulting beautiful pink color is an added bonus. My kids love to watch the drink change color as we mix the syrup and lime water.

The simple syrup can be added to any drink of your choice. Consider adding it to tea, juice, mocktails/cocktails, sparkling water, or even just diluting it with water and adding other fresh herbs like mint or basil. The syrup would also be as delicious as a drizzle on baked goods or pancakes!

Lime water with violet syrup added

Using violet leaves

Violet flowers aren’t the only part of the plant that is usable. Young violet leaves can be used in salads, in teas, and as garnishes. The leaves, as well as the flowers, can be infused in oils for use on the skin and can be used to make balms and salves. New growth emerges from the ground rolled up like a funnel and slowly unrolls from the center of the heart, shaped like a rose. 

Young violet leaves

Wild violet treats – jellies, cookies, and cakes 

Making syrup isn’t the only way you can use your foraged wild violet flowers. The flowers of the violets can also be pressed or used to decorate desserts such as shortbread cookies and cakes. Here are some awesome recipes to try out!

• Violet jelly
• Shortbread cookies with violets 
• Violet lemonade tea cake cookies 
• Candied violets 

More springtime foraging fun 

Foraging violets is a fun springtime activity, but not the only one! If you’re not able to find violets or want some other springtime foraging ideas, never fear! Other spring blooms that are edible (and can be used to make similar items) are Forsythia, dandelions, and lilacs. We also have a great post on how to forage for pine tree tips and make a DIY foraged pine tree tip syrup. 

There is no shortage of delicious and amazing things to make after you forage violets. So get outside and have some fun while collecting the goods!

Do you forage with your kids? 

About the author

Meghan is a country living, mom of 2 boys in rural central Illinois (with a baby girl on the way). She is a Physical Therapist Assistant by trade but spends most of her time outside with her family. At home, she has large flower, herb, and vegetable gardens to tend to and 3 large dogs to play with. As a family, they enjoy hiking, camping, boating, fishing, and helping her in-laws show and raise livestock. Photography became a hobby while in isolation after her oldest son’s bone marrow transplant. It has since become a passion to capture her family’s daily life. Throughout her family’s journey with rare disease and transplant, the outdoors have been a safe space for the whole family to grow, learn, and thrive.

You can find more from Meghan online in the following locations:
Instagram: @meghangarriott
Meghan’s RWMC posts:

• Getting Outdoors with Medically Complex Kids
• Tips for Backyard Camping with Kids
• Trampoline Games for Kids
• Tips for Apple Picking with Kids
• Family-Friendly Places to Explore in Illinois
• Nature-Inspired Holiday Ornaments
• Dog Training with Kids

The post Wild Violet Foraging with Kids & Color-Changing Simple Syrup appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

{Post contains affiliate links}

Special thanks to our Instagram community

These fun activities are guaranteed to keep your kids (and you) entertained, learning and active while outside this spring! These activities have been tried, tested and kid-approved by our online Facebook community, followers, editors, writers and contributors! In addition, all of the photos in the post of kids outside having fun are from our absolutely amazing Instagram community! A very special thanks to all the parents that let us feature their beautiful images.

Spring activities for kids printable PDF checklist

While this post will give you all the details and variations for all 100+ outdoor winter activities for kids, if you want a printable checklist version, CLICK HERE to sign up for our newsletter and get a free printable of the list!

Feature image credit: @raisinguntamedminis

100+ spring outdoor activities for kids

As the weather warms up and the days are longer, getting outside with the kids should be a top priority. Our family always makes a springtime bucket list, which includes tons of fun ways to get outside and active together as a family. We put together this giant list of over 100 fun things to do outside with your kids this spring! We’ve got all the traditional activities and we’re throwing in dozens more than you may not expect! So we hope this list will help you plan fun outdoor adventures for your family this season. And if there’s anything we’ve forgotten, let us know in the comments below and we’ll get it added!

1. Puddle jumping

Jumping in a puddle is an absolute classic quintessential rite of passage for any child. So often kids are asked to refrain from getting wet and muddy. Give them the gift of freedom to explore and get as messy as they want for a day. Dress them in their rain boots and whatever else you don’t care getting wet (plenty of layers if it’s still cold) and encourage them to splash! They’ll be so excited about the opportunity and will remember this for a lifetime.

2. Host an outdoor tea party

Outdoor tea parties can be fun any season of the year. Spring is a perfect time though, with fresh green grass and flowers everywhere. Have your kids dress up in something fun and fancy! Pull out a little table and chairs into the backyard and whip up some tea and a light snack. Try traditional cucumber sandwiches or make it a sweet tea time with cookies or cake. Depending on the age and fanciness of your guest, break out the good china and really impress them! (or even just use glass coffee mugs, which are fun!) If your kids don’t like tea, substitute lemonade, sparkling water or fruit-infused water.

3. Make a flower bouquet

Spring is a wonderful time for finding and picking flowers. Bring a pair of scissors on your walk and snip a few flowers for a bouquet (as long as you have permission). Springtime flowers could include daffodils, tulips, orchids, primrose, snowdrops, and violets. Wildflowers make beautiful and colorful arrangements. But only take a few and make sure to leave plenty for the bees!

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

4. Dig for worms

One of my favorite memories I have with all three of my kids was teaching them how to dig for worms when they were little. There’s something about discovering a worm right under your feet that blows kids’ little minds! And you don’t need much to dig for worms. Find an outdoor area where you can dig (a garden or near the edge of the woods is ideal). The best time to find worms near the surface is after a rain when the soil is moist. Give each kid a shovel or garden spade and encourage them to dig into the dirt.

If your kids are little, dig a hole for them. Once you have a large scoop of dirt, break it up gently with your fingers, carefully looking for worms. If you find a worm, gently let your child hold it in their palm and let the worm wiggle around. When you’re finished observing the worm, you can set it free in a garden, compost area or watch it return to the soil.

5. Put out hummingbird feeders

Hummingbirds are delightful and highly desirable backyard birds. No matter how many times you see one it is a thrill to watch these tiny birds flit around and drink from flowers and feeders. It’s a common misconception that just hanging a hummingbird feeder in your yard will attract flocks of hummingbirds. There’s actually a lot more that goes into getting hummingbirds to visit your feeder, but luckily it’s not too hard! The best, and easiest, way to attract hummingbirds is to plant their favorite nectar-producing flowers and plants. These plants are usually bright colors (hummingbirds especially love red flowers) and many have long, tubular blossoms.

Some flowers that attract hummingbirds are the trumpet vine, trumpet honeysuckle, bee balm, hollyhock, zinnia, and sage. Hang multiple feeders in a low activity area that is near the flowers you planted for them. Fill your feeders with homemade hummingbird nectar, which is basically just sugar water (no red dye). Hang a variety of feeders in various locations. Different hummingbirds may have a preferred feeder style, so choose a variety of types to cater to their preferences. Change the water out once a week and sit back and enjoy the hummingbird watching with your kids!

Feature image credit: @kristinvucinaphotography

6. Visit a tulip field

If you’re lucky enough to live close to somewhere with gorgeous tulip fields, then please make sure you visit this spring. Not only are these places absolutely spectacular photo opportunities, but they’re just magical places to experience! Make the most of out what spring has to offer and spend some time amongst the flowers!

7. Play disc golf

Playing Frisbee is a great alternative to traditional pitch and catch. The flat disc is usually much easier for kids to toss and catch. Throw one around at your local park and see who can throw it the farthest or with the most accuracy. Once you’ve gotten the hang on it, try your luck at disc golf! There are free courses all across the country and you don’t need much to get started. It’s easy enough to learn in a day (although much harder to master), but so much fun for the whole family!

Feature image credit: @ksenia_belanger

8. Go fishing

Fishing is a great activity that the whole family can enjoy and do nearly anywhere there’s water! If you’ve never fished before, do a little bit of research about what the fish in your area eat and when/where to go. Ask at a fishy friend or at a local bait shop. A lot of state parks will even provide fishing gear for the day for free! Trust me, it doesn’t get much better than seeing your child’s entire face light up when she/he lands a fish! Here’s a great post on how to raise kids that love to fish.

9. Mud faces on trees

Making forest faces is a fun and simple outdoor springtime activity that can be done anywhere there are trees. All you need is some thick mud (or clay) and a variety of natural items for decorations (leaves, moss, small sticks, stones, acorns, rocks, etc.) and an accessible tree. Press a big hunk of mud/clay onto the tree trunk, smoothing the edges down onto the bark. Add a selection of leaves and moss for the hair or crown of the face. Add acorns or rocks for eyes and nose. Maybe a stick for a mouth. Get as creative as you want! Hopefully, the faces will stay for a while for other people to enjoy, but there is the chance they may dry out and fall off, or wash off in the rain.

Feature image credit: @sunniemf

10. Chase a rainbow

Is there really a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? You’ll never know unless you find it! For a fun spring outdoor activity with kids, try chasing a rainbow! Next time you see one, go for a walk (or get in a wagon or even in the car) and try to chase down the end and find that pot of gold! Let the kids choose which way you go. Who knows where you’ll end up, but it’ll certainly be an adventure! And if you find the gold, make sure to share some with me!

11. Fly a kite

Spring is the perfect time to fly a kite! The months in spring tend to be windy, which is perfect kite-flying weather. Pick a location with a wide-open expanse of land and air, so you have plenty of room to chase your kite and not run into any obstacles. If you have more than one kid, give them each a kite and let them race them or challenge each other to kite acrobatics!

Feature image credit: @wildpoppies.and.wheatfields

12. Spring flower suncatchers

If you want a fun craft project to make with kids that will add some nature and color to your home, try making flower suncatchers. Start by collecting flowers that are bright and colorful. You can dry them flat under a book or try microwaving them in between fabric under a brick (I’ve heard this works well to preserve the color). Once flat and dry, seal the flowers between two pages of laminating paper or even between 2 pieces of glass (in a frame). Hang them in your window and let the sun shine through! Here’s a great tutorial for how to make flower suncatchers with kids.

13. Plant a tree

Spring is a great time to plant a tree. And planting a tree is easier than you might think! Once you’ve picked out your tree and your location, dig a hole that’s at least twice as wide as but no deeper than the rootball. You want to give the roots room to spread out — to help establish the tree. But you don’t want to dig deeper than the tree root ball. Sitting the tree too deep into the hole can cause water to pool around the trunk.

Place the tree in the hole, then begin backfilling with the soil that was removed from the hole. You want to evenly fill in the dirt all around the rootball. Pack in the soil around the tree root ball using your feet. Create a small ringed dam around the trunk of the tree to keep water closer to the root ball during the tree’s first days.  Water the tree as soon as possible after planting it. And by water, I mean really soak it! Water thoroughly every day for the first 2 weeks. Then, cut back to watering once every couple days for the next several weeks. Finally, water the tree once per week for the rest of the first growing season.

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

14. Grill outside

In my opinion, almost all food tastes better when cooked outside over an open flame. Take advantage of the warmer weather and extra daylight by cooking dinner on the grill. Whether you’re grilling hotdogs, steaks, hamburgers or veggies, it’s guaranteed to taste amazing. And, if you’ve never tried to make your own pizza on the BBQ grill, what are you waiting for?! Buy some premade pizza dough (or make your own – it’s easy!) and your favorite pizza toppings. Have everything ready to go, then slide the crust on the grill for a few minutes. Flip the whole thing over and then add your pizza toppings while it cooks. Your grill can get much hotter than your oven, so it’ll make your crust extra crispy and delicious! And don’t forget the s’mores!

15. Press flowers

Flowers are popping up everywhere you look during the spring months! Take advantage of the abundance and preserve some for a cold rainy day. Collect flowers on a sunny day when they’re not wet or damp. Place the flowers between sheets of parchment or wax paper and lay a heavy book on top. Let the flowers dry for 7-10 days. Use the flowers for art decorations, cards, journals, luminaries or anything your heart desires! We’ve tried this flower press kit and made beautiful art!

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

16. Dandelion tea

Did you know that dandelions were healthy and delicious? Dandelions are packed with nutrients and antioxidants that can boost your health. You can make dandelion tea from the leaves, flowers, or roots of the plants, with the latter being the most common method. Herbal tea made with the flowers tends to be more delicate and sweet.  Check out this post for all the details on how to make your own dandelion tea this spring.

17. Go green for St. Pat’s

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this spring by going green for the day. How you choose to “go green” is totally up to you! Maybe that means wearing all green clothing head-to-toe! Perhaps you choose to eat and drink only green foods all day or for an entire meal. Maybe you simply choose to be extra eco-friendly (“green”) for the day and pick up litter or make crafts from recycled materials. There are so many fun ways to celebrate being green!

18. Explore a pond

Exploring ponds with kids is not only fascinating and fun, but it’s also educational! There’s so much to see, feel, observe and learn about around a pond. Technology and screen time cannot replace the hands-on lessons children learn just playing outside in the amazing classroom of nature. Ponds are a fascinating place, an ecosystem in their own right. They sustain entire life cycles of plants and animals in their own self-contained space.

In the summer they hum with life, providing a vibrant atmosphere to explore. From the birds and insects filling the air with song to the fish flashing by in the water and the bullfrogs calling just out of reach, they are a child’s paradise of discoveries. So grab a bucket and a butterfly net, and head to the pond together. Here’s a great post on all kinds of fun things you can do while exploring a pond with kids.

Feature image credit: @soulshinephotographer

19. Start seedlings in eggshells

Gardening has to be one of my all-time favorite springtime outdoor activities. I love everything about starting our garden every spring. One of our favorite things to do is start our plants from seeds in eggshells. All you need to do is save those eggshells from your breakfast (try to break just the tip of the shell off and pour out the egg). Fill the shell with potting soil and one seed. Push the seed down into the soil, but not too deep. Water the seeds and keep the soil moist (but not soaked). Put them in the egg carton (as a holder) in a sunny window and watch them sprout! When ready to plant, simply drop the entire egg into the soil. It will provide great nutrients and calcium for your plants.

Photo credit: @blackadventurecrew

20. Outdoor workout

Spring is a great time to workout outside with the kids. Bring them along on a run around the neighborhood. Do yoga together outside in the back yard. Take them to the local park and hit all the exercise circuits on the trail. Or plan your own outdoor circuit workout that you can do together and get them involved. Kids that see their parents being active are more likely to be active as well. Be an example and get out and sweat! Here’s a great post all about how to successfully exercise outdoors with kids. 

21. Make a fairy garden

If you have little ones that into all things fairies and magic, you definitely need to add a fairy garden to your spring bucket list. Fairy gardens are easy to make and can be done in any way your heart desires. They usually contain a small house or door for your local fairy to use. Decorate as fancy as you want with lights, glitter, beads, rocks, decorations, etc. There are even companies that make adorable fairy garden kits to make it easy for you! Set up your fairy garden in a place your kids can access and let them get creative!

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

22. Egg hunt

You don’t have to celebrate Easter to do an egg hunt (change it to a painted rock hunt). We love taking the traditional indoor egg hunt outside and scaling it up! Our entire neighborhood participates in a giant front-yard egg hunt for the kids on our street every year. Each house hides 50 eggs and the kids run wild through everyone’s yard finding as many eggs as they can. Once they find the eggs, they spend the rest of the day (week) rehiding them for each other and doing it all over again! It’s the gift that just keeps giving. 

23. Seed paper

Making seed paper is a great activity for kids any time of year. Spring is great though, because you can plant the paper right away (because kids love instant satisfaction). All you need is a bunch of recyclable paper (coloring book pages or newspaper), a blender, water, seeds and a screen. Shred the paper and soak it in water. Whip it up in the blender until it’s pulp. Mix in the seeds and then strain over a mesh screen. Once dry, you can cut into any shape you wan, write messages on them and give to friends and neighbors to plant! We’ve got a great post on how to make your own DIY seed paper with kids.

Feature image credit: @soulshinephotographer

24. Hatch baby chicks

Watching a chick hatch from an egg is one of the most amazing experiences. This activity requires a lot of prep work and planning, so it might not be suitable or possible for everyone. However, if you have chickens or know someone that will take the chicks after hatching, this experience is so worth it! A lot of classrooms hatch chicks as a lesson for the kids. Here’s a great post on everything you need to know and set up for your chick hatching experience.

25. Dandelion crown

Dandelion crowns are easier to make than you might expect! Not only are dandelions prevalent in the spring, but they’re completely free and fun! Start by collecting as many dandelions as you can. Make sure to keep the stems as long as possible. Wrap the second dandelion around the stem of the first and add the stem to the first stem. Add another and continue until you have enough flowers to wrap around your head like a crown. Use this dandelion crown pictorial for reference. Wear and enjoy!

26. Make a rain gauge

April showers are much more fun when you’re active in the rain. Get your kids excited about rain by making a rain gauge to monitor how much rain you’re getting. All you need is a mason jar (or other glass container) that you can write/paint on. Have your kids use a ruler and make marks on the glass for each inch of water. Place the rain gauge outside on a level surface away from overhead trees or awnings. After each rain, go out and check the gauge to see how much rain you got! Keep track of your findings in a nature journal or rain tracker chart. If you want more detailed instructions, plus a printable rain tracker, check out the DIY rain gauge in our shop. 

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

27. Blow bubbles

While this activity may sound super simplistic, that’s the beauty of bubbles! No set up or planning involved. All you need is a wand and some bubble juice (water + soap) to entertain and excite kids. My little ones can blow, chase, catch and pop bubbles for hours! They never seem to get tired of bubbles. A good bubble machine is worth its weight in gold and delight kids of all ages (even adults have a hard time not trying to catch them!).

28. Grass whistling

Did you know you can turn a single blade of grass into a whistle? Start by picking a thick and wide piece of grass. Some varieties of lawn grass are better than others for this purpose. You might want to pick several blades of grass and experiment with different ones, since each one will whistle at a different pitch. If you’re uneasy with dirt, feel free to rinse the grass thoroughly to remove any dirt or possible pet urine. You can use dish soap if it makes you feel better. Pat or blog dry with a paper towel. Hold the blade of grass flat and stretched between your fingers. Gently press to your lips and blow lightly on the blade. If it doesn’t whistle right away, keep trying! You’ll quickly figure out the best way to do this and get the hang of it!

Photo credit: @rui4050

29. Make a flower lei

A lei can be any objects strung together with the intent to be worn. Leis can be made from just about anything…shells, paper, money, ribbon, candy, fabric. Most commonly they are made from fresh plants, such as flowers and leaves. All you need to make a lei: fresh flowers, large needle, waxed dental floss, and scissors. Gather your flowers, then cut the flowers off near the top of the stem. Cut a long piece of dental floss and thread it through your needle and tie off the floss so that it doesn’t slip out of the eye of the needle. Carefully thread the needle through the flower. Go from the stem through the middle of the flower and then gently move it down the floss.

Make sure to leave a few inches at the bottom of the floss. Continue stringing flowers until it’s the desired length and then tie off!

Feature image credit: @carrinlewis_photography

30. Plant a garden

While gardening with kids might sound like a lot of work and a bit of a time commitment, it doesn’t have to be! If you’re new to gardening, start small with just a couple of plants. There are plenty of fruits and vegetables that are easy to grow with kids. You also don’t need a huge amount of space. While a large plot is ideal, lots of plants can be grown in containers on your back porch or windowsill. We have a great post on all the benefits of gardening and everything you need to know to get started gardening with kids.

31. Flower paintbrush

Art projects are even more fun when you do them outside with natural materials. My kids love painting with flowers. We start by collecting various plants and flowers while hiking in our neighborhood or local park. We take them home and turn the flowers into paintbrushes by dipping them in paint and using them to color paper. The different shapes and textures of the flowers each create unique patterns. The kids love experimenting with various flowers and finding their favorites. We then let the flowers dry and make an arrangement of painted flowers to leave on our tabletop. They make a beautiful and colorful bouquet!

32. Hike & seek

Kids of all ages love to play hide and seek. There’s something so fun about coming up with clever hiding spots and the excited anticipation of waiting to be discovered that kids love! While normally played inside, we have a blast playing hide and seek outside, as well. Depending on your location, you’ll want to set boundaries ahead of time and explain to the kids anywhere that’s off-limits or out of bounds. Pay attention to where they’re hiding, but allow them the freedom to explore and get creative.

Feature image credit: @nicolejkolbe

33. Start a compost bin

Spring is a great time to set up and start a compost bin. Composting is a quick, easy and inexpensive way to eliminate food waste in landfills and help the environment. Plus, you end up with great fertilized soil for your gardens. You don’t need any fancy or expensive equipment either. A plain giant closed plastic container with a lid will work just fine (something like this). Drill some holes in the top and sides so your compost can breathe. To get your compost off to a good start, lay some ripped up cardboard or newspaper (black and white) in the bottom of the bin. Top that with some straw or leaves, then top that with some garden soil.

Now start adding your food scraps into your compost. The smaller the pieces you add, the faster you will have beautiful soil from it. Each time you add something to your compost pile, give a little stir. Things are decomposing when they’re giving off a lot of heat. If there isn’t any heat in there, your composting magic is not occurring. Make sure to balance your greens and brown (the ideal ratio is 25 parts browns to 1 part greens). For a big list of things you can compost, see this post.

34. Celebrate May Day

May Day (May 1) is an ancient spring festival in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s an astronomical holiday. It’s one of the year’s four cross-quarter days – a day that falls midway between an equinox and solstice. May 1st is between the March equinox and June solstice. There are so many fun ways to celebrate May Day with kids. A few ideas include: planting flowers or a tree, make a maypole with colorful ribbons to dance around, make personal flower baskets filled with petals/flowers to gift, make flower crowns or leis, have a bonfire, have an outdoor picnic, read poetry about spring or go on a nature hike.

Feature image credit: @lizbinder

35. Observe a pollinator

Teach your kids about the importance of pollinators this spring. Give them the task of watching and observing the flowers and plants in your backyard for bees and butterflies a few separate times. Then, ask the following guiding questions: (1) What types of insects or other animals are visiting which flowers? (2) Are some flowers visited more often or only by certain creatures? (3) Is there more activity at certain times of the day? (4) What kinds of paths do the insects take as they move among flowers? (5) Which types hover and which perch? (6) How do the flowers they visit seem designed to support these habits? (7) Does a mixed planting draw more different kinds of pollinators?

Once you’ve compiled your answers, research the plants and flowers that pollinators like best and set up your own pollinator garden or feeding station in your yard.

36. Cut the grass

If you have a traditional lawn that you cut with a lawnmower, chances are that there are quite a few places along the edges (or close to fences or rocks) that your lawnmower doesn’t get. Instead of taking a weed wacker to those spots, give your child a pair of scissors and let her practice her fine motor skills of cutting! Kids love helping out the adults and they love being in charge of things that are usually off-limits. On grass mowing days, let your child have a pair of scissors and help trim those hard to mow spots! She’ll not only put her hands to work and develop fine motor skills but feel like she’s helping and contributing to the family.

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

37. Spring nature hike

Hiking in the spring is so much fun! Not only do you avoid the heat, humidly, crowds and pesky bugs of summer, but you get to experience life reemerging in the woods in the spring. In the spring, the green is just beginning to reappear and the wildlife is incredibly active, leading to all kinds of close encounters with deer, squirrels, rabbits and birds. The leafs on the trees aren’t thick, so you can see long distances and easily spot flowers and animals. Just be sure to wear boots in case the trail is muddy! If you need advice, we’ve got a great post on how to get started hiking with kids.

Photo credit: @juelz_jourdan

38. Decorate a flower pot

Decorating a flower pot is a super fun and easy outdoor springtime activity for the kids. Start with a plain old terra cotta pot and let your kids decorate it however they want! They can cover it in stickers, paint it, draw on it with paint pens, markers or chalk. They could decoupage it or wrap it with ribbon. Anything goes! Once it’s fully decorated and ready, add soil and a plant for instant decoration. Let them keep it in their room or gift it to a friend, teacher or neighbor.

39. Tulip/daffodil study

When I was a kid I was always fascinated by things and wanted to take them apart. Plants and flowers especially. I remember picking flowers and carefully pulling them apart, picking off the petals, opening them up and trying to figure them out. My kids also love doing this. When daffodils and tulips pop up every spring, the kids get super excited. I always let them pick a few to take apart and check out. I give them a butter knife and a pair of scissors and let them explore! We talk about the parts of the plant and what each part does. They learn a lot and then leave the flowers alone the rest of the season.

Feature image credit: @kalliastivaktaki

40. Make mud pies

As parents, we see mud and only see a mess. But to children, mud is an abundant and attractive medium for creation, exploration and adventure. Mud is fun! Playing with mud engages all the senses, encourages creativity and creates long-lasting childhood memories. The art of making mud pies can be as elaborate as you’d like to make it and will entertain your kids for hours. Initially, just use whatever you have on hand (pie tins, bowls, pans, plates, etc.) and decorate with whatever they can find (flowers, leaves, sticks, grass, shells, etc.). You’ll be amazed at your children’s creativity and improve skills in decorating their creations.

41. Save a turtle

If you spend any time driving on country roads, you know that spring is a popular time of year to see turtles crossing the road. Turtles are on the move once the weather gets warm—but sometimes, a road or a highway stands between them and their destination. Speeding traffic and slow-moving turtles don’t mix, and many turtles are severely injured or killed on roads every year. Even if their shells are crushed, turtles can remain alive for days or even weeks in agonizing pain because they have such slow metabolisms.

If you see a turtle on or near a road, take action! If you happen to see a turtle in need, park in a safe place, put your hazard lights on, and make sure that traffic is clear before venturing out onto the road. Pick them up by grasping them firmly by both sides of the body, in front of their hind legs. Be careful not to drop them! If it’s a snapping turtle, gently push them from behind to safety with a blunt object. Always keep them moving in the same direction that they were headed. Do not try to make them change course, as they have a destination in mind and will simply try to cross the road again if placed back where they started from. Once they’re safe on the other side, leave them alone.

Feature image credit: @gretchennevin

42. Outdoor swing

Setting up a swing in the yard is a guaranteed way to keep the kids outside and entertained. Our neighbors have a net swing in their front yard and every kid on our block has spent countless hours out there playing. From tweens to toddlers, the kids are just fascinated by the swing! It’s such a simple thing, and yet so popular! This swing supports a few kids together and they have the best time pushing each other and giggling on that swing.

43. Start a nature collection

If you haven’t already, spring is a great time to start a nature collection. All you need is a sense of adventure and a place to store/display your collection. Anytime you venture out and find a cool discovery, add it to your nature collection! My kids have a great collection of all the fun things we’ve found over the past few years, which include feathers, rocks, shells, fossils, bird eggs, antlers, empty nests, bones, teeth, empty turtle shells, snakeskins, arrowheads, 4-leaf clovers, etc. The small rocks and shells get stored in a large glass vase. The rest of the stuff goes on a dedicated bookshelf in our living room so they can see and touch their findings.

Feature image credit: @raisingwildones

44. Have a spring picnic

An outdoor picnic is a great way to spend time outside no matter what the season. Spring is a great time for a picnic though, as it’s usually not too hot, there are fewer bugs and everyone’s extra ready to spend time outside. You can pack a picnic lunch at home and take it to your favorite outdoor location. Or swing through a drive-through or get carryout from your favorite restaurant. Heck, you could even have pizza delivered to you at the picnic location of your choice! No matter how you slice it, a picnic is a great outdoor springtime activity for kids.

Photo credit: @jhennyloouuu

45. Make wind chimes

I just adore the sound of wind chimes blowing in the spring breeze. And they’re surprisingly easy to make! You can make wind chimes out of sticks, shells, old silverware, stones, glass or anything else you can think of! My kids and I made some beautiful wind chimes from all the treasures we found on the beach last year (shells, driftwood, chunks of sand dollars, etc.). It’s a visible (and audible) way to remember our trip.

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

46. Set up a slackline

Slacklining is a perfect way for kids of all ages to hone balancing skills while spending time outside, building core strength and confidence. Slacklining is one of my kids’ favorite backyard activities and I’m blown away by how much time they spend on it daily, balancing, bouncing and playing games. This is a great beginner slackline kit and we’ve got an awesome post on slacklining with kids.

47. Create a treasure hunt

A treasure hunt is a super fun and creative way to spend some quality time outside with the kids in the spring. Help your kids come up with their very own treasure hunt in your backyard, neighborhood or local park. They’ll need to choose their treasure, figure out how/where to hide it, come up with a map and any clues they want to give. This is a great way for them to work on orienteering and map skills (X marks the spot). They’ll have to think analytically about clues and observations. They’ll work on writing skills by coming up with clever and descriptive clues that rhyme.

Feature image credit: @skye_taten

48. Outdoor yoga

Yoga helps us be more present and mindful and practicing yoga with kids outdoors is an excellent way for them to connect to the natural world. Anyone can help children enjoy the benefits of yoga and mindfulness outdoors. Incorporating fun poses with storytelling and adventure, children practicing yoga outside use all their senses to establish a link with nature and enjoy feelings of peace and connectedness. See our full post on incorporating yoga into outdoor nature play for all the details.

49. Make nature confetti

Making nature confetti is super fun for kids to do any time of the year! All you need to do is gather a bunch of colorful leaves, flower petals, etc. and a few different shaped punchers. Gather your materials and head home and start punching away. This project engages gross motor skills (walking around our neighborhood), fine motor skills (paper punching), and eye-hand coordination. After a large amount of confetti is made, the most fun part of the craft is tossing it in the air!

50. Stick magic wand

Create a magic wand out of materials you have at home for a fun project you can take outdoors into nature. All you need is a stick and ribbon scraps cut into similar lengths. Choose all different colors, widths, and patterns and tie them onto the stick. If your kids are old enough, encourage them to do this themselves, while little ones may need your help. Beware: magical wands can turn you into anything! Some can even be used to grant wishes! You never know what powers your child’s wand will possess.

Feature image credit: @michelerenephotography

51. Dance in the rain

When it finally starts getting warm enough to go outside barefoot without freezing, I love letting the kids out to dance in the rain! Feeling the rain coming down and playing in the puddles without shoes is an amazing sensory experience for kids. They feel the rain with their entire body, they smell it and taste it! Give your kids the opportunity this spring to dance in the rain with wild abandon! It’ll be something they always remember and hopefully the beginning of a lifelong love and appreciation of the rain.

52. Spring nature journal

Spring is a great time to start (or continue) a nature journal. A nature journal is a special book where your kids can record all the interesting things they see, smell, hear, feel, eat and wonder about, through the year. You can color, draw or paint what you see in your journal. You could try collecting leaves or petals off the floor and taping them into your journal. Photos are a great option too. Take them and then use them as collage items in your journal. Try asking kids to record what the weather looks like or to stand still and see what they can smell, see and hear on your walks.  For more tips, our creative team member Jemma of Thimble & Twig has a great post on how to get started nature journaling with kids.

53. Pay it forward

Give your kids one of the greatest gifts ever – the gift of giving back! Make sure to pay it forward this spring by doing small outdoor acts of kindness anytime you can. Whether that’s putting a quarter in a row of meters, mowing a neighbor’s grass, giving a bouquet of flowers to a friend or walking the dog for an elderly neighbor. Work with your kids to come up with a list of things you could do together to pay if forward this spring.

Feature image credit: @svet_sky_ya

54. Admire a blossoming tree

One of my favorite things about spring are all the amazing blooms from flowers, bushes and trees. Cherry Blossoms and Dogwood trees are high up there on my list of favorites. Cherry blossom season lasts for about a month every spring and is always weather dependent early March to early April is a good rule of thumb. Most trees bloom for one to two weeks. The further South, the earlier the trees bloom. This branch of trees is largely for looks as opposed to fruit production. Ornamental cherry trees do produce fruit closely related to edible cherries, these trees are usually grown for their beauty.

The dogwood is a majestic ornamental tree, which has over 50 species within the genus. These species vary wildly, from shrubs to deciduous temperate trees and evergreens. One of the most common species, and the one about which you’ve most likely heard, is the Flowering Dogwood (the state tree of Virginia), which has conspicuous white to light yellow flowers that offer magnificent blooms in spring. If you have the chance, I highly recommend you and the kids take a minute to admire a blossoming tree in your area!

Photo credit: @arevook

55. Listen for woodpeckers

The Pileated Woodpecker is one of the biggest, most striking forest birds on the continent. It’s nearly the size of a crow, black with bold white stripes down the neck and a flaming-red crest. When you’re outside with the kids this spring, take some time to look and listen for Pileated Woodpeckers whacking at dead trees and fallen logs in search of their main prey, carpenter ants, leaving unique rectangular holes in the wood. The nest holes these birds make offer crucial shelter to many species including swifts, owls, ducks, bats, and pine martens. Pileated Woodpeckers sometimes visit backyard bird feeders, especially for suet. If you have dead or dying trees or snags on your property, consider leaving them alone as they may attract Pileated Woodpeckers (as well as other woodpeckers, nuthatches, etc.) to forage, roost or even nest in them.

56. Celebrate Earth Day

Earth Day is Wednesday, April 22. This year, celebrate Earth Day by reducing, reusing and recycling!! We love to recycle everyday items and reuse it in nature crafts. Paper towel tubes are fantastic for sowing seeds in, making into telescopes or a ton of other stuff. For crafting, we also use cereal boxes and we can even reuse milk jugs as watering cans. Use your imagination and try to reuse 10 items this week. It’s easy if you try.

Feature image credit: @soulshinephotographer

57. Have a barefoot day

Give your kids’ feet a break and have a barefoot day! Did you know that children who go barefoot frequently have a heightened sense of their surroundings and avoid sharp objects? Plus, feet toughen up the more they go barefoot, leading to more natural protection. Walking outside barefoot is recommended by many pediatricians and podiatrists for children and adults. Letting kids go shoeless as often as possible does wonders for foot and brain development. It helps develop and maintain an appropriate range of motion in the joints and strength and stability within the muscles and ligaments of the feet.

Forcing children’s feet to conform to the shape of a shoe will most likely result in permanent detrimental changes to the shape or construction of the foot. Walking barefoot also helps brain development as children learn to balance and develop other sensory systems in the body. Shoes reduce the amount and quality of sensory information kids get about their environment and body. Feeling the earth beneath their feet allows them to develop their somatosensory, proprioceptive, and vestibular sensory systems in ways that are not possible with shoes on!

58. Mushroom hunt

In my neck of the woods (the Midwest), spring is famous for bringing with it a delicacy that you can’t grow or get any other time of year – morel mushrooms! This elusive mushroom is prized for it’s tastiness, and can only be wildcrafted as no one has figured out how to grow them (yet). They come up in spring to early summer, depending on where you live, and are fairly widespread. Foraging for morel mushrooms can be difficult, as they usually blend in very well with their surroundings. But, once you get an eye for them, they seem to pop up everywhere! They like south-facing hillsides, and will typically be in the sunniest patches, where the ground is warmest.

They generally grow around the drip line of trees. And while they seem to prefer certain varieties of trees (ash, aspen, sycamore, oak, elm), there are no hard and fast rules on this. Also, they like disturbed forests and burned areas. Morels are one of the easiest mushrooms to identify. They have a pitted and deeply ridged cap that resembles a honeycomb. The cap is also completely attached to the stalk, and they are completely hollow when cut in half. There are a few varieties of “false morels”, so if you’re unsure, cut one in half to make sure that the cap is completely attached to the stalk and that it is hollow.

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

59. 4-leaf clover hunt

Need a little extra luck in your life? Try finding a four-leaf clover! All you need is a patch of clover and a will to find one – no prepping or planning involved. Keep your eyes peeled for that extra lucky leaf. And if you find one, chances are another will be close by! Check out our post for tips and advice on how to find a four-leaf clover with kids.

60 .Give a plant

Plants are one of my all-time favorite gifts to give and receive! There’s just something so hopeful and loving about giving a plant. My kids and I usually start seeds in the spring and I set a few aside to give to friends and neighbors. Our massive sunflowers have become quite popular on our street, as we’ve given plants to so many neighbors. We also plant some of our own homemade seed bombs in small pots and gift them to friends and teachers. Small succulents also make great gifts for coworkers and kids, as they don’t usually need a lot of attention to thrive. Help your kids pick a few plants to gift to loved ones this spring and let them get their hands dirty helping plant them.

61. Spring cleaning day

Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be the responsibility of the adults. Get the kids involved too with outdoor chores and projects for them. There are many outdoor chores that kids can help with, from toddlers to teens! A few of the chores my kids help with are: raking leaves out of the gardens, trimming hedges and branches, washing the outside of the house windows, spraying out the garage/driveway, pick up sticks, spray off the deck/patio, remove cobwebs, add mulch to flower beds and cleaning off toys and play equipment.

Feature image credit: @iammissymoore

62. Go for a bike ride

Biking with kids is a fun springtime adventure and a great way to get outdoors, explore new areas/trails, create family memories and get in shape. Riding a bike not only improves physical fitness, but it also benefits your child’s learning development and mental health. Plus, biking reduces carbon emissions, eases traffic congestion and eliminates parking problems. If you’re just getting started, we’ve got a great post with lots of tips for biking with kids.

63. Paint with mud

One of our favorite springtime outdoor activities is painting with mud. Mud is a wonderful medium for creating masterpieces, practicing writing letters or painting nature scenes. Sometimes we paint on poster board and sometimes we paint the sidewalk or even the fence in our backyard. Whether you use plain ole brown mud or get creative with color, your kids will love this new form of creating art! All you need is mud, powdered tempera (or liquid watercolor paint or food coloring), Dawn dish soap (optional), water, and some paintbrushes.

64. Set up a birdhouse

Many birds are facing habitat loss, which has driven some species away from former nesting areas. Help the birds in your neighborhood out by providing the right house to bring birds back home. We highly recommend doing a little research on the birds in your area and what kind of houses they prefer. Not all houses are equal and the ones that appeal to people might not be best for the birds. Find a house that is the right size, with the right size opening and place it in a safe place. If the hole is too big, it invites predators; rats and possums take the eggs. If the box is placed too low, snakes will get inside. Too big a hole also invites other (species of) birds to raid the nest. It’s a bird-eat-bird world out there!

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

65. Grow your socks

Want a super fun science project that teaches your kids and lets them get dirty? I’m sure you’ve all seen the project where you can grow a bean sprout in a plastic bag with a piece of cotton. Well, this is a fun new twist on that concept. Instead of growing seeds in a bag, grow your socks! All you need to do is let your kids run around outside with old wet socks on, getting as dirty and muddy as possible. This way they’ll collect the seeds directly from nature. When the socks are nice and filthy, take them off and place each one in a plastic bag. Tape the plastic bag to a window that gets a good amount of daily sunlight.

If the socks feel dry, add a small amount of water. Now all you have to do is wait for them to grow! See our post on how to grow your socks for all the details.

66. Play golf

Golf is such a fun outdoor activity for the entire family. My kids are really into golf these days and they can’t seem to get enough. We love going out and playing nine holes as a family at a public course. They love hitting the ball, but they also love driving around the golf cart. We also enjoy spending an hour hitting balls at the driving range. This is a great way to practice and get a lot of hits in! (less patience required) If you haven’t tried Top Golf, it’s also been a huge hit! There’s an extra element of challenge and competition, plus great food and drinks while you hit.

67. DIY butterfly wings

Looking for a really amazing and impressive (and yet not that hard) project to make with your kids? How about DIY butterfly wings that they can wear! This project is simpler than you might expect and guaranteed to make any little kid’s imagination go wild! They can be made from materials you probably already have in your craft closet and yard. For details on how to make these gorgeous wings, check out our friend Johanna’s post on woodlark.

Feature image credit: @soulshinephotographer

68. Go on a clean-up hike

We all know that we have to do our part to take care of the planet and it’s up to us to be good stewards of the environment and set an example for our kids. Next time you’re out exploring your favorite local trail (or even going for a walk around your neighborhood), take along a garbage bag and make an effort to clean up any trash or rubbish you find along the way. Chances are, you’ll be (unpleasantly) surprised at just how much trash has been discarded. Set a good example for your kids by cleaning up and explaining to them the importance of taking care of our surroundings and the environment.

Photo credit: @kidsdelmundo

69. Photo scavenger hunt

We love a good scavenger hunt! It’s one thing that we can do nearly anywhere and keeps the kids busy for a good long time. One of our favorite ways to get creative with this is to add a camera. I have an old point-and-shoot camera that I let the kids borrow and give them a list of things to find. You can choose to give them specific items (a flower, a pine cone, a fire hydrant) or be vague and let them get creative (something that smells, something prickly, something yellow). Instead of crossing the item off the list, they have to take a photo with/of it. They love being independent and responsible for the camera. I love seeing the funny photos and interesting items they choose to photograph.

Photo credit: @sage.and.summit

70. Visit a farmer’s market

In the spring, local farmer’s markets are teeming with really fun and interesting finds. Your local springtime farmer’s market harvest could include cherries, fiddlehead ferns, artichokes, dandelion greens, garlic, lemons, asparagus, beets, potatoes, mushrooms, and peas. Take your kids and introduce them to the vendors. Let them ask questions about where and how the food was grown. Let them taste free samples of fruits, veggies and baked goods. And then pick out a few items to take home for dinner! They’ll be more likely to eat the food if they had a say in choosing it. Here’s a great post all about exploring farmer’s markets with kids. 

Feature image credit: @msmportraits_

71. Visit a botanical garden

Botanical gardens are some of the most magical, relaxing places and a great way to observe nature waking up in the spring. Strolling through the gardens, lounging in the great lawn, overlooking the lake and smelling the flowers might be the best way to decompress from the madness around you. Botanical gardens are also incredibly educational for children. There’s so much to learn about how plants thrive, why some plants change colors, what plants need, etc. Use an afternoon in the botanical garden to teach your kids about comparison (how plants are the same/different), observation (what does this plant look like) and appreciation (what can these plants do for us).

Photo credit: @blackadventurecrew

72. Run a 5K

If you want to add some extra outdoor exercise to your springtime activities, sign your family up for a 5K or family fun run! There are usually a variety of fun races in the spring (before it gets too hot) at various distances and with lots of fun themes for all ages. If you have little ones, let them try a 1-mile fun run. Sign the whole family up for a local 5K. Want a bigger challenge, what about a 10K or a half-marathon? With older kids, you could even do a relay. Most races usually have fun swag (t-shirts, etc.), prizes and a really fun ambiance. Not runners, sign your family up to volunteer at a water station to hand out water to runners. Who knows, maybe you’ll get inspired to join them next year!

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

73. Strawberry picking

One of my favorite outdoor activities to do in the spring with the kids is to pick strawberries. Every May (here in the Midwest), we visit a local orchard and gorge ourselves on those sweet juicy berries! It’s such a fun tradition and the kids are basically expert pickers by now. Make sure to wear plenty of sunscreen, as there’s little to no shade when picking strawberries. And boots, as it’s also usually pretty muddy! But freshly-picked strawberries right from the vine are worth it every time!

74. Play hopscotch

One of the most popular and easy outdoor games is hopscotch. Learning how to play Hopscotch is a great way for you to enjoy time outside this spring without having to go anywhere but your backyard. First, draw the grid you’ll be playing on. Usually, there are 8 blocks numbered 1 – 8. You can draw these sections in any way you choose.

For example, start with two next to each other, then one in the middle, then two again, etc. The player who goes first stands behind the starting block and throws his or her marker (a rock or coin) onto block 1. This player hops over square one to square two, pausing to pick up the marker and hop back to square one. Complete the grid by hopping down the rest of the blocks. The next turn, throw the marker in block 2 and continue the pattern. Remember to take turns! A player is out when he or she can’t throw the pebble in a square, when they lose balance, or when they touch the lines.

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

75. DIY seed bombs

One of our favorite springtime projects is to make DIY wildflower seed bombs. Not only are these DIY seed bombs easy enough for kids to make in under an hour, but they’re good for the birds, bees and butterflies in your area. They only require a few ingredients (seeds, water, dirt, clay) and have the added benefit of letting kids get their hands really messy! Make them and let your kids “bomb” the neighborhood or give them as homemade eco-friendly gifts to teachers, neighbors, family and friends. Everyone will love watching the bombs grow into a beautiful patch of colorful wildflowers. See our post for the recipe and all the details on how to make DIY wildflower seed bombs.

76. Visit a farm

This is a great time of year to visit a local farm, petting zoo, nature center or animal safari to learn more about the animals. We have quite a few farms in our area that give tours of the barnyard animals and let the kids interact with them (you can learn how to milk a cow, ride a horse and feed the chickens). We also have a wolf sanctuary and a drive-through elk park. And we have a bird rehabilitation center and a number of petting zoos. Chances are good that you have something like one (or more) of these in your area. Look at the local attractions in your area and ask your kids which animals they’d be most interested in learning more about.

77. Play catch

With opening day of baseball season right around the corner, spring is a great time to get outside and practice your pitch and catch skills. All you need is a ball and a glove! Throw the ball back and forth or around in a circle (if you have more than 2 players). Practice catching pop flies and bouncing grounders. This a great way to develop a skill and get some outdoor exercise and fresh air.

Feature image credit: @il_etait_un_clic_pro

78. Read outside

I’m of the opinion that almost everything is better when you’re outside and immersed in nature. That’s definitely true for one of my favorite past times…reading! If your kids are old enough to read on their own, create a comfy and shady spot for them to read outside. If your kids are little, try having storytime outside together and reading to them as they lounge on a blanket or in a hammock.

79. Raise butterflies

Watching a tiny caterpillar grow and then turn into a butterfly is truly one of the most spectacular miracles of nature. Give your children a chance to experience this incredible metamorphosis themselves by finding (or purchasing) caterpillars and watching them change. Make a habitat for your caterpillars where you can feed and observe them. Make sure it includes plants they like to eat and a place for them to cocoon. Watch the metamorphosis right in front of your eyes! Finally, releasing the butterflies into the wild is a memorable moment they won’t soon forget. See our post on raising butterflies from caterpillars for more info.

Feature image credit: @river.rascal

80. Climb a tree

Climbing trees is a great way for kids to experience “risky” play, with great rewards. One of my favorite writers, Linda McGurk wrote: “Tree climbing has real benefits for kids – physically, mentally, cognitively and socially. Just think about it. As your child scales the tree he’s building muscle strength, practicing gross motor skills such as balance and improving spatial awareness and proprioception. When he decides which branches are safe to stand on and how high to go, he’s learning how to judge risk and developing critical thinking skills.

As he plans his path up through the limbs, he’s gaining decision-making and problem-solving skills, and if things don’t go according to plan, he gains emotional strength and resilience by trying again. When he successfully negotiates the branches, he feels a sense of accomplishment, which in turn boosts his self-confidence.”

81. Attend a baseball game

Particularly if you’re in the US, nothing says summer quite like baseball season! If you can, attend a baseball game with your kids. Whether it’s a professional MLB game, a minor league team, a high school game or just a little league team at your local town’s baseball fields, watching a baseball game is a great way to spend a summer evening. Root root for the home team and enjoy those peanuts and cracker jacks!

82. Draw flowers/buds

Break out the watercolor paints or colored pencils and sketch those spring flowers. Spring is a great time to introduce art and drawing to your children. Get them a sketch pad and let them draw the spring flowers they find in your yard or local park. There are a ton of great books, journals, tutorials and online resources for teaching kids how to draw if your little ones want to get better. If you’re not much of an artist either, maybe you can learn along with the kids!

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

83. Release ladybugs

If you’re growing a garden this year, consider adding a few hundred/thousand friends to the party! Each spring we release 1,500 ladybugs into our garden and it’s such a fun experience. My kids love it and I’m hoping this is something you can experience with your kids, too. Ladybugs are wonderful for gardens because they’re capable of consuming up to 50 to 60 aphids per day! They will also eat a variety of other insects and larvae including scales, mealy bugs, moth eggs, leafhoppers, mites, asparagus beetle larvae, whitefly and various types of soft-bodied insects.

Releasing ladybugs into your garden is a really fun way to get kids interested in gardening and teach them about this amazing insect. We’ve got a great post filled with all kinds of fun ladybug facts for kids below, plus tips on how to gently and effectively release ladybugs into your garden and how to get started gardening with ladybugs.

84. Make fruit smoothies

There’s no better way to get your kids to eat healthy foods than by letting them be a part of the process. Kids can be involved in every step, growing their own food to harvesting/picking their own fruits and veggies and helping out in the kitchen. Even if you’re not growing your own food, let kids help pick out fruits and veggies from the grocery store or farmer’s market. Make fruit and veggie smoothies together with your selections. Kids love being involved and are much more likely to eat healthy if they’re part of the decision making process.

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

85. Make a stepping stone

Decorate your garden, lawn or walkway with beautiful concrete stepping stones that your kids made and decorated. All you need is a mold, some concrete mix and any decorations you want to use. Try colored stones, shells, glass or beads. Let them add their own items such as army men, marbles, trinkets, coins, etc. You could even buy a stepping stone mosaic kit with all this stuff included, just to make it easier on you. Add water to the concrete mix, pour in the mold and let the kids decorate. It takes a few days for the stones to completely dry and solidify, but you’ll have a forever keepsake of this season.

86. Host a field day

As the weather gets warmer, it’s time to get outside and active with the family. Do you remember how much you looked forward to field days when you were a kid, with three-legged races and egg-on-a-spoon competitions? If you have a big backyard or live near a public park or schoolyard, host your own field day for your family. Field days aren’t just for kids either—invite over the grandparents and cousins and ask other families in the neighborhood to join in on the fun.

Plan the games ahead of time and get everything set up before everyone arrives. Make games out of basic household items and add a few of those ‘Minute to Win It’-style games with things you find around the house. Mix it up so there’s something for everyone with scavenger hunts, races, art projects, sports, etc. Add some fun music and serve snacks and beverages for a great day of games!

87. Create a putt-putt course

You don’t have to hit the links when a golf course could be right in your own backyard. Using ordinary household objects to construct the course – like cereal boxes, cardboard tubes, and books – you can create this fun and challenging 9-hole miniature golf game the whole family will enjoy. Here’s a great post with all kinds of awesome ideas for creating your very own DIY putt-putt course in your backyard this spring.

Feature image credit: @paraphrasephoto

88. Make naturally dyed eggs

If you’d like to dye eggs with your kids this spring, but don’t want to use processed food dyes, try making your own dye from all-natural ingredients! Here’s a great post on how to use natural household ingredients to dye your eggs all kinds of beautiful colors. We walk you through our easy process using household ingredients from your backyard, fridge and pantry like blueberries (blue), beets (pink), turmeric (yellow), onions (orange) and cabbage (green/blue).

89. Look for frogspawn

Late spring is the perfect time to look for frogspawn and raise tadpoles. Check out your local pond and see if you can find some frogspawn to collect and bring home. You can place it in a tank of pond water at home with a few large stones in it. Over the next few weeks, watch as the frog spawn hatch into tadpoles and slowly change over the space of a few weeks into tiny little froglets. Once they are fully grown, be sure to release them back to the pond where they were collected. Check out our post all about raising tadpoles with kids.

90. Make a windsock

These tissue paper windsocks are a great way to add some color to your patio and let your kids decorate their environment in a fun way! Plus they are also an affordable craft that all your kids can enjoy as tissue paper can be found in several colors at your local dollar store. All you really need to make a tissue paper windsock is tissue paper, construction paper, glue, scissors, and yarn. Here’s a super cute tutorial on how to make a tissue paper windsock with your kids.

Feature image credit: @sara_mccarty

91. DIY bird feeder

Attract some local birds into your backyard by setting up a bird feeder. It’s easier than you think to make your own DIY bird feeders with your kids. We’ve got a great post on how to make easy bird feeders for kids with items and ingredients you already have at home and another post on ec0-friendly bird feeders to make with kids.

92. Fly a flag

June 14 is Flag Day in the US, which commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States on June 14, 1777 by resolution of the Second Continental Congress. Spend a little time with your kids this spring learning about flag day and the symbolism behind our flag. Celebrate by making some flag crafts and flying the stars and stripes.

93. Make a kaleidoscope

A kaleidoscope is a fun project to make with kids. You can either make it entirely on your own or start with a kit. We tried this Nature Kaleidoscope Kit which comes with everything you need to make the kaleidoscope, decorate it and experiment with it. The three mirrored pieces are sturdy and fit together easily. Just peel the plastic coating off (to prevent scratches) and use a piece of tape to keep them together in the triangle shape. Insert the eyepiece in one end of the tube, then the mirrors, and finally, add the plastic container with your nature objects at the other end.

The instructions were super easy to follow and my son assembled the whole thing by himself. This also got the kids thinking about which items they could find in nature or around the house to put in the kaleidoscope and had them guessing about whether the light would pass through them or not. Here’s our post all about how to make a nature kaleidoscope with kids.

Feature image credit: @kaseyfanucchi

94. Paint with rain

If you’re in need of a rainy day art project, this is for you! Get outside and make some April showers art by painting with the rain! All you need is some fairly thick paper, which can cope with getting wet, watercolor paints, paintbrushes, a few rocks to hold your paper in place and a rainy day. Start by painting an abstract design of your choice on your paper using your watercolor paints of a few different colors. You might like to place your paints very close together, or space them out – or try both and see what different effects you can create.

Be generous with your watercolor paints, and keep them liquid, adding plenty of water to blend the colors from your palette. While the paint is still wet, quickly take your paper outside. Use some rocks to hold the corners of your paper in place. Watch as the raindrops paint/change your picture, splattering your colors, making your paint spread and flow, perhaps blending one section of your art into another.

95. Seed sorting

When you’re discussing gardening with your kids this spring, add seed sorting project to your bucket list. All you need are a few different types of seeds and a few containers for holding them. Chose seeds that would likely be familiar to your kids (apple, pumpkin, corn, beans) and then throw in a few less recognizable ones for a challenge. Have your kids sort the seeds into containers using tweezers (to help develop those fine motor skills). While you’re at it, talk about the different kinds of seeds and how each plant grows. When you’re all finished, plant a few!

Feature image credit: @turtledove.a

96. Collect wild garlic

Wild garlic is a leafy green herb that emerges each spring from the forest floor, filling the entire area with a soft garlicky scent. The plant is composed of a tiny bulb that sprouts tender green leaves in early spring and then later on white flowers emerge. You can pick and eat both the leaves and flowers from plants you find growing in the wild but don’t dig up the plant or bulb up unless it’s growing on your own property. Collect the leaves and flowers of wild garlic to eat raw in salads or cook them down like spinach and make pesto. This is perfect for pasta dishes and it can be frozen in ice cube trays to use later in all sorts of meals. It has a subtle garlic flavor that is wonderful!

97. Hula hoop

Like jumping rope, hula hooping seems to be a lost art of childhood. Make sure your kids get the chance to experience the thrills and fun of a hula hoop. Watching kids learn how to hula hoop is absolutely adorable and worth the nominal price of a hoop. Play games, like who can keep it going the longest, who can make it go up and down their body or who can jump through it as it rolls down the sidewalk!

Feature image credit: @i_am_samhaines

98. Set up a hammock

Get your outdoor space ready for warm afternoons by setting up a hammock. Hammock naps are the perfect way to spend warm summer days. But until then, hammocks are also a great place to play, read a book, snuggle and spend time together. If it’s not warm yet, bring out a blanket and wrap up together in your hammock.

99. Insect hunt

There are so many interesting insects to find and learn about in the spring months. Take advantage of the warm weather by going on a bug hunt! See how many bugs you can find in your own backyard, local park or on a hike! Kids love finding crickets, caterpillars, ladybugs, grasshoppers, Junebugs, dragonflies, centipedes, butterflies and stinkbugs! If your kids are up for it, let them hold them and gently observe. Or take a photo of each or sketch them in your nature journal.

Feature image credit: @desireemacke

100. Sidewalk chalk games

There are so many fun ways to play with sidewalk chalk. We’ve already mentioned playing hopscotch, but there are plenty more! How about a game of four-square (do you remember that one)? What about hangman, tic-tac-toe or Dots. Make a bullseye and toss pebbles into the middle. If you’ve got a lot of kids in the neighborhood, make a friendship quilt by drawing a huge square and dividing it up into multiple smaller squares and letting each kid decorate their own patch. Draw the alphabet in big bubble letters and fill in each letter with words or pictures of things that start with that letter. Have your child lie down on the sidewalk and draw their chalk outline (like a crime scene) and then let them decorate their person.

Make an obstacle course or maze to walk or ride your bike on. There are so many fun ways to play with sidewalk chalk, which makes it a perfect outdoor springtime activity for kids. You can even make your own sidewalk chalk paint!

101. Sinks or floats

One of my kids’ favorite things to do is throw things in the water. They usually throw rocks, but they’re not opposed to tossing anything else in that they can find. When we’re out and exploring around water, we play the “sink or float?” game. Everyone finds a variety of objects to throw in the water and then we all guess whether they will sink or float. We’ve tried all kinds of things like sticks, seed pods, feathers, leaves, nuts, grass, pinecones, flower petals, etc.

Feature image credit: @christiebauerphotography

102. Watch a sunset

Spring is a wonderful time to curl up in a blanket and watch a sunset together. Since the days are just starting to get longer, sunset comes at a reasonable time for little ones to watch without staying up too late. Plus, the cool weather, the pops of green coming out of the trees and the smell of rain make it even more magical.

103. Outdoor family game night

Enjoy the cooler weather and create a family tradition of playing games outdoors in the fall! Whether it’s a traditional board game (like Monopoly or Life), a fun family card game (like Uno or Go Fish) or something a bit more interactive (charades or Pictionary), games are great outdoor activities. This is my personal favorite family game (and this i-spy game is my kids’ favorite).

104. Climb a wall

Climbing walls are all the rage at playgrounds and parks these days. Make a special visit to check one out this spring and let your kids attempt to conquer it. They’re super fun and exciting for kids and great for their full-body senses, balance, strength, and agility.

What’s your favorite outdoor spring activity for kids?

The post 100+ Spring Outdoor Activities for Kids appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.