Enjoy some outdoor fun with your little one. There is nothing like viewing the world through the eyes of a child! Here are some super ideas to spend some quality time with your little guy or gal and teach them about the wonderful world around them. You don’t have to travel far…. you can go to your own backyard!! You’ll have so much fun watching their reaction to the simplest things that we tend to take for granted.

1) Nature Bracelets: Put a large piece of Scotch tape or a piece of masking tape on your little ones wrist. Make sure the sticky side faces out. Go for a nature walk and collect flowers, clovers, and leaves and stick them on the bracelet. Your child will have a ball and not to mention a beautiful bracelet to wear the rest of the day!

2)Shadow Fun: Go outside and put on some funky music and have a dance party with your shadow. It’s also a great way to show how the Earth moves in a day. Just stand in the same spot intermittently throughout the day and trace your shadow each time.

3) Photo Documentary: All you need is a sunny day, a phone or camera and a little hand to hold. Go for a walk and take pictures of signs of nature in and around your neighborhood or better yet a nearby park. Have fun reviewing your pictures of nature with your child. You can make a slide show or print out your pics and make a book of your discoveries!

4)Construction Paper Sun prints: Purchase a pack of construction paper for this craft. The cheaper the better, because the color will fade faster! Dollar store construction paper is best. Go for a walk and collect flowers, leaves and any other items you would like to duplicate. Sometimes household items are fun too! (buttons, scissors, favorite toys). Place the items on your paper and leave in the sun for a few hours and voila! A masterpiece!

5) Make a Pine Cone Bird Feeder: What you’ll need: 1) a large, open pine cone, 2) vegetable shortening, lard, or suet, 3) oats or corn meal, 4) bird seed, 5) a few feet of string. Tie a few feet of string to a pine cone. Cover the pine cone with the food mixture. Roll the pinecone in birdseed and then suspend it from a tree branch outside. Food mixture: Mix 1/2 cup Vegetable shortening, lard or suet with 2 1/2 cups cornmeal or uncooked oats until well blended. Optional: add dried fruit (chopped up), chopped nuts, seeds (especially sunflower and millet), and/or suet, which are high-energy bird foods. Hang it in the backyard or outside a window and enjoy seeing all the birds stop by!

6 ) Nature Color Wheel: Cut a circle out of poster board or paper and label the colors of the rainbow with a blank circle. Have fun going on a treasure hunt to find beautiful colors in your own backyard. You and your child will love the finished product!!!

Enjoy the season and these precious moments with your little ones! They grow so fast!