WILD Mag

Welcome to the world of exploration and adventure with WILD Mag, the ultimate digital monthly subscription magazine designed to ignite the curiosity of young minds and families about the wonders of nature and the great outdoors. Bursting with vibrant colors and brimming with educational materials and engaging activities, WILD Mag is a gateway to a world of discovery, where children can embark on thrilling journeys through the wilderness, while simultaneously learning about the fascinating ecosystems that surround us. Get ready to dive into an immersive experience that will inspire a lifelong love for nature and foster a deeper connection to the natural world – all from the comfort of your own home!

What’s WILD Mag all about? 

The mission of the WILD Mag is to inspire a love for the natural world by helping educate families about different nature topics and encouraging them to go outdoors to explore together. With a new topic each month, you’re sure to learn lots and have fun doing it. 

An inexpensive digital resource, the WILD Mag is available by monthly subscription at Chickie and Roo Homeschool. If you aren’t ready to commit to a subscription, individual issues can easily be purchased HERE. Lauren Giordano from Chickie and Roo Homeschool, Stephanie Hathaway from Stephanie Hathaway Designs, and Laura Stroup from Firefly Nature School comprise the WILD Mag’s creative team.

Each month, you receive a 60(ish)-page digital magazine sent directly to your inbox. You can opt to print the magazine at home or have it printed by a print shop. Another economical option is to use the magazine’s digital resources from your phone, computer, or tablet and only print out the consumable pages for activities.

How to use the WILD Mag

The beauty of the WILD Mag rests in its simplicity. Open it up, and begin. Or preview and plan out a section to complete each week during your morning time, nature study, or science class.

The WILD Mag’s target audience includes kindergarten through sixth grade. Students in the older range of this age spectrum might enjoy reading through the articles and completing activities more independently, while younger kids can work with older siblings or with a parent, caregiver, or teacher. Families also enjoy perusing the magazine together as small sections of text deliver lots of information, and activities can be easily adapted for different age levels. 

If your kids are part of the early learner crowd, a WILD Mag Jr. might be more your speed. Geared toward preschool-aged kids, it shares a theme with the regular WILD Mag. But instead of exploring multiple facets of a nature topic, it focuses on just one aspect and includes something to read, ask, learn, solve, draw, find, make, and show. 

What’s in each issue?

Each issue of the WILD Mag contains more than enough information to have an entire unit study right at your fingertips. Every issue also includes a book list, along with links to related documentaries, helpful videos, and interesting websites (all with kids in mind) makes putting outside additional resources (beyond the magazine) together a snap. 

The digital magazine is filled with beautiful illustrations, including posters and diagrams, accompanying short bursts of informative text, followed by hands-on activities that may include crafts, games, experiments, recipes, projects, and nature journaling prompts, among others. These “your turn” sections encourage observation, nature walks, outdoor time, play, and family connections. 

Drawing tutorials, picture studies, vocabulary words, crossword puzzles, poetry, coloring pages, and word searches round out the WILD Mag experience. Plus, there are opportunities for your child to be featured in the monthly issues when you tag or share with the creative team the different projects and activities they enjoyed working on. 

Who is the WILD Mag for?

One of the most common questions about the WILD Mag is whether it focuses solely on North America since that’s where its creators reside. The short answer is no. The WILD Mag’s design features amazing aspects of science and nature from around the globe. The multi-country subscriber base can attest to that.

Including a variety of topics that highlight Earth’s different regions helps families see the ways in which nature connects us all. You only need to glance through past WILD Mag topics to see the biodiversity included. The magazine has previously covered topics such as mountains, coral reefs, horses, marsupials, and the solar system, plus many others. Be sure to check out the archives for a full list of topics if there’s something, in particular, you’re studying! 

WILD Mag highlights

1. Bright, colorful illustrations welcome young naturalists to turn the pages.
2. Short sections make information easily digestible for elementary and middle school readers.
3. Interactive projects encourage the application of knowledge. 
4. Fun, practical activities foster learning. 
5. Nature walks inspire a connection to the natural world. 

Benefits of learning with the WILD Mag

Introducing children to the wonders of nature through a digital magazine like WILD Mag offers numerous benefits that go beyond just educational value. Here are some of the key advantages:

1. Interactive learning experience: With a digital magazine, children can enjoy an interactive learning experience that goes beyond static text. Engaging elements like diagrams, images, and multimedia help in better understanding complex concepts related to ecosystems, biodiversity, wildlife, and more. The magazine’s hands-on activities, lessons, crafts, and games ignite curiosity and a sense of wonder about the natural world. This encourages children to ask questions, explore further, and seek answers, fostering a lifelong love for learning and nature.

2. Visual stimulation: Visuals have a powerful impact on learning, especially for young minds. High-quality illustrations and graphics in the magazine bring the natural world to life, making it easier for kids to connect with and retain information.

3. Promotes environmental awareness: Learning about nature and its intricate ecosystems instills a sense of environmental consciousness in children. They become aware of the delicate balance of ecosystems, the importance of biodiversity, and the need for conservation efforts. As children learn about ecosystems and their interconnectedness, they develop a sense of empowerment, knowing that they can make a positive impact on the environment through their actions and choices.
4. Encourages outdoor exploration: While a digital magazine is accessible from anywhere, it often inspires outdoor exploration. Children may want to venture into nature to observe wildlife, identify plants, and experience the lessons they’ve learned firsthand.
5. Inclusivity and accessibility: A digital format ensures that educational materials are accessible to a wider audience, regardless of their location or circumstances, promoting inclusivity in learning. Digital magazines offer the convenience of access on various devices, making it easy for kids and families to explore nature’s wonders anytime and anywhere that suits their schedule.
6. Holistic development: Learning about nature encompasses various subjects, such as biology, geography, geology, and climate science. This multidisciplinary approach promotes well-rounded development and critical thinking skills.

The WILD Mag provides a captivating platform for kids to delve into the enchanting world of nature. Its immersive and interactive content nurtures a passion for the greatoors, encourages a sense of environmental responsibility, and equips the next generation with knowledge and appreciation for the natural world that surrounds them.

WILD Mag themes for 2023-24

Each year, the WILD Mag team shares a list of future topics to help subscribers plan their school year and summer holidays. This year’s topics have recently been revealed. 

• August – Tropical rainforest
• September – Apples
• October – Bears
• November – Winter dormancy
• December – Math in nature
• January – Puffins
• February – Trees
• March – Whales
• April – Naked mole rats
• May – Colors in nature
• June – Monotremes
• July – Urban nature

Learn about nature with WILD Mag

It’s no secret that nature study lends itself to multiple learning styles and an interdisciplinary approach. The WILD Mag focuses on ecological relationships, zoology, and other sciences in addition to sprinkling in math, reading, writing, geography, history, art, and physical education. Basically, there’s something for everyone and everything for someone.

If you would like to try out the WILD Mag, you can grab a free sample by clicking HERE and scrolling to the sample section.

Happy exploring!

Be sure to check out WILD Mag and learn something new with your kids today! 

About the author

Laura is an ecology writer and the founder of Firefly Nature School, a nature study curriculum designed for homeschooling families, co-ops, and classrooms. Laura has a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Ecology from Iowa State University with an emphasis in natural resource education. A former wildlife conservation educator and upper school science teacher, she now directs School of the Wild, a local nature school serving her community. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her family, hiking, running, writing, reading, and cooking. Laura lives with her husband and their three children in the beautiful Ozarks countryside.

Find more from Laura in the following locations:
Website: Firefly Nature School
Instagram: @fireflynatureschool
Facebook: Firefly Nature School
RWMC posts: Laura

The post Exploring Nature with the WILD Mag 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.

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Ultimate camping gear list for families

Is a camping trip with your family on your summer bucket list? Are you planning to visit one of the national parks or even just a small-town campground? Camping is an amazing outdoor experience for the whole family and totally worth all the work. (Yes, it’s work.) It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you start thinking about everything you need to bring when camping with kids. But don’t worry, we’re here to help!

Let this post filled with family camping essentials and our downloadable ultimate family camping gear list be your guide! Whether you’re a camping expert or a camping newbie, having a list is a great way to stay organized and not forget any important items and start making some family memories! We’ll help you get started making your family camping packing list with everything you need to have a fun and well-stocked experience! 

Photo credit: @roaminggonzalez

Before you pack, do your research

The first thing to do before you ever start packing is to research your campground/campsite and make yourself familiar with what’s there and what’s available. Campgrounds can vary widely in the amenities that they offer. Basic amenities at most established campgrounds include bathrooms, showers, picnic tables, water spigots, trash/recycling, and firepits. Beyond that, you may also find campgrounds with playgrounds, splash parks, stores, restaurants, bike/boat rentals, hammock hook-ups, ice makers, electricity, hot tubs, movie nights, zip lines, laundry, wifi, swimming pools, nature crafts, yoga classes, and so much more! 

Check to see if your local campground has information online about the layout of your specific campsite so that you can see how much space you’ll have and what is already there. For example, some campgrounds have water access, a fire pit, a picnic table, and electricity! Some sites have none of the above, so you’d be “roughing it” and will need to bring more in order to be best prepared. Either way, you’ll still need to bring various items for a successful trip. 

Photo credit: @wildstokefam

How to acquire your camping gear affordably

Camping gear can be expensive, so it’s worth trying to find your items below retail price. Gently used equipment can be just as good as brand new at a fraction of the cost. Whatever works for your family’s budget and needs is the best option. Here are some ways to save money while still acquiring everything you need:

• Check your local “buy nothing” or yardsale sites on Facebook. 
• Look for camping gear rental services near you; by renting, you can test a product to see if you like it before taking the plunge on a purchase. 
• Buy in the off-season or during big sales; prices are sometimes better.
• Borrow from friends.
• Ask for camping gear as gifts from family or friends for holidays or birthdays.
• Check thrift stores; this is where we found our cooler & camp chairs.
• You local “dollar store” should have inexpensive utensils, tablecloths, flashlights, and snacks.

Camp packing tip: make your own list

Every family’s packing list will be different based on when and where you’re camping, the ages of your kids, the weather, the amenities, your comfort level, your camping experience/skill, and tons of other factors. We’ve done our best to provide you with a family packing camping list that you can use as a starter to make your own. We’ve  included all the basics, but we’ve also added a ton of optional items you may (or may not) want to bring. You don’t need to bring everything! Camping is all about the simple life, so just bring what you need to feel comfortable.

We highly recommend you start with our list as inspiration, but make your own master copy of your packing list and update it every time you go camping. It’ll change quite a bit over the years as you think of things that would make camping better, as your kids grow, as the seasons change, and as you get more comfortable camping. Making your own list will trigger your brain to remember things that may be important to your family. When packing, make sure to check each item off your list as you pack and then double-check (just in case you got distracted when packing).

Camping gear for babies and toddlers

Any age child is old enough to go camping. However, as parents, we know that babies and toddlers tend to be more high-needs than elementary-aged kids and above, and that goes for the camping gear we need to bring too! Whether this is your baby’s first camping trip, or 10th, there are some specific items that you may want to bring for your babies and/or toddlers while camping. Here are a few of our top recommendations:

• Pack and play – This can be a safe spot for your child to play in outside at the campground and can also serve as a bed inside your tent.
• Outdoor gate – An adjustable play gate can allow your child to play safely on the ground while still being enclosed within a safe area. 
• High chair – If your baby or toddler is used to eating in the same high chair daily, you may consider bringing it. This will make mealtime easier for everyone!
• Kid carrier – A hiking backpack or carrying sling can be helpful, especially when you go on adventures. 
• Sound machine – If your campsite has electricity, a sound machine can be helpful to drown out the extra noise during nap time or at night. 
• Stroller – Besides being a great way to transport your little one, a stroller can also help carry gear.
• Comfort items – If your child is used to sleeping with a special baby, stuffy, toy, or blanket, be sure to bring it! 

What to bring when camping with dogs

Dogs love to camp! If you can take them, camping can be a great experience for your family and your pup! Here are some things to remember if you’re bringing your canine friend along for the adventure:

• Dog bed – If your dog is used to sleeping on a bed every night, don’t leave it at home! You want them to feel comfortable while camping and have a place to rest during the day.
• Leash and dog lead – Even if your dog is the “goodest-boy ever” you still want to have a leash and even a dog run for your campsite. This is for your dog’s safety as much as anyone else’s.
• Dog food – You’d think this would be a given, but sometimes, I forget it if it isn’t on a list!
• Dog bowl – Always keep a bowl of fresh water out for your pup, especially in hot weather.
• Outdoor dog pen – Sort of like a playpen for dogs, this small but helpful pen will keep your dog contained. 

Camping gear you actually need

There’s a lot of gear you can take with you when you go camping. However, you don’t always need all that stuff. If this is your first time camping with kids, you’ll probably significantly overpack, and we’re here to tell you that’s ok! We know that sometimes having everything you just “might” need with you means that you’ll feel more confident going. And if that’s the case and gets you out the door, by all means, pack away! 

However, with a little experience, you’ll quickly realize that you don’t need nearly as much stuff for an overnight camping trip as you might think. And actually, the less
stuff you have, the easier it is to get out of the house, and the more creative and resourceful you (and your kids) will learn to be. But again, that takes time (something to look forward to, right?).

For now, we’ll go over the basics of what you need and give you plenty of suggestions for optional items you can also bring to make camping more comfortable and help you feel more prepared.

Photo credit: @kristcx

Basic camping gear list

Let’s start with the basics of traditional tent camping. Here’s what you will need most of these items for even a bare-bones camping trip. 

Tent

You’ll want to be sure you have a tent that is the appropriate size for your family. Tents run on the small side – the number of people that your tent says it’ll hold is only that, leaving you no extra room for gear, luggage, mattresses, spreading out, etc. We recommend upsizing when possible. For example, we have an 8-10 person-sized tent for our family of 4. Having room to move around inside the tent and our sleeping space is key. Also, make sure your tent has a rainfly for protection from the elements. You can leave it off for extra fresh air when it’s not raining.

Here’s a great post on the best way to choose the right tent for your family and our top family tent recommendations.

Tarp or footprint

This item is to lay underneath your tent as a moisture barrier and protect against abrasions and punctures. Not all tents come with a footprint included, so this is something that you may need to find or purchase separately. Make sure the footprint is a bit smaller (up to 2 inches smaller) than the outline of your tent. This may sound counterintuitive, but if the tarp/footprint extends out from under the tent edge or is the same size, it can cause water to pool between the footprint and your tent floor in the rain. 

Sleeping bags 

Sleeping under the stars is always a great idea, unless you can’t get comfortable and stay warm. One key element to this issue is a well-fitting, cozy sleeping bag. For kids, a bag like the Kids Kelty Mistral that keeps kids toasty in temperatures below 40-degrees, is a great investment. For the smaller ones, a sleeping sack/bag made for babies, like this one from Morrison Outdoors, might be just the right fit. If you’re camping in the summer, it may be enough to just bring extra blankets and sheets and sleep on top of your sleeping bag. 

Sleeping pad or cot

Every good camping sleep system also includes a sleeping mat or a cot. Mats are a great option because you can buy them a little big to last a longer. A self-inflating sleeping pad like the REI Kindercamp is nice and worth the extra cost because the kids can help set up their own sleeping spot and you don’t need to bring an additional air pump. If you want something bigger (for multiple kids or kids plus an adult, we love the REI Co-op Camp Dreamer Double Self-Inflating Deluxe Bed. If you’re looking for something that gets your little one off the ground, or if you have multiple kids and are tight on space, check out the Kid-O-Bunk bunk bed cots.

Photo credit: @coleyraeh

Illumination – headlamps, flashlights, lanterns

You’ll want to be able to see in the dark when camping. Headlamps offer a perfect hands-free illumination option. Once placed on the head your kid can freely move about without worrying about dropping something or shining it in the right place. We love these high-quality adjustable Petzl Tikka headlamps. Flashlights are a classic option and come in so many fun colors and sizes. Small flashlights like these EverBrite Flashlights come in multiple packs for the whole family. If you’re looking for something a bit more substantial, these LED tactical flashlights are bright, rechargeable, magnetic, and waterproof. Lanterns come in all shapes and are made from a variety of materials. One style to consider is an ultra-lightweight inflatable lantern like these LuminAid lanterns, that can also charge your phone! 

Rain shelter

A rain shelter is a great way to provide sun and rain protection over any area of your campsite. Sometimes these are called easy-up tents or pop-up shelters. We put one up over our kitchen space, so I have shade and rain protection to prepare meals. A rain shelter isn’t 100% necessary every time we go camping, but it’s a blessing if we’re expecting any rain or need some additional shade for little ones. It’s also an excellent purchase for picnics, ballgames, tailgating, and other events.

Outdoor/indoor rug

An easy-to-clean outdoor/indoor rug or small carpet is an excellent addition to your campsite. Set it right outside the entryway into your tent to minimize dirt, leaves, debris, mud, and sand tracked into your tent. It can quickly be swept or hosed off to clean. The last thing you want to feel when you slip into your sleeping bag is dirt or sand. 

Photo credit: @kristcx

Trash receptacle

A trash can/barrel is a must-have for any campsite. Sometimes campgrounds will provide these for you, but not always. We have one where the lid clicks closed so no raccoons, squirrel, or skunks can get it. However, if you have bears in your area, you might want to avoid keeping any trash on your site if possible. Be sure to check your campground’s local rules and regulations regarding trash storage and disposal. 

Camp table

Some campsites have picnic tables available at every site to provide a space for eating, cooking, playing games, etc. If yours does, that’s great! However, if it doesn’t, you’ll want to consider bringing one. I suggest a collapsable lightweight table crafted for outdoor use. 

Camp chairs

Collapsible, comfortable, lightweight, waterproof chairs are the best for camping. Some models have cup holders, headrests, or overhead shades. Pick one that suits your needs! We also recommend small camping chairs for little kids. A chair that’s just the right size like this  Coleman Kids Chair is a great option. (Although that’s not to say they still won’t steal your chair!) It’ll give them a safe (and just the right size) place to sit around the fire and feel like part of the group. 

Camp kitchen gear & essentials

Your camp kitchen gear essentials will depend a lot on the type of food that you’ll bring with you and how you want to cook it. If you do all your meal prep ahead of time or like cooking directly on an open fire, you may need less gear than if you were planning to prep, assemble, and cook your meals onsite. Before you start making your kitchen gear list, consider the food, snacks and meals that you’ll be eating (and how many of them), and then come up with a list of kitchen items that you’ll need (step-by-step ) when making and cooking the food.

When planning your meals, you’ll want to be sure to pick your  “hot” meals around the type of heat source you’ll have available at your campsite. You’ll probably have easy access to a campfire. Cooking over a  campfire isn’t hard, but you may need a few basic items to be most efficient, such as an over-fire grill grate. Another option is a portable camp stove. Some campsites may have charcoal grills for you to use, and in that case, you’ll need to bring your own charcoal. 

Stove or grill

If you’d like to eat a hot meal while camping, you’ll need something to help you cook your food. As mentioned above, some campsites have fire pits perfect for over-the-fire cooking. If you’re cooking directly on a flame, consider a grill grate or some roasting sticks or pie irons. However, you might also want to bring a small grill or cooktop. This will allow you to cook nearly anything without needing a steady fire going (and can be used in the rain). 

Wash bins, dish soap & sponge

Plastic or metal wash bins for holding and cleaning dirty dishes are a must-have. Finding nesting bins is a space saver; one can be used to wash, while the other can be used to rinse. Make sure your soap won’t harm the local wildlife – many campgrounds require use of biodegradable soap. Also, check with your local campsite regarding how to properly dispose of all food scraps, and any special areas to dispose of grey water (used dish washing water). 

Tablecloth

While not essential, a  plastic tablecloth with fabric backing is great for use on a picnic table. This allows for super easy cleanup and splinter prevention!

Photo credit: @coleyraeh

Pots and pans

If you’ll be camping at an established campsite near your vehicle (as opposed to hiking in to a backcountry campsite with only the stuff you can carry), you’re not limited on space for the kitchen cookware you bring. Full-sized pots, pans, knives, utensils, and the cast iron skill from your home kitchen will work great! No need to buy specialty camping cookware. Depending on what you’re cooking and how (size of cooking surface), bring the appropriate size. 

Pot holders, dish towels, wash rags, and cloth napkins

Choose something you don’t mind getting dirty. Second-hand shops are the place to look for these items that you can put into your camping kitchen storage and use exclusively for this purpose. 

Plates, cups, utensils

Sturdy plastic is a good choice for these items. You can use paper or plastic for convenience, but if you can choose something more sustainable and reusable, the better. Again, you can find inexpensive ones at the dollar store. 

Cutting board & sharp knife

If you’ll need to chop veggies, cut meat or slice anything for your meals, bring a sturdy cutting board and a sharp knife. Remember to keep the knife in a sealable container or with a sheath on it when not in use for safety. 

Cooler(s)

The number and type of coolers you bring camping will depend on how much (and what) you bring for food. A basic cooler with ice packs is essential for keeping perishable food and drinks cold. We usually use the reusable ice blocks from Yeti in a Yeti cooler for our food. That keeps the ice from melting and having your food swimming around in melted ice water. We do use regular ice for keeping drinks cold. And if we need ice for drinks, we’ll bring a separate special cooler for that. 

Photo credit: @kristcx

Water dispenser

Instead of using single-use plastic water bottles, we opted for a 5-gallon water dispenser on our camp table. This is not only for easy water storage, but the kids can refill their water bottles independently as needed. We can also use this water for cooking, brushing teeth, washing hands, etc. as needed. Depending on the length of your tip and access to water, you can bring your own water from home or fill it at the campsite. 

Paper towels/napkins

A roll of disposable paper towels is always a good idea for quick and easy clean-up. However, if you want to cut down on your waste, consider bringing tea towels or clothing napkins. The soiled towels get thrown into the laundry bag after use and reused for each trip. 

Tin foil

Tin foil has a number of uses and is so helpful and handy to have when cooking at the campsite. Foil can be used for both cooking or food storage. We like to make tin foil meal packets to cook on the grill or directly in the camp fire for easy dish-free clean up. 

Cooking utensils

Think about the food you’ll be cooking and consider what utensils you’ll need for cooking. A mixing spoon, spatula, tongs, and measuring cups are all basic needs for a camping trip. You may also need some specialty utensils like a can opener, wine key, whisk, or strainer for cooking some items. 

Refillable water bottles

These can be used in conjunction with your water dispenser to cut down on the amount of waste and plastic you’re using on your camping trip. Be sure to stay hydrated when camping, and bring your water with you on every adventure. 

Coffee pot/french press

It’s a proven fact that coffee tastes better when camping! And after a possibly long night, you may need some extra java in the morning. If you’re camping at a site that has an electrical plug in there’s no rule that says you can’t bring your coffee pot from home! This way, you’re sure to have coffee made just the way you like it, and plenty of it. Be sure to bring an extension cord to stretch where you need it to in your campsite. Don’t forget your coffee grounds and filters (or k-cups, or whatever you use). If you don’t have electricity, consider a french press coffee maker or a pour-over method. 

Camping food items to pack

Of course, you can bring whatever food you’d like, but here are some typical camping foods that are easy to bring, store, make and eat to add to your camping gear list! There’s no need for fancy meals when you’re camping. Just be sure to bring enough food! And be prepared for it to taste great, because everything tastes better when you’re camping!  

• Eggs 
• Bacon or sausage
• Bread
• English muffins
• Deli meat 
• Peanut butter
• Jelly
• Hot dogs
• Hamburgers
• Chicken breasts
• Fish fillets
• Rice 
• Potatoes
• Veggies 
• Fruit
• Protein bars
• Pretzels
• Trail mix
• S’mores fixings – chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers
• Gatorade or a similar hydrating drink
• Salt & pepper
• Seasonings & spices
• Condiments
• Cooking spray
• Coffee & filters

Personal care items

Just because you’re out in the wild doesn’t mean you must stop taking care of yourself. So here’s a list of personal care items to add to your camping gear list. Remember that a standard first aid kit might include some of these items. 

• Toothbrush & toothpaste
• Floss
• Shampoo & conditioner
• Soap
• Medications
• Vitamins
• OTC pain relievers
• Bug spray
• Sunscreen
• Lotion
• Aloe vera gel
• Burn relief cream
• Thermometer
• Moleskin for blisters
• Band-aids/bandages
• Antibiotic cream
• Hairbrush
• Deodorant
• Contact lens solution
• Feminine products
• Bath towels & face cloths
• Razor
• Toilet paper (depending on your campsite set-up)
• Diapers, wipes, pull-ups if needed

Photo credit: @kristcx

Clothing for your camping gear list

Depending on the season and where you are camping, you will want to bring different clothing items for you and everyone in your family. What you transport your clothes in is up to you! We used a clear tote that we kept in the car. It was easy to transport and didn’t take up much room. Other options include a suitcase, duffel bags, backpacks, re-purposed laundry bags, or a laundry basket. For adults and teenagers, one change of clothes or a shirt and pants/shorts for each day should suffice. However, kids tend to get dirty quickly when camping (especially if there’s water around), so consider bringing two outfits for each day for the younger kids and babies. But, also know that a little dirt won’t hurt and wearing dirty clothes when camping isn’t the end of the world!

Here are some clothing items for your camping trip that you may consider packing:

Base layers

Merino wool base layers are fantastic options for almost every season. The wool is lightweight, not scratchy, and warm. Woold pieces can be used alone on warmer days or can add a much-needed layer of comfort on those chilly winter escapades. One of our favorite brands that makes beautiful, soft layers is NUI Organics. We love their collection of soft merino wool, which comes in a variety of beautiful solid gender-neutral colors (so they can be passed down kid to kid). This company, in particular, is great because they carry layers for the entire family (adults included). 

Check out our post on the Best Merino Wool Layers for Kids for a comprehensive list of the best wool brands, clothing options, and price points. 

Socks & underwear

I might be the wrong person to ask this question because my formula for the number of pairs of underwear to bring on a trip goes like this. # of days you are gone X 3 = # pairs of underwear to bring. Is this too much? ALWAYS! But I’d rather be overprepared in this department. The same goes for socks, and wool is always a good option. Our favorite brands are Smartwool and Bombas. 

Rain gear

No matter the weather forecast, I would recommend bringing rain gear with you. A rain jacket for every family member, or even better, rain suits! The REI Co-op Rainwall Jacket and Rainwall Pants are great options for a two-piece set. For the younger kids, full-body rain suits are a great choice because there is little to no worry about their underlayers getting wet when the weather turns. Our longtime favorite rain suit for everyday wet adventures has been the Oaki trail suit, but we also really love the Polarn O. Pyret Rain Shell with interior fleece-lining for colder rainy day adventures. 

Photo credit: @kristcx

Swim suits

If you’re camping during the spring and summer, don’t forget to bring a swimsuit. If you’re lucky, your campground will include a body of water suitable for swimming. We like rashguards for the kids because it adds an extra layer of protection from the sun and bugs. 

Gloves & hats

If it’ll be cold, bring a warm hat for each family member and warm waterproof gloves in the winter. If it’s sunny out, consider bringing a wide-brimmed hat for sun protection during the rest of the year. Check out our full gear review post for a breakdown of the best kids’ gloves and mittens for outdoor play. 

Pajamas

Remember that the temperature can vary significantly from day to night, and you are less protected from the elements while sleeping outside. Most of the time, your wool layers can double as pajamas or serve as your base layer (underneath clothes) to keep you and the kids extra toasty warm on cold nights or when camping in cooler temperatures. Light weight layers will help keep kids cool when camping in the hot summer months.  

Shoes

Bringing an extra pair of shoes for each family member is a good idea. In the winter, be sure to bring your warm boots. In the summer, a sturdy pair of sandals is a good idea. If you’re planning on doing some hiking, biking or creeking, remember to bring your best shoes for that activity. Also, a pair of shower shoes or flip-flops if you’ll be using a public shower while camping. 

Sunglasses

You’ll be spending a lot of time outdoors; let’s protect those eyes! A polarized pair will give you a clearer view too! For little kids, we love these Babiator sunglasses that come in 2 styles (the Navigator UV and the Aviator) and a variety of colors. Frames are made from rubber, making them strong and flexible, shock and impact resistant.

Laundry bag

Don’t forget something to hold all of your dirty clothes. A large laundry bag with a drawstring top works well for us. In a pinch, you can also use a trash bag or designate one empty duffle bag or suitcase to hold all the dirty laundry. 

Campsite fun

Camping with your family should be a fun experience, and while being out in nature is a form of entertainment all on its own, sometimes you need a few other ideas of things to do or bring from home to help the play. There are a ton of fun activities you can play around the campfire and inside a camping tent to make your camping experience a memorable one. Here are some suggestions for games and enjoyment you can bring along with you. 

Walkie-talkies

Walkie-talkies are perhaps one of the best outdoor toys you can purchase for your kids! Not only are they fun to use and can be a catalyst for hours of imaginative play, but they are also a helpful device for keeping track of our busy independent kids when they’re out exploring or running around the campsite. These Topsung rechargeable walkie-talkies are great because they are long-range and come in packs of two or three.

Binoculars

My binoculars go with me on every outdoor adventure, so this is on my essentials list. But, if you aren’t a birder like I am, you might want to think about bringing a pair of binoculars to get an up-close look at some of the natural wonders you might find. A good pair of high-resolution, waterproof binoculars like these Occer compact binoculars will make sure your kids don’t miss a thing (but they also won’t break the bank). 

Field guides

Bringing a field guide relevant to the area you are visiting will be a great way to engage your kids in their environment. We all know about the fantastic apps for identifying plants, birds, and even bugs, but a good old-fashioned guidebook is an unplugged version perfect for your camping trip. 

Books

Hopefully, you will do some relaxing on your trip, and what’s better than sitting down with a good book? Scroll down below for some great kids camping books for kids. 

Games

Bubbles, chalk, jump ropes, frisbee, card games like UNO or Skip-Bo, activity books, board games, sketch pads, fishing gear, and bicycles with helmets are all options for your family to bring for some entertainment.

Outdoor string lights

Solar powered string lights can add extra light and ambiance to your tent or even your whole campsite. They make your whole campsite feel a bit more magical!

Bluetooth speaker

Bring a waterproof Bluetooth speaker with you if you want to listen to some music while camping. 

Hammock

These are not necessary unless this is your chosen method for sleeping, but they can be fun and relaxing. Many kinds are easy to pack away and lightweight while still sturdy. A hammock can easily provide my kids with hours of fun and entertainment. If your kids are anything like mine, a hammock can become a swing, a fort, or the perfect spot to ask mom for a gazillionth snack. Whatever way your kids prefer to make use of this classic camp item, you can’t go wrong with something like the ENO SingleNest Hammock.

Photo credit: @coleyraeh

Helpful extras to add to your camping gear list

• Trash bags
• Ziplock/stasher bags
• Duct tape
• Zipties
• Batteries
• Toolkit
• Portable potty
• Waterproofing spray
• Backpacks for day hikes or adventures
• Cash for the camp store
• Clothespins and a clothesline (we used this one, but a rope works well too!)
• Phone chargers
• Broom
• Camera
• Utility gloves
• Hatchet/saw
• Beach blanket
• Extension cord
• Koozies
• Tent repair kit
• Extra tent stakes
• Rubber mallet
• Fly swatter

How to store your camping gear

Now that you’ve got a good grasp on everything you may ever need to bring with you when camping, what do you do with all that gear after your epic camping trip with your family? Make your life easier by staying organized for your next camping trip, with a few of these solutions. 

Clear bins

Clear bins work really well for storing camping items. You can see all or most of the contents from the outside, if you are ever unsure of what is on the inside. Each bin can be labeled on the outside with the gear it contains, or you could even keep a master list inside the container of all the contents. This will help you make sure that things are returned to the appropriate bin and restocked when necessary.

For example, a bin with kitchen items, another for lanterns, flashlights, and string lights, a container with bedding, sleeping bags, sheets, etc. Store these bins in an out-of-the-way place like your basement, attic, or garage. If you plan correctly, you will have perfectly packed bins ready for your next adventure, making it that much easier to go camping! 

Pegboards 

Pegboards are great to hang in garages, storage closets, and basements. These are highly-functional and really helpful when hanging all kinds of items such as backpacks, headlamps, axes, hydration bladders, and even sleeping bags. Pegboards are great use of space when you are already short on space.

How to store your tent

Make sure that your tent is completely dry before storing, and don’t store it in a cramped or tight space. If it’s too tight, it can put unnecessary tension and stress on your tent fabric and poles. Your tent should be stored loosely in a cool dry place. Consider rolling the tent up and placing it inside of a large pillowcase. Avoid folding it, packing it up too tightly, or packing it in hot or humid places that can trap moisture inside. 

How to store sleeping bags

If you’re low on storage space, sleeping bags can be rolled up and stored in their original bags or inside of pillowcases. However, if you have room, you could also hang them in a closet or on a pegboard. We store ours hanging from hooks in our dry attic. 

Camping books for kids

One of my favorite camping activities is relaxing with a good book. Here are some camping-themed children’s books you can add to your camping gear list and bring along for your kids to enjoy!

• The Camping Trip by Jennifer Mann
• Llama Llama Loves Camping by Anna Dewdny
• Curious George Goes Camping by H. A. Rey
• When We Go Camping by Margruit Ruurs
• A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee by Chris Van Dusen
• The Little Book of Camping by Zack Bush 
• Pete the Cat Goes Camping by James Dean 
• Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping by Peggy Parish

Photo credit: @kristcx

Additional camping resources

If you’re looking for even more info on how to camp with kids, we’ve got you covered. Check out these great camping resources below for your next camping adventure:

• Camp Like A Champ Digital Guide
• Beginner’s guide to camping with kids
• Overnight camping made simple
• Top Tips for backyard camping with kids
• Winter car camping
• Pop-up camping with kids

Printable camping gear lists for families

To make it easier for you to get started on your next family camping trip, we put our ultimate camping packing list for your family in a free printable 2-page PDF for you! Use this as the perfect start to create your own master packing list. You’ll also be signed up to receive our  AMAZING weekly newsletter, filled with fun outdoor activities and inspiration for getting your kids and family outside! You can opt-out anytime (although we’d hate to see you go). 

PRINTABLE CAMPING GEAR LIST

Happy camping!
What would you add to this camping list for families?

About the author

Lissy Perna 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 Ultimate Camping Gear List for Families appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

Why parks and playgrounds?

Being active outdoors doesn’t have to be complicated or require a lot of gear or planning – it can be as easy as exploring a local park or playground with your kids. Checking out a new park allows parents and kids to be adventurous, without needing to travel far or spend a lot of time researching or packing for an exotic outing. Most of the parks near us have wooded areas, lakes or ponds, hiking trails, and a playground, of course, which is always the most attractive feature for my kids and the first thing they want to check out upon arrival.

Like probably most families with small kids, we spend a lot of time at our local parks and playgrounds. They are free and easily accessible and provide endless hours of entertainment for the kids. I wonder what the hour count would be if I had started logging the amount of time we actually spend at parks from that first visit with our new baby 12 years ago? It feels like we’re probably into the millions by now!

Last year, when COVID restrictions hit and indoor places closed, suddenly, parks were one of the only things available to many families (after the brief window during quarantine when they weren’t, of course). Our parks got more crowded than ever and we got an itch to try branching out to find fun new places to explore. This is what prompted the idea (read: necessity) to spice up our playground adventures! 

Benefits of playgrounds 

Playgrounds are safe spaces where children can be themselves and express their fun-loving nature while developing crucial cognitive, physical, social, and emotional skills. Play is a spontaneous activity that children engage in to have fun. But it’s much more than that. Experts in a variety of fields have conducted a multitude of studies on the concept of childhood play all proving the same critical fact —play is an essential aspect of learning. 

As a child grows, their play becomes more complex. Without being able to play, children’s ability to develop and learn is stunted. Playgrounds provide a place for children to get a full-body workout, including exercises that strengthen their arms, legs, torso, and so on. From the cardiovascular system to the circulatory system, each is nurtured and benefited through vigorous and active outdoor play.

A park tour adventure

As our local parks got busy (and started becoming a bit boring to us), we decided to venture out. We started talking about plans to explore more parks. And then, we had an idea! What if we hit up all the parks in our area? We could make a list of every park, map them all out and start park hopping. We could call it a park tour! Doesn’t it sound more exciting to give it a fancy name instead of just saying we’re going to hit up a ton of playgrounds?

But that’s not the big idea. We can go bigger! Let’s not just check out the parks and play, but let’s turn it into a bigger activity. We can record what we liked (and disliked) about each park we visit. We can use a park rating system —similar to a movie rating system—to determine how much fun each park is. Who doesn’t like giving things a thumbs up or thumbs down? What would it take for a park to be worthy of the full five stars?

It’s time to be an official park critic!

DIY park tour guidebooks

And then, we decided to go all out and take it one step further. Why not create our own DIY Park Tour Guidebooks complete with a rating system to fill out after each park visit? Then at the end of the tour, we can look back at our ratings to determine which park is our favorite.

So, that is exactly what we did! All last summer we carried our homemade guidebooks with us from playground to playground, diligently recording our every like and dislike. Each kid made their own park tour guidebook because they all have varying opinions on what made a particular park great. What one rated a “good” park, another deemed a “bad” one. 

To be fancy or not to be fancy

Making a park tour guidebook is easier than you think. They do not need to be fancy! (Although, if fancy is your thing, you can certainly do that!) When we started making our park tour guide books, I simply wrote out a quick rating system on a piece of white printer paper. Then I made several copies and stapled them together in a bundle for each of us. Everyone decorated their cover page. Then we were off! Easy peasy.

Your park tour guidebook can be that easy, or you take it up a notch and get a bit more creative. This summer, we decided to do another park tour and make books, but we wanted to do something a bit more fun. Our guidebooks now involve recycled brown paper grocery bags, so of course, the fancy meter is off the charts.

You can choose to make your books however you want and be as creative or as simple as you would like. If you have older kids, they’ll love making their books personalized to their favorite interests and colors. Little ones might need a bit more help, but they’ll love making it theirs. Cater your books and style to your family and what works best for you.

If you’d like to make our oh-so-fancy paper bag guide books, I detail the process below.

Paper bag DIY park tour guidebook supplies

• Brown paper shopping bag (one for each person)
• Filler paper with a rating system (print my PDF if you’d like) 
• Hole punch
• String, yarn, or ribbon
• Scissors
• Markers, crayons, paints, or other art supplies

How to make a park guidebook

I’ve learned after many years of doing arts and crafts projects with my children that it goes much smoother to do all the prep work before calling them in to help. If your kids are little (and maybe not the best with scissors), I would suggest doing steps 1 – 2 on your own before including them in on the fun decorating parts.

So, gather your supplies and have them ready. For the filler paper, you can either use pre-printed pages (use our free PDF above) or plain ol’ blank paper. If you’re using our template, print out your pages (one for every park you plan on visiting).

Step 1: Cut the paper bag

You will need to cut the bag to create two separate panels—a front and a back. You can leave the handles of the bag attached for a fun way to tote it around. Like a briefcase.

The bags have a natural fold about a fourth of the way up from the bottom. I cut right across the horizontal fold and discarded the bottom half of the bag. Then I cut off both the “sides” of the remaining top half of the bag. This left me with two panels, both containing a handle.

Step 2: Punch the holes

If you have a three-hole punch, lucky you. You are set for this next step. But if you’re like me and only have a regular ol’ single-hole punch, you may want to follow the steps below.

1. Find a scrap piece of paper the same size as your filler paper and punch three holes (as evenly spaced as possible) along the left side. Use this scrap piece of paper as your hole punching template.
2. Put your front and back panel from the paper bag on top of each other, the handles touching.
3. Then place your hole punching template on the top and punch the same three holes.
4. Do step 2 for the filler paper as well.

Voila! You just took thrice as long to do the same job as the three-hole punch, but you still got the job done!

Step 3: Decorate the cover page

What work of art is complete without some actual art? Spruce up the front cover of your park tour guidebook any way you want! This is the perfect step to bring in the little kids.

My kids chose to draw some pictures and label their park guide books with their names. You could use paint, stickers, stamps, or (gasp) glitter (cue horrified moms everywhere). Be as creative or as simplistic as you’d like.

Step 4: Assemble the pages

Now that all the leg work is done, it’s time to assemble these babies!

You will need to cut three pieces of string (or yarn, ribbon, twine, etc.) to use to bind the pages together. Loop the string through all the layers (front cover, filler pages, then back cover) for all three of the holes and tie them loosely. You will want to leave a little give so the pages can open and close with ease.

And with that, your DIY park guidebooks are now done and ready to be tested!

Creating your park ranking system

So what exactly do the filler pages of the park tour guidebook contain? Other than the park name (that’s important), everything else is really up to you! Last year we listed out and ranked pretty much every single thing we could think of that we may find at a park (slides, swings, climbers, shade trees, picnic area, water features (ponds, creeks), hiking and biking trails, wildlife, parking, uniqueness, etc.). This year, though, we kept it a bit simpler and only included the basics. 

As the creator of your park tour guidebook, you (and your kids) get to determine what you want to include in your books to judge and how you want to judge/rank it. Think about what’s most important to you when finding a new park. Is it the playground equipment? Fishing pond? Is it a soccer or baseball field? Or maybe other things like size, distance from home, location, privacy, and remoteness?

And now you get to determine what your ranking system will be. Do you want to give points? Hearts or stars? Thumbs-up and thumbs-down?

We use a five-star rating system, with five stars being the best. We individually rank each of the items, then we tally the number of stars to determine the final score the park earned. This year we added the fun “thumbs up, thumbs down” rating system as well, to give the park as a whole. Thumbs-up means we’ll come back.

How to create the park tour guidebook ranking pages

How you want to create the filler pages with the ranking system is completely up to you and your kids. Older kids may want to create their own pages. They can either do that with pen/marker or maybe on a computer. Then you can make as many copies of the page as you need. Or, maybe each page is recreated on the spot and individualized to the park? For younger kids, maybe you create a page for them and make copies. 

Like I noted earlier, last year I simply hand-wrote the categories and drew the stars. Then I made copies on my home photocopier for each of our guidebooks. This year, I created the template on Microsoft word. I searched Google for some free clipart since my five-year-old can’t read yet. Then I set to work creating a rating system.

Feel free to use my park tour guidebook rating page template or use it as inspiration to create your own!

Other fun additions to your park tour guidebook

Your guidebooks don’t have to be exclusively filled with ranking pages. Include a few blank pages in there for journaling or drawing. Maybe your kids want to draw a picture of the playground equipment so they remember the park. Or maybe they find a pretty leaf or flower that they press and glue on a page. Let them use pages to take notes or write down a funny thing that happened at each park. 

Think about including a map of your area in your park tour guidebook and letting them plot out the parks they visit. Or a checklist of all the parks they want to visit (or have visited). Encourage them to can draw their own maps of the park, to work on their mapping and spatial awareness skills. Check out this post for more info on map reading skills for kids.

Take your park tour guide books out and play

Now that your park tour guide books are complete, it’s time to get out and explore! Make a list of all the playgrounds in your area and start hitting up as many as you can.  Maybe you do a park a week over the next few months. Or maybe you plan a full day of park hopping and visit 10 parks in one day! There’s no right or wrong way to do this! Just have fun and don’t forget to bring your park tour guidebooks and take a few seconds (or minutes) before going home to rate your experience.

If your kids are like mine, they will love expressing their opinions. Sit back and watch their differences roll out! What one kid loves, the other is bound to hate. By the end of your park tour, you just might find one park that the whole family can agree they love and then you have a new family favorite! 

What makes a park good for you?
Can you predict which park will be the family favorite?

About the author

Angie is a wife and stay-at-home-mom of three wild hyenas. She resides in rural Minnesota, where there are more cows and cornfields than people. She is an introvert with a creative itch that needs to be scratched, whether it is photographing her children in their daily lives or coming up with fun ways to explore nature in their backyard. Messy hair, dirty faces, mismatched clothing, wild and free children—all these things fuel her creativity and the desire to preserve these fleeting moments. Angie and her family can be found camping, biking, and sitting around a campfire during the summer months and sledding and ice fishing in a million layers during the winter.

You can find Chelsea online in the following locations:
Instagram: @angie_mahlke
RWMC posts: Angie Mahlke

The post How to Make a DIY Park Tour Guidebook appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

Run Wild My Child has that resource just for you! We are pleased to announce the launch of our Get Out Guides! Executive team member Nichole Holze has put her talent for finding unique kid-friendly outdoor adventures to use as the Editor of these new guides, which are available now!

What exactly are Get Out Guides?

As super-outdoorsy parents, we get asked all the time for our favorite outdoor activities with kids. We’ve tried so many. We love finding new creative, and unique ways to spend time outside together. And we want you to do the same. So, we put everything together for you in one convenient place! Introducing…our Get Out Guides! 

The Run Wild My Child Get Out Guides are our one-stop resource for travel planning! We know what outdoor activities kids (and parents) love. We designed these digital ebooks (which you can print, if you want) with outdoor-loving families in mind! These guides are meant to help you plan your travels (both near and far) or perhaps even help you be a tourist in your own city. 

They’re cultivated to be a resource to help you discover fun places to explore both close to home and while traveling. The Get Out Guides are community-sourced and vetted, with lists of things to do and places to see, each carefully selected to highlight a different adventure in a specific city or area. 

What is in the Get Out Guides?

Our Get Out Guides are packed full of enough adventures to keep you busy for an entire vacation and beyond. While each guide is unique to the area it covers, there are a few commonalities that you’ll find in all of our Get Out Guides. The following items and topics can be found in each of our Get Out Guides:

• hiking trails
• biking trails
• outdoor dining locations (and to-go food options for outdoor picnics)
• parks and playgrounds
• farms and farmer’s markets
• unique outdoor attractions
• nature centers and gardens
• water adventures
• sample itineraries (if you only have a day or weekend to explore)
• resources

Each Get Out Guide is unique

Each Get Out Guide is jam-packed with our favorite tried and tested outdoor activities. We’ve included all the favorites (listed above), but each city has so many things that make it unique, so each guide will be a little different and tailored to highlight what’s great about each area.

For example, our Bentonville Get Out Guide has a “day in the life” page that highlights an ideal day from a local parent, extra biking adventures (because Bentonville is known for that), links to websites or social media for all of the adventures listed, places to stay and camp, and an interactive map that you can use to play your activities! The St. Louis Get Out Guide has all the traditional outdoor activities listed above, but includes additional fun things to do like golfing, fishing (fly fishing and spinning rod), geocaching, baseball, urban adventures, animal encounters, and more! 

Why do you need a Get Out Guide?

Why wouldn’t you?!

But really, these guides are going to help so many parents just like you find new ways to explore outside with your kids. We want to cultivate a resource for busy families that aligns with our core value of getting kids off screens and outdoors. That applies while traveling or adventuring in your hometown. We want to make it a little easier for parents to plan outdoor adventures while traveling and be a resource for local families to discover even more adventures right in their own city. 

Our Get Out Guides are different than traditional travel guides. You won’t find many major indoor attractions in them. Fewer play centers, more parks, and playgrounds. Fewer museums, more hikes, and creeks. Fewer restaurants, more patios, and picnic options. They focus on the OUTDOORS, on connecting you and your kids (not only to each other, but also) to nature. They’ll give you tons of ideas and inspiration for making lifelong outside memories with your family, and help you raise a nature kid.

We hope that these Get Out Guides inspire you to examine how you spend time outdoors while vacationing and open new doors to adventure right at home. 

Who are the Get Out Guides for?

Busy parents that want to spend more time adventuring outside with their kids. Is that you? 

Truly, our intention with these guides is to share adventures that are accessible for everyone. Whether you’re a local parent wanting new ideas for places to explore and things to do in your own city or just passing through the area on a family road trip and want to get outside to explore and play, this guide is for you. We know that you don’t have a million hours to research all the best outdoor places to play and plan your activities. And sometimes the research won’t get you the “good spots’ that only the locals know about! That’s why these guides are so good – they’re written by parents that know, live, and play in that area. 

We hope our guides will bring value and a little relief when it comes to planning outdoor adventures. They will save you time. They will save you the headache. And they will blow you away! 

How does RWMC put them together?

Each Get Out Guide is put together a member of our team or volunteer from our community that lives in the area they’re covering. Not only do we each know our respective areas VERY well, but we also reached out to other local moms in our online community to make sure all our bases were covered. 

With each upcoming new guide we put out, we hope to gather contributions from our amazing community! And yes, that includes YOU! We have an intake form for anyone and everyone to make submissions of their favorite outdoor activities, adventures, and locations in their area. If your submission is included in the Guide, you’ll receive a spot on the contributor page with a link of your choosing! 

What format are the Get Out Guides and how can I get one?

The Get Out Guides are digital downloadable PDFs. When you purchase a Get Out Guide, you’ll receive a link to download a zip file that contains the guide. You’ll also receive an email with the link. You can save the Get Out Guide to your computer or phone for easy access anytime you want. Or, you can print them out and refer back to them as you need to. Feel free to make notes on the places you want to explore or check them off as you check them out!

The Get Out Guides are for sale on the Run Wild My Child website. 

Make sure to sign up for our newsletter so that you can be one of the first ones to know when a new guide is released! 

Get Out Guides – Bentonville, Arkansas

Northwest Arkansas is a not-so-hidden-anymore gem of a place to visit, especially with kids. It’s where art and nature combine, where bike trails connect the entire city, and public art can be found on every corner. You’ll also find a thriving foodie culture and a world-class coffee scene. Northwest Arkansas is so much more than the home of Walmart and we want to invite you to see all it has to offer! Get the Guide!

Get Out Guides – St. Louis, MO

We are also launching the Get Out Guide for St. Louis, Missouri. If you know STL, you know that nature is everywhere in this city! It’s easier than you would ever think to find a challenging hike through the woods with gorgeous bluff overviews, a shallow rock-bed creek to explore, or long flat biking trails through parks, fields, and neighborhoods. Yes, St. Louis is home to the Arch and the Budweiser Clydesdales and the Cardinals (all of which we cover), but it’s so much more! It’s surrounded by limestone caves and coldwater trout streams and art and food! It’s a lovely place to live and fun to explore if you’re in the area. Get the Guide!

Get Out Guide – Cape Cod, MA

Cape Cod is a charming and picturesque geographic cape in the southeast corner of Massachusetts. It is a popular summer vacation destination but features tons of year-round outdoor fun and adventure. It’s an expansive area, and can be a bit overwhelming to find all the good outdoorsy stuff you’re looking for. The Guide will help you find a gorgeous beach to explore, a bike trail to trek, a windy river to kayak, a tidepool to explore, the best kid-friendly hiking trails, and our favorite ice cream shops. There are so many unique Instagrammable locations, amazing restaurants and boutiques, beautiful lighthouses, historic trails and museums, and so much more!

Get Out Guide – Virginia Beach, VA

Virginia Beach is hands-down one of the prettiest, most fun, and outdoorsy beach towns on the Eastern Shore. Virginia Beach is the largest city in the state and covers a huge area, so it can be really overwhelming for families to find all the good outdoorsy stuff you’re looking for. That’s where our guide comes in! We’re here to help you find a gorgeous beach to explore, a bike trail to trek, a place to see wildflife, a tidepool to explore, and an outdoor patio to enjoy a seafood lunch with your kids. There are so many unique Instagrammable locations, amazing restaurants and boutiques, educational outdoor activities, skate parks, historic landmarks, gorgeous trails, kid-friendly museums, and so much more!

More Get Out Guides coming soon!

Stay tuned because we’re working hard on a few more Get Out Guides. Upcoming Get Out Guides include Lake Tahoe, Kansas City, San Diego, and MORE! We have boots on the ground with Creative Team members in these areas that are busy helping us find the absolute BEST outdoor activities. If you’re interested in submitting an idea for the Get Out Guides, visit THIS link or reach out to our Get Out Guide Editor, Nichole. You can find her on Instagram at @coleyraeh or on her website. 

GET THE GUIDES

We are so thrilled to launch the new Run Wild My Child Get Out Guides! We hope that they help to inspire you to get outside and adventure together, whether close to home or on the road! Happy adventuring! 

GET OUT GUIDE - ST. LOUIS

GET OUT GUIDE - BENTONVILLE

GET OUT GUIDE - VIRGINIA BEACH

GET OUT GUIDE - CAPE COD

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Introducing our Earth Day mini-challenge

The Run Wild My Child Earth Day Challenge is an 8-day challenge designed to help busy parents become more knowledgeable about eco-friendly swaps, products, and actions, without the guilt or overwhelm.

No matter where you are in your journey to reducing your carbon footprint (already making changes or just getting started), we’re here to help offer tips, action items, and products you’ll love. At the end of the challenge you should have everything you need to start making small, but powerful, changes in your life and around your home.

Who this challenge is for…

This is the perfect challenge for busy parents that love and appreciate the outdoors. You know the importance of reducing your carbon footprint and want to make sure your children (and their children) will have a beautiful healthy planet to explore.  You already make a conscious effort to make some eco-friendly decisions, but would like to know how you can do more, without getting shamed, overwhelmed, or pressured into spending a lot of money. 

How this challenge will help you

This challenge will give you lots of easy-to-implement eco-friendly ideas for different rooms in your house. You don’t have to do all of them – you get to pick and choose what works best for your family, your budget, and your lifestyle. 

The challenge will give you an online support group with others going through the challenge together and taking action. You can meet friends, ask questions, help others and hold each other accountable.

By the end of the challenge, we know you’ll be educated and equipped to start making small (but impactful) changes in your home and life to help save the planet. And we’ll help you get your kids involved, too! Together, we can make a difference! 

What’s included in the challenge

Our Earth Day Challenge includes so many amazing products and bonuses. Here’s what you can expect to get:

• 30+ page downloadable PDF & workbook
• Access to a private pop-up Facebook group for support, interaction, and accountability
• Daily challenges and eco-friendly action items
• Challenge hashtag and features on @runwild.mychild Instagram page
• List of 30+ eco-friendly activities to do with kids
• Printable Earth Day Bingo cards
• DIY “green” recipes for household cleaning products
• And so much more!

ALL FOR ONLY $22

(we know, it’s crazy cheap)

Daily challenge themes and action items

Each day of the challenge has a theme and a worksheet where you can take notes and write down the action items you’d like to take. We not only take you through your home room by room to find ways to be more ec0-conscious, but we’ll help with some mindset changes and encouragement so you don’t get overwhelmed.  

• Day 1: Create an Eco-Friendly Bathroom
• Day 2: Create an Eco-Friendly Kitchen
• Day 3: Create an Eco-Friendly Bedroom
• Day 4: Eco-Friendly Outdoor Spaces
• Day 5: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
• Day 6: Eco-Friendly Kids & Baby
• Day 7: Shopping Local, Little, and Less
• Day 8: Celebrate Earth Day

Meet the hosts

Chelsea Furlong

Chelsea is a photographer, mother of two busy boys, member of the RWMC Creative Team, and a sunshine and fresh air addict. Her family lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and spends as much time outdoors as they possibly can! Most of their outdoor adventures involve exploring the beach, inlets, and nature trails nearby. They love biking, hiking, paddleboarding, kayaking, building forts, and playing in the sand! During the warm months, you can find them enjoying the Chesapeake Bay almost every night until long after the sun goes down. They’re doing their best to reduce their carbon footprint and always try to leave every trail cleaner than it was when they arrived.

Sara McCarty

Sara is the Founder of Run Wild My Child, a resource website, online community, and podcast all about getting kids off screens and outside, one adventure at a time. She’s a mom of 3, a wife, and a corporate securities lawyer. She grew up in the country, but now lives in St. Louis and is determined to raise her city kids to be as wild and feral as possible. You can usually find her family exploring a creek, fly fishing, hiking, duck hunting, camping, canoeing, biking, or geocaching. She’s passionate about reading, photography, plants, coffee, cooking, and key lime pie.

Challenge details

The Run Wild My Child Earth Day Challenge starts Thursday, April 15, 2021, and ends on Earth Day, April 22. We’ll send out materials the day before and get the ball rolling! We’re super excited about this and can’t wait to see you there! 

JOIN THE CHALLENGE

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtfully committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead

The post Earth Day Challenge appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

Winter photo scavenger hunt for kids

I love to get my kids outside as much as possible, year-round. It’s more important now than ever, with virtual learning and all the time spent inside on a screen. However, the cold winter months can make it trickier to get your little ones outside for fresh air and adventuring. Finding fun activities that teach and challenge them can make it a lot more enjoyable. Photography is my passion. My children see me capturing the world around me all the time! They also share my interest in photography and want to snap photos and see the finished project. So, when I created this fun outdoor winter photo scavenger hunt, I knew it would be a big success.

Winter children’s books to get you inspired

There are so many children’s books that would make a great intro to this fun adventure. My kids and I love reading some of these fun classics before venturing outside for our winter photo scavenger hunt. The books help get us excited about the season, the weather, and the cold. We talk about the pictures in the books, the scenes, and the characters. Here some of our favorite winter children’s books.

• The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
• The Mitten by Jan Brett
• Winter Sleep: A Hibernation Story by Sean Taylor and Alex Morss
• Snowballs by Louis Ehlert
• Snow by Uri Shulevitz
• Winter by Gerda Muller
• The Night Before the Snow Day by Natasha Wing
• Little Owl’s Snow by Divya Srinivasan

Prep for the activity

Luckily, arranging and setting up the winter photo scavenger hunt doesn’t take a lot of preparation or forethought. You only need a few things and we’ve got you covered. First, I gathered and prepared all of the materials that we would need before I told the children about our exciting plans for the day! For example, I printed the Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt on 8.5 x 11 inch cardstock paper. Since my daughter would be using an instant camera, I taped a small sandwich bag on the back of the paper so that she could put her photographs in it. I gathered the camera and popped in the firm. I laid out all our winter clothing so we’d stay toasty warm while exploring outside. Finally, we were ready!

Two printable scavenger hunts

In order to make this fun for kids in both snowy and n0-snow conditions, I created two different versions of the winter photo scavenger hunt for kids. The first scavenger hunt printable is a “Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt” – this is perfect for a chilly winter day where it is absolutely fine if there is no snow on the ground. The kids can find things like a brown leaf, an evergreen branch, and a pinecone.

The second photo scavenger hunt printable is a “Snowy Day Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt.” This one is great for adventures outside when the snow has covered the ground. Children can search for a snow shovel, icicle, and a snowball. This activity also opens up opportunities for your child to make a snow angel and snowman too!

Click here for a printable PDF

Click here for a printable PDF

Bundle up!

A hat, mittens, and boots are challenges listed on both versions of the winter photo scavenger hunt for kids, so make sure your little ones have bundled up appropriately for the winter weather! They will need to take pictures of these articles of clothing. Plus, the added warmth will help keep them cozy warm for longer while you’re outside snapping away and looking for all the items on your photo scavenger hunt. 

Instant cameras

There are countless types of cameras your child could use for this challenge such as an instant print camera, your cell phone, or a digital camera. Instant cameras are a great way to get kids started in photography since it gives them some instant satisfaction. If you had a Polaroid growing up, you probably remember this feeling.

My daughter wanted to use her Fujifilm Instax camera. This camera prints the photos right away so she can immediately see the image she took. She loved using this camera and then showcasing her images in a special book when she finished the hunt.

Below is a list of some great options for instant cameras for kids (and adults).

1. Zink Polaroid Snap Instant Digital Camera
2. Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6- Instant Film Camera
3. Fujifilm Instax 9 Camera
4. Canon IVY CLIQ2 Instant Camera Printer
5. Polaroid Now Camera
6. Polaroid 600 Camera
7. Kodak Mini Shot 2
8. Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 NEO Classic
9. Kodak Smile Instant Print Camera
10. Printomatic Digital Instant Print Camera

Photographing tips

Before you get started, there are a few tips you should share with your child on how to properly take and compose a photo.

• Handle the camera with care. Use a strap to either secure around your child’s neck or wrist so it does not fall.
• Take your time! Do not rush to take the picture. 
• Ask yourself…how can I capture this subject in a creative way? Is there a better angle? What’s in the background?
• Hold your camera very still when taking the picture.

Ready for the hunt!

My daughter could not wait to start this fun winter photo scavenger hunt! She put on her fingerless red gloves, snuggly hat, and boots and headed outside! She looked around the yard for all of the winter challenges. The squeals of excitement when she found each challenge was so sweet. It just warmed my heart how happy she was to see the images that she had captured! 

Photo keepsakes

After we completed the winter photo scavenger hunt, we came inside to warm up our fingers and toes! We set out all of the photographs and chatted about each challenge. My daughter decided to make a winter photo book to showcase all of the beautiful images that she captured. She glued the photographs to each page and labeled them. Throughout the winter, she can go outside and take a few more pictures to add to her book. What a lovely keepsake!

More photography resources

If you’re interested in more photography resources, download our FREE guide with our best tips and tricks for taking better photos of your kids’ outdoor adventures with the camera on your PHONE! From creative composition tips to our favorite editing apps, this guide includes everything you need to know to make the most out of the camera in your pocket!  

Are you kids into photography?
Have you ever done a winter photo scavenger hunt?

About the author

Megan Rigdon is a mother to three energetic children and lives on their family farm in Harford County Maryland.  She is a lifestyle family photographer and a lover of joyful and colorful images. Megan has a degree in Early Childhood Education and taught kindergarten prior to having her own family. They spend as much time as possible exploring the farm and going on adventures together! Raising chickens, fishing, gardening, and crafting are just a few of her favorite things that she enjoys doing with her family.

You can find more from Megan in the following locations:
Instagram: @meganrigdonphotography
Website: www.meganrigdonphotography.com
RWMC Posts: Megan Rigdon

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Firefly facts for kids

Fireflies are not flies at all – they’re in the beetle family. These beetles are special in that most of them have bioluminescence, the ability to produce light! They are sometimes called lightning bugs or forest stars. There are about 2000 different species, most of which are nocturnal. Adult fireflies use flashes of light to attract mates. The firefly larvae also flash their lights to warn predators that they have chemicals that make them taste bad (and can be poisonous). A chemical reaction within the firefly’s light organ produces the light—oxygen combines with calcium, adenosine triphosphate (ATP—the energy-carrying molecule of all cells) and a chemical called luciferin, when an enzyme called luciferase is present. Firefly light can be yellow, green or orange.

Fireflies are usually brown or black with yellow and red marks. Fireflies live in warm or tropical climates in the United States, Latin America, Caribbean islands, and South East Asia. In the US, they only live east of the Rocky Mountains. Fireflies like to live in damp (forests, marshes, leaf piles) and dry (backyards, meadows) areas. 

Each species of fireflies has it’s own flash pattern. Males fly through the air and search for females with a species-specific light display. Some flash only once. Some emit “flash trains” of up to nine carefully timed pulses. Others fly in specific aerial patterns, briefly dipping before sharply ascending and forming a “J” of light. A few even shake their abdomens from side to side and appear to be twinkling. Simultaneous bioluminescence is an incredible phenomenon where all the fireflies flash at the same time! This only happens in two places in the entire world: the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in eastern Tennessee and southeast Asia. No one knows why!

Image credit: @a.splendid.life
Image credit: @sara_mccarty

Help save the fireflies

Unfortunately, firefly populations are decreasing across the globe. When luciferase was first discovered, the only way to obtain the chemical was from fireflies themselves. Today, synthetic luciferase is available, but some companies still harvest fireflies, which may be contributing to their decline. Other factors that may be contributing to firefly decline include light pollution and habitat destruction—if a field where fireflies live is paved over, the fireflies don’t migrate to another field, they just disappear forever. 

However, you can help! Mass Audubon has teamed up with researchers from Tufts University to track the fate of these amazing insects. With our help, they hope to learn about the geographic distribution of fireflies and what environmental factors impact their abundance. Firefly Watch combines an annual summer evening ritual with scientific research. Join a network of citizen scientists around the country by observing your own backyard, and help scientists map fireflies. Anyone in North America can participate in Firefly Watch. All you need to do is spend at least 10 minutes once a week during firefly season observing fireflies in one location (your backyard or in a nearby field). All firefly sightings—or lack thereof—are valuable! For more information on how to help, click here.

Image credit: desirea_corbett

Firefly jokes for kids

Q: What kind of food do fireflies like to eat between meals?
A: Light snacks.

Q: What kind of cars do lightning bugs drive?
A: Glow carts.

Q: How are fireflies eco-friendly?
A: They glow green.

Q. Why was the mommy firefly so sad?
A. Her children were not very bright.

Q: What’s the opposite of a firefly?
A: A waterfall.

Q: How do fireflies learn math?
A: With flashcards.

Q: What a firefly’s favorite game?
A: Hide ‘n glow seek.

Q: What did the firefly say to her friend for encouragement?
A: “You glow, girl!” 

Image credit: @meghangarriott

Firefly stories from our Creative Team members

Meghan Garriott

Fireflies (or lightning bugs as we call them here in the Midwest), have always been a sign of good things to come, not only in childhood but as an adult as well. My favorite season is summer. Summer is packed full of fun with county fairs, fireworks, late nights, and my birthday (July 4th). While school usually ends in May, the fun stuff doesn’t usually start till the end of June. Here in Illinois, lighting bugs usually make their first appearance from mid to late June. As a child, without a phone or a calendar to tell me the date, the first sight of lightning bugs always got me all excited, knowing the good part of summer was finally here!

Our town celebration and fireworks took place at the end of June. We would play at the carnival with our friends all day then line up in the back of pickups to watch fireworks at night. My friends and I  knew when we saw lightning bugs flickering their lights that it was time to get back to the trucks because the fireworks would soon begin. We loved chasing their lights and seeing how many lightning bugs we could catch before the show began. 

The nights are long and late in the summertime. My children, just as I did, love to stay up late. If we were out catching lighting bugs it meant we were going to get to stay up late and play outside! This tradition carries on. As an adult I love seeing the joy they get from something as simple as staying up late and running around outside, in bare feet,  to catch lightning bugs. There is so much nostalgia and joy attached to these amazing little lightning bugs. They brought so much joy to me as a child and now in adulthood, they remind me to slow down, relax,  and look for the good things to come.

Image credit: @sara_mccarty
Image credit: @kristcx

Kristen Ryan

Catching fireflies are one of those things that are so nostalgic. I love to experience the same activities with my own kids that I did as a child. Here in Oklahoma they only seem to be around for a few short weeks out of the year. So, when they do start to pop up in the early evening hours there is just something so magical about them. My daughter isn’t always on board for catching bugs, but even she can’t help but get excited about one of these magical little creatures landing on her. We love to catch them and then watch them glow as they seemingly float away. I love to try to capture photos these sweet moments year after year. Catching fireflies is one of those fleeting childhood activities that I know may not last forever.

Image credit: @kristcx

SarahRuth

The smell was obnoxious. 
I had searched the boys’ rooms.
Tore up their dressers searching for the hidden feces, egg, or other offending “nature” item.
For three days our entire upstairs smelled like we had a hidden carcass somewhere.

Life as usual continued. Summer evenings filled with bonfires, camping, smores, and laughter. I always give the boys little glass jars to collect their fireflies in. A coffee filter and rubber band secured around the top give the little beetle some air while keeping him safely in his observation station (and not on my pillows or in my hair).

One evening, as the boys lay tucked in their beds listening to me read Charlotte’s Web, my youngest piped up, “It’s die too, mommy.” Since poor Wilbur was bemoaning his impending slaughter, I assumed my three-year-old was simply repeating his own understanding of our book. Continuing to read each night, my sweet toddler announced “It’s die too,” until one day I paid attention.

“What died?”
“It died.”
“Wilbur died?”
“No mommy, in my room it died.”

Fearing nightmares would plague all three boys, I left this alone. I proceeded with bedtime kisses and prayers, snuggled each a moment, and headed downstairs.
I briefly mentioned our conversation to my husband and he chuckled.

“I guess we need to ask him what he hid to make that smell!”
Not going to lie, I ran up the steps and woke that baby (well, he was still half-awake)!
“Buddy, did you bring something inside and it died?”
“Lightning in my cup,” he mumbled.
“Bugs? Lightning bugs?”
“Yes, mommy. It died.”

Frantically, I searched around his room looking for his lightning bug glass. In the closet, I found a small mason jar FILLED with fireflies! It was a wretched stench as I pulled it out and observed the twenty-five plus little creatures in their grave.  Mystery solved: fireflies smell putrid when collected and left for days!

Lesson learned: Firefly cups have a one bug limit.

Image credit: @sara_mccarty

Sara McCarty

I’m not sure there’s anything I love more in the summer than fireflies. Yes, the pool and ice cream and summer camp are all nice and well, but give me an evening filled outside filled with the magic of fireflies and I’m instantly transported back to childhood. Like many kids of the 80’s and 90’s, my childhood was spent outside, surrounded by nature and a gaggle of cousins. Summers involved tractor rides, swimming in the creek, climbing trees, playing tag, and fishing. But the culmination of any day spent outside was the first twinkle of fireflies.

Fireflies meant something special to us as kids. They meant staying up late and playing outside. They meant camping and cookouts.  I’m embarrassed to admit it now, but we’d use the light-up parts of the lightning bugs as jewels and paint to decorate ourselves. We’d fill Mason jars with them, topped with tin foil and a rubber band and study them as they flew around and lit up. They were fascinating and awe-inspiring. 

Experiencing fireflies as a parent is no less magical. Fireflies in our area start appearing mid to late June and continue appearing into August. Just the mention of fireflies and my kids get giddy! They love staying up late to catch them just as much as we did. Even in the suburbs, we have an abundance of fireflies in the evenings and it’s amazing watching all the kids emerge from their houses, clad in PJs to come out, and catch them before heading back in for bed.

It’s so much fun to see the kids’ personalities come out as they catch them. My oldest is fearless and is an expert bug-catcher with ninja-like reflexes. My daughter will catch one and hold onto it, singing and talking to it all night long. Some kids wear gloves because they don’t want to touch them and others let them crawl all over them! Each kid has a completely different reaction, but they all love them! 

Image credit: @sara_mccartyImage credit: @robbs_rule

Katie Fox

Growing up in California, fireflies were essentially mythical creatures only found in books and movies. Of course, unlike bigfoot and unicorns, we knew fireflies actually existed. But despite spending a significant amount of my childhood outside, I never really gave them much thought. It’s true that you just don’t know what you don’t know. 

As a parent, I have the privilege of immersing my children in nature and learning right alongside them. As part of our nature-focused learning, my children watch shows that explore nature, such as Wild Kratts, Nature Cat, and Brave Wilderness. These shows often give us a chance to view creatures we otherwise would not see. This is the case with fireflies. I don’t necessarily remember the Wild Kratts episode on fireflies or when my children first watched it. But, I do know that the show and fireflies made an impact on my five-year-old. 

We travel around North America in an RV we call home. So, while we are technically from California, we’ve spent a little over a year traveling and exploring parts of the United States. As we traveled, we were on the lookout for local and native animals. We’ve seen some amazing creatures (like banana slugs, kaibab squirrels, elk, roadrunners, dolphins, cardinals, and moose). We knew we were entering their habitats and we knew to keep our eyes peeled for them. Maybe it’s because I’m not a bug person, but it didn’t even occur to me to look them up as we traveled. But that is the beauty of wildlife and nature, I didn’t need to know about them to accidentally find them. 

When we entered Nebraska and pulled into Windmill State Park, spotting new animals was not on our radar. After a long travel day and a humid afternoon spent exploring, my five-year-old was avoiding sleep to the best of his ability. On this particular night, he chose to open the curtain by his bed and look outside. After a few moments, he very excitedly sat up and said with so much enthusiasm and the biggest smile on his face, “FIREFLIES!” 

Image credit: @sara_mccarty

My partner and I peeked out the window and sure enough, there were little lights blinking on and off everywhere our eyes could see. Dusk never looked so beautiful. I can’t be sure, but I assume what I felt in this moment is what it would feel like to spot Bigfoot in the California Redwoods. Awe-inspiring and totally unexpected. We found beautiful creatures and now we could explore and learn more about them. 

It took my five-year-old a significantly longer time to fall asleep that night. But, the twinkling fireflies eventually lulled him to sleep. The next day he talked endlessly about them and I discovered he learned what they were from an episode of Wild Kratts. Like me, he first learned about fireflies through media, but unlike me, was able to experience them in real life during his childhood. That evening, he was ready. He had a net (which we all quickly discovered was not necessary) and his mesh bug cage. Our whole family spent hours outside chasing and catching fireflies. We ran, laughed, rolled in the grass, and had a magical evening among these unexpected illuminated bugs. 

In true homeschooling family form, we’ve integrated fireflies into our learning. We rewatched the firefly episode of Wild Kratts, we found them in our bug books and learned a lot about them. I even decided to create printables for us to explore them a bit more through poetry, vintage illustrations, and art.

The best part? We’ve had fireflies visit us every single night since that first night in Nebraska. We’ve traveled through Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, and the fireflies dance for us each night. It might have taken me 34 years on this Earth to see a firefly, but my children get to remember them as part of their childhood experience. And for me, giving my children experiences I didn’t have is one of the neatest aspects of parenthood.

Image credit: @meghangarriott
Image credit: @sara_mccarty

Firefly nature study printable

If your kids are interested in learning more about fireflies, our Creative Team member Katie Fox put together this incredible instant downloadable packet of materials all about fireflies. It comes with 9 pages of content and is the perfect addition to any summer, insect, garden, or nature study. This printable set supports multicultural learning and all of the content is fact-checked and paired with vintage illustrations to create beautiful nature learning activities. These pages and activities pair well with many nature-focused curricula, nature-based learning, Charlotte Mason and Montessori educational approaches, and so much more. They are very versatile and a great addition to any homeschool, classroom, or learning experience!

This amazing 9-page printable contains the following content:

• Fireflies in Mythology
• Two firefly poems paired with beautiful vintage paintings
• A lifecycle of a firefly printable and activity
• Parts of a firefly printable and worksheet
• A Mayan Firefly coloring page

You can download the content from Etsy HERE, for just $5! 

Image credit: @meghangarriott
Image credit: @sara_mccarty

Do you have fireflies where you live?

The post Fun with Fireflies appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

However, outdoor social distancing may not be easy for everyone. Particularly those who live in a city and may not have close access to wide open (and remote/unpopulated areas). However, there are still things you can do outside as a family that keep your distance from others and give your kids the chance to burn off some of that energy. Today, we have Desirée Macke, Southern California mom of 2 here sharing 10 ways to get outside while being socially distant in a city.

An unexpected turn of events

This spring was supposed to be full of travel and adventure for our family. However, in the blink of an eye, like the rest of the country, our plans were quickly thwarted due to COVID-19. When schools were canceled for multiple weeks I quickly went to work planning where we could go exploring with the kids. Joshua Tree National Park immediately popped into mind. It’s one of our favorite places. I had full intentions of loading the kids up to go rock climbing to get away from it all. Then, things regarding health and safety escalated and our plans were set aside.

Social distancing in a city

For a moment I went into panic mode. How in the world were we going to get the kids outside while social distancing in a huge city? All the places we enjoy going (National Parks, the beach, local parks, etc.) are always full of people. It’s not like we can simply turn to our backyard…we don’t have one! We live in a townhome. Right now, for many people in urban areas, getting outside while being safe can be a bit challenging, particularly because we all like to go outside to the same places.

I took a deep breath, looked at what we do have at our disposal. I put together a list of 10 outdoor social distancing activities for kids and families in cities so that you can still get outside all while staying safe and active.

1. Geocaching

A while back we covered the basics of geocaching. Our kids don’t get much screen time, so geocaching is really fun and exciting for my kids.  When I hand over the phone to my son so he can follow the map, read the clues, and search for geocaches, it’s a really big deal. We’ve found several caches in our neighborhood while out for a walk. There are many more near us that we’ll be hunting down in the next few weeks. We’ll have plenty of time to do so!

2. Agents of Discovery app

This may be pretty specific to Southern California, but, there are a LOT of people here, so I hope I’m reaching someone who is searching for things to do with kids! While visiting a local nature center/trail we enjoy hiking, we discovered there is an interactive app that is great for kids to utilize while hiking. Along the trail, there are multiple challenges the kids complete to earn points.

I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes my kids lose interest in our hikes very quickly. However, this app keeps my kids engaged while on the trail. Bonus points: the whole family learned a copious amount of information on the flora and fauna in our area. Now my son wants to visit all the trails included on the app. It’s beeen a great outdoor social distancing activity for my kids to keep them active and entertained.

During this time, please use your best judgment on whether being out on the trials is smart and safe for you, and those you may encounter on the trail.

3. iNaturalist app

I promise this is the last tech/screen suggestion. But, this is one of my favorite apps because it can be used anywhere! Since we’re stuck around the house, we’ve been taking many walks around our neighborhood. I’ve learned over the years that the kids need a goal on our walks to keep them occupied and entertained. Otherwise just walking around can get pretty boring for them.

During our walks, I ask them to find plants, flowers, even animals, that they don’t know the names of. We then turn to iNaturalist, snap a photo of said plant/animal. The app then pulls up a list of items that are likely to be what we have discovered, and we select the answer that best fits what we have found. It’s been really neat to learn together what we have right here in our little neighborhood. Using an app like this to learn and document our adventures has been a really fun and educational outdoor social distancing activity for the kids.

4. Scavenger hunt

Anyone can do a scavenger hunt! Anywhere! Trust me, they’re super easy to put together and really fun for the kids! It only takes a few minutes of planning. I usually compile a quick list of easy-to-find items just before we head out the door. You can write them all down on a piece of paper, in your phone or keep a tally in your head. Tell the kids what they’re looking for and let them explore! Once the kids find all the items on their list they earn a prize (which is usually just something from our pantry).

The great thing about scavenger hunts is that you can completely customize them to your specific location and to your children’s ages and skill level. I will often make two different lists. For my son, I’ll ask for specific things, such as, “find a maple leaf”.  For my youngest, I keep it pretty basic for her, “find a yellow leaf”.

5. Nature bingo

Much like the scavenger hunt and iNaturalist, we utilize nature bingo while we’re on our morning walks. This is a great and easy outdoor social distancing activity for kids. Each child has a BINGO card filled with plants, flowers, and animals we typically see in our neighborhood. The game is a great way to keep the kids moving along our sidewalks with little to no complaining, and a goal to reach. They get pretty excited when they hit a BINGO, and I get excited that we’ve clocked more hours outside.

Above is a blank Bingo printable you can print off and fill in as you go.

6. DIY sidewalk chalk paint

You’ve probably seen this fun and easy craft idea, but it’s worth repeating because the kids love it. I’m not sure what they enjoy more, the making of the paint, or the actual painting. Either way, it keeps them busy, entertained, and outside.

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own sidewalk chalk paint:

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 cup corn starch
• Food dye colors of your choice
• Muffin tin
• Mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Paintbrushes

In your mixing bowl add the warm water and corn starch. Whisk until cornstarch is dissolved. Pour your mixture in equal parts into the muffin tin. Add food dyes. Let the kids grab a paintbrush and go to work!

We are fortunate to have a patio, so the kids generally head out there to paint the pavers. But if we’re feeling extra adventurous we’ll paint the sidewalks around our front door.

7. Obstacle courses

We are lucky to have an alley that serves as our makeshift back yard. When the kids get tired of just riding up and down the alley on their bikes/scooters/etc. we’ll make an obstacle course. Getting the kids in on the creation of the course makes it that much more fun. Seeing their minds work to put together their course is just as much fun as watching them navigate the course. We use whatever we can find in our garage: jump ropes, plyo boxes, sidewalk chalk for the start and finish line, anything we can pull out!

I know not everyone has an alley, but many obstacle courses can be created in parks that have large green space! Think cones and hula hoops! Again, please use discretion during this time when visiting your parks.

8. Slackline

We may not have a yard or huge trees. However, we DO have a garage. That space has been maximized to the fullest. We purchased the kids a slackline and have it set up in the garage! We have it hung high, with different ropes and rings hanging from the line. The kids like to pretend they are Ninja Warriors, and monkey across it, aiming for the best time, or simply making it across without falling. If you don’t have a garage, check out parks with open spaces and large trees. It’s been a fun alternative to the monkey bars and traditional playground equipment we’re used to, but trying to avoid.

9. Leaf confetti

We mentioned making leaf confetti in our 100+ Outdoor Winter Activities for Kids,  but it is worth mentioning here, and applies any time of the year! And, this project has been our saving grace on those afternoons where we’re starting to get the wiggles and need an activity. This one engages our gross motor skills (walking around our neighborhood), fine motor skills (paper punching), and eye-hand coordination.

As we walk around our neighborhood the kids collect leaves they deem worthy of paper punching. Once we’ve gathered a hefty amount, we head home and start punching away. The different shaped punchers give the confetti a little more of a whimsical feel, but any shape will do. After a large amount of confetti is made the most fun is tossing it in the air!

10. Puddle jumping

More often than not, my kids are in school when it rains, so many puddle opportunities have slipped by us. However, during our time social distancing, we have had several days where it has rained. We could view this as doomy and gloomy. But, instead, we have taken advantage of all the puddles! All we need our rainboots and rain jackets, and we go. to. town. on every puddle we find. The kids always have so much fun splashing away, and this activity is perfect to get outside, as most people opt to stay indoors when it rains.

During this incredibly crazy and uncertain time, one thing holds true. We all need to get outside for our health and sanity.

If you live in an urban area, what are some of your favorite outdoor social distancing activities for kids?

About the author

I’m Desirée; wife to Scott, mom to Marcus and Julia. I’m the domestic engineer (that’s my fancy term for stay-at-home-mom) of the family. My husband, kids, and I love the outdoors. Our favorite ways to explore are hiking the coastal trails near us as well as combing the tide pools for aquatic treasures. To quench our thirst for wide-open spaces beyond the hustle and bustle of our urban jungle. We love to visit state and national parks, as well as conservation areas and nature preserves.

You can find Desirée online in the following locations:
Personal IG: @desireemacke
Cookie Biz IG: @coolingrackconfections

The post 10 Outdoor Social Distancing Activities for Kids in a City appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

BONUS: We’re doing a fun giveaway at the end of the post. Make sure you scroll all the way down for the info!

We had the opportunity to try out a few of her favorite printables (all available in her Teachers Pay Teachers online shop) and absolutely loved them. These printables have been such a big hit at our house this summer. The kids ask to play with them all the time. It’s not only a great way to keep them busy during the long hot summer days, but it keeps them sharp and their little brains active.

Today I’m going to share some of the ways we’ve used two of her activities and why my kids love them so much. Plus, we’ve got a great interview with Tara all about her passion behind these products and why incorporating nature into learning is so important.

Story Stones

My all-time favorite Little Pine Learners product has to be these printable story stones. The Story Stones for Writing & Storytelling package includes 50 colorful graphics to cut out and Mod Podge onto stones, 7 writing prompts to help spark the writing process and 2 story mats to help sequence events and organize writing. All for $3.00!

To begin, the kids needed to collect rocks to make the story stones. This meant a trip (or three) to our local creek was in order. Stones were evaluated by size, shape, color, and texture to determine if they’d be suitable for our purpose. I love giving kids a mission when we’re out exploring because it gives them something to do and makes them more observant. There’s way less whining and fighting when they’ve got a project to focus on. Once we’d collected enough stones, it was back home to wash them and prep them for the graphics.

My kids are little, so I took it upon myself to cut out all the graphics to put on the stones. If your kids are a bit older, this would be a great project to help with fine motor skills. When we had the graphics cut out and ready, we used clear Mod Podge to adhere them to the stones. Then another light coat on top to protect and let them dry overnight.

The next day we took a hike at one of our favorite nature centers. It was going to be a million degrees out that afternoon, so we went as early as possible and took advantage of the tree canopy cover and the cool creek. I told the kids to be as observant as possible and remember what we did and saw because we’d be using our hike as story inspiration later that day.

When we got home, I pulled out the story stones and set them out in front of the kids. I asked them to choose a few pictures that correlated to something that happened on our hike. My 6 year-old worked on the story mat, since he’s old enough to write a short story about our adventure. The 3 year-old did a sequence mat, so she could tell her story in sequential order. Having both options for different ages and skills was really useful.

The kids told and retold the story of our hike using as many applicable stones as they could. Each time they got more creative and remembered more things that we saw and heard along the way. They remembered what we talked about and how things felt. What an incredible way to relive a fun experience! And I know that the next time I tell them we’ll be using the story stones after an adventure, they’ll go out of their way to remember even more.

Other ways to use story stones

The brilliance of story stones is that you can use them in so many amazing ways. They provide endless possibilities for writing and storytelling and can be used as a prompt to create and inspire all kinds of stories or retell adventures!

Storytelling – Storytelling is an important skill for kids to learn. It encourages creativity, helps sharpen memory, and improves communication and listening skills in young children. Storytelling with stones can be done as an independent activity, with a classroom of children or sitting around the dinner table as a family.

Have everyone sit in a circle and pass around a basket filled with story stones. The first person draws a stone and starts the story centered around that graphic. When that person is ready to pass the story on, the next person/child picks a stone and uses the image to inspire a new line in the story. Children love this activity. It encourages creativity, public speaking and it helps build community! Plus, the smooth surface of the stone will calm any anxious storyteller.

Want more story stone ideas? Tara has a whole blog post dedicated to other ways kids can use story stones: 4 Ways to Use Story Stones in the Classroom

Alphabet & Beginning Sound bundle

We also had the chance to try out the Alphabet & Beginning Sound bundle from Little Pine Learners. This bundle is only $8.00 and comes with 4 awesome activities for kids, which includes:

(1) Hands-On Learning: Alphabet and Beginning Sound Center;
(2) Playful Learning: Alphabet and Beginning Sounds;
(3) Sensory Tray Writing Prompts: Alphabet and Beginning Sounds; and
(4) Say It, Find It, Make It, Write It with Letter Cards and Beginning Sound Stone Graphics.

Combined, these are four great ways to teach preschoolers about letters, sounds and words, using a variety of techniques.

This entire package was a big hit with my 3 year-old, who is obsessed with beginning sounds and matching. Her favorite was the Hands-On Learning center. For this activity, I let her choose a letter and handed her the corresponding printable. We went around the list of objects and she had to decide if the object started with that letter. She’d sound out the word and if it did, she’d cover the picture up with a shell, bead or pom.

She was surprisingly good at determining what the object was and what letter it started with. She got through the entire alphabet without stopping! I had no idea she had that much persistence.

We’re still making our way through the rest of the activities in this packet. There are a ton! It should definitely last us all summer.

About Tara 

Hello! I am Tara and I live in Wisconsin with my husband and two children. Our boys are two and five years old, so we have a very busy household at the moment!  My husband stays at home with our boys and I am a second-grade public school teacher. My boys and husband stay busy taking care of our yard and home while I’m teaching. I love coming home at the end of the day and doing an activity with my boys. They usually ask me what I have planned right when I walk through the door! I love going on nature walks with my boys. This is when I get the most inspiration for new activities and it’s such a joy to watch them explore nature! My oldest will be going to kindergarten this school year so that will be a big transition for us!

I have a Bachelors and Masters in Early Childhood Education. I’d love to get some sort of nature certification sometime down the road in the future. Education is so important to me and I consider myself a lifelong learner. I am constantly reading literature to stay current on the research in my profession and interests.

About Little Pine Learners

Once I had my boys, I quickly realized how important it is for children to spend time outdoors. When we were outside, I noticed that the fighting and whining stopped and they seemed more content and happy. I also noticed that I felt calmer and more relaxed in an outdoor setting so I started doing some research on the benefits of spending more time in nature. After a while, I began to want to inspire other families to get outside more through fun nature crafts and other outdoorsy learning activities, so Little Pine Learners was born!

Importance of outdoor education

The intellectual, emotional, social, and physical benefits of exposure to nature have been well documented. Spending time in nature gives children the opportunity to think creatively, problem solve, regulate stress, resolve conflict, learn through play, and so much more! Along with these learning opportunities, early experiences with nature often leave lasting memories that children carry with them for a lifetime.

Getting outside

For most parents, I think the weather is the biggest obstacle to getting kids outside. It’s easy to get outdoors on a nice day, but rough weather always presents extra challenges. It’s important to invest in some dependable kids’ outdoor gear and have it available in an easily accessible spot. Some of our best days of exploring were in the rain when my boys were wearing their Oakiwear rain suits!

If you can’t get out, reading nature-inspired picture books is a great indoor way to connect with nature. This is an everyday activity in our home. Children will read books over and over again and can inspire a sense of adventure and a love of the great outdoors! We have a large collection of books and reading outdoors has become one of our favorite activities.

If you need ideas for things to do outdoors, check online. I love the community of nature-loving mamas and teachers that I have found on Instagram! When I first started my account on Instagram, I had no idea that this movement existed and then slowly I found inspiring accounts and started searching through different hashtags. I do read blogs and check out Pinterest and Facebook, but Instagram is my favorite spot for inspiration!

Giveaway!

As a little added bonus (and a thank you for being here), I’m giving away 10 sets of story stone printables from Little Pine Learners to 10 of you wonderful readers. All you have to do is subscribe to our newsletter and leave a comment below saying you did so! Good luck! I’ll email the winners in a week!

In the meantime, make sure you check out the Little Pine Learners website and the online store, full of fun activities and printables for kids of all ages.

The post Friday Favorites: Little Pine Learners appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.

I absolutely adore Tara’s clever ideas and find her passion for outdoor learning inspiring! I’m honored to have her here sharing this awesome winter words scavenger hunt that you can easily do with your kids at home this winter, no matter what the weather. I hope she’ll be back soon to share more educational activities with us, but in the meantime, if you need some additional inspiration or ideas for other outdoor learning activities, be sure to check out her shop, blog and social media sites (listed below).

Take Learning Outdoors

As parents, it can sometimes be difficult to think of new, fun and engaging ways to support our children’s learning at home. Many of us have some not-so-fond memories of sitting at the kitchen tables doing homework, while we longingly stared outside. Learning is often associated with being inside and boring, while being outside is fun and adventurous. But it doesn’t have to be one or the other. What if I told you that it’s possible to meet the academic needs and interests of our children, while spending quality time outdoors having fun?

That’s what we’re all about! Taking educational activities outside is a great way to make learning fun and make outdoor time educational.  The winter word search activity that I am going to share with you today offers a fun and hands-on way for children to learn basic seasonal vocabulary words and expand their knowledge of the seasonal differences in the natural world.

Benefits of learning outdoors

First of all, there are incredible benefits of taking children outdoors to learn. Learning outdoors is active and increases students’ physical, mental and social health. Outdoor education and play support emotional, behavioral and intellectual development. Most children learn better by using their senses, and outdoor environments provide wonderful hands-on experiences in nature. Outdoor environments also naturally inspire children to be more physically active, which decreases stress and anxiety, helps elevate mood, and helps with emotion.

Many experts have documented that when children are allowed time outside, they are given the opportunity to:

• connect with nature;
• burn off extra energy;
• develop leadership skills;
• increase attention span;
• develop muscle strength;
• increase problem solving skills;
• increase creative thinking;
• decrease hyperactivity; and
• develop empathy.

Winter words scavenger hunt

There are so many wonderful ways to incorporate academics into an outdoor setting. From writing with natural objects to telling nature stories with sticks and stones, I have so much fun coming up with new and creative ways to teach my kids while outdoors. Whether indoors or outdoors, my boys love to search for objects and be challenged with a finding game. I thought it would be fun to incorporate their love for seeking with a way to learn about the winter season and words associated with this time of year.

For this winter words scavenger hunt, I hide clothespins labeled with winter words in our backyard. I included objects that are easy to find during winter, like sticks and rocks. I also included words associated with wintertime, like snow and icicle. My older son collected the clothespins and colored the pictures on his recording sheet as he found each one (fine motor skills). He had so much fun searching high and low and running around looking for the words. A couple of clothespins were difficult for him to grab due to the uneven landscape and slippery snow, so he had to really focus and problem solve on how to collect them (problem-solving skills). We also discussed the words and used them in a sentence as he found them (textual usage and vocabulary).

Expand the learning

After he located all of the clothespins, we searched for the real objects in nature. We were lucky enough to find nine out of ten words! Learning in the outdoor environment gave us the direct experience of interacting with nature, so we were also able to describe the objects that we found in detail. For example, we decided the icicles were “cold” and “sharp.” The animal tracks we found were “deep” and “little.” He posed many questions as we were looking at the objects, which I recorded for us to research at a later time. We finished our outdoor activity by writing a story that included some of his new vocabulary words. It is so interesting to hear the stories this little guy comes up with. They are too cute and always loaded with information.

How can I try it at home?

This exercise is great because you can try it out during all four seasons. Plus, there are so many various ways to incorporate learning into the activity. If you want to try it out for yourself, it’s easy to create. All you need is a few printed pictures of natural items that you can find during winter in your area, some clothespins and a clipboard. If you like our list, you can find a digital download of the printable materials HERE (winter) and a bundle with all four seasons HERE.

I hope you and you little nature lover give this activity a try and enjoy it as much as we do!

Tara Rondinelli is an early childhood educator and nature schooling momma of two young boys. She is a blogger and creator of nature inspired resources for classroom, homeschool, and outdoor educators. She lives in Wisconsin and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Alverno College and a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction (ECE) from University Wisconsin- Milwaukee. You can find her and Little Pine Learners at any of the online locations below.

Teachers Pay Teachers Store – Little Pine Learners
Instagram: @LittlePineLearners
Facebook: Little Pine Learners

Photo credit: Little x Little Photography

The post Outdoor Learning: Winter Words Scavenger Hunt appeared first on RUN WILD MY CHILD.