nature play activities

October Play and Learn Activities for Kids – A Month of Fun

October play and learn activities for kids are some of my favorite during the year. It’s such an exciting month and the season of fall is full of golden treasures, as well as other bright colors too. Nature seems to invite us outdoors to enjoy the sun as much as we can since the days are getting shorter and shorter. Play, of course, has it’s own magic but we’ll try and do some of our own too with cooking and science. As for learning, there’s sequencing, making patterns, following instructions, counting, sharing books and stories, singing, and more. Print off this calendar below and enjoy these October plays-of-the-day!

October play and learn activities

 

Summertime Activities for Young Kids – Inside AND Outside

Summertime, and the livin’ is outside. Well, we try and get kids outside so here is a whole month’s calendar of fun and learning summertime activities for kids including lots of ideas for outside!

Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods and Vitamin N, reminds us in this video about the connection between kids and nature:

So enjoy this calendar of play activities. If some play isn’t convenient for your family, change the fun and go for something else. Let the ideas inspire ones of your own. But most of all,  come and PLAY!

July play activities for kids

Simple Summer Nature Fun for Kids – Let’s Celebrate Summer!

Summertime and the livin’ is …outdoors, I hope, especially because kids need nature time! Let’s head outside for some simple summer nature fun today. Wherever your family lives, dress for the weather, be it boots and umbrellas or hats and sunscreen.

simple summer nature fun

1. One of the simplest outdoor nature activities is to check the weather. Open the door and go outside. Look up at the sky and down at the ground for clues. Feel the air with your body. As you put out your hand, say hello to nature and wave.

simple summer nature fun

2. A walk around the block can be an adventure quest. What’s there to see? Sometimes, nature hides in hidden pockets in city spaces, but somewhere there will be grass, trees, and flowers. Ants might be crossing the sidewalk. Turn over a rock to see if there are any bugs and crawlie creatures. Besides eyes, use hears to listen for nature too.

connecting to nature picnic3. Time in nature is food for the mind and the soul. Pack some food for the body and go for a picnic outside.

kids nature collections4. A nature collection is one way to bring nature home. Some things to collect could be rocks, shells, sticks, and plants. This is a photo of a young boy who lives near the ocean and finds bones!

blanket forts outside5. Make a blanket fort outside. Since this is the longest day of the year, it’s also the shortest night. How soon is the sun up where you live?

simple summer nature fun

Backyards and parks are giant trunks with nature gems and other treasures for some simple summer nature fun. And the key? Just some T.I.M.E.

Have you heard the saying ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’? According to writer and researcher, Jackie W,.”it may also be worth a thousand vitamins, especially if the picture is a photograph of a beautiful, old-growth forest. In addition to healing faster, natural views improve your body’s ability to ward off colds and viruses. (13 Reasons That Prove Viewing Nature Scenes Can Improve Your Health)

If just seeing pictures of nature has a positive impact on all aspects of health, how many more vitamins is actually spending time in nature? Richard Louv, who first wrote about nature-deficit disorder in children, calls nature Vitamin N. In his book, Vitamin N: The Essential Guide to a Nature Rich Life, Louv reminds us kids need regular doses of this vitamin. Daily ones, preferably. Did you know that kids are now spending less time outdoors than prison inmates? Even prisoners think that is a depressing statistic.

Spending time outdoors can be spontaneous or planned, and best of all, easy and simple. What will you do for some simple summer nature fun?

Play ideas are shared everyday on the 123kindergarten blog.

kids water play

World Oceans Day Inspires Kids’ Water Play – Ways to Play

Not all young, preschool children will have had to play at the ocean, but they love water, so how about kids’ water play to celebrate World Oceans Day? The aim and intention of World Oceans Day is to raise awareness of the role of oceans on the health of the entire planet. Oceans impact our … Continue reading World Oceans Day Inspires Kids’ Water Play – Ways to Play

February Friendship #3: Kids Can Be Friends with Nature

February is friendship month and kids can be friends with nature. When we think about it, a connection to nature supports us for an entire life-time. This weekend, in our area, we got to experience both positive and negative aspects to nature. Snow started early Friday and hasn’t really quit now for 4 days. The … Continue reading February Friendship #3: Kids Can Be Friends with Nature

New Year’s Resolution Word W= Wild: 16 Ways Kids Go Wild For Nature

As a new year’s resolution, spending more time in nature benefits us all, kids and adults. Could you use some ideas on ways kids go wild for nature? 1. Go for a Run, Walk, or Hike. This is the simplest to do anytime. It could be a park or even just the neighborhood. Urban areas … Continue reading New Year’s Resolution Word W= Wild: 16 Ways Kids Go Wild For Nature

Fall Nature Treasure Hunt – Golden Moments of Time

Fall has its own special treasures and a fall nature treasure hunt comes with some we don’t see, like a connection to nature and golden feel-good moments. On a scavenger hunt, there is usually a list of things to find. These could be specific items like pine cones and seeds, or things to go with … Continue reading Fall Nature Treasure Hunt – Golden Moments of Time

Before I Go to Kindergarten #4: Time in Nature for Young Children

Time in nature for young children will impact their days at home and at school or daycare. So much so that our kids need some outside time every day. For most of human history, we have had far more time outside than we do now. This divorce from nature has really happened in just one … Continue reading Before I Go to Kindergarten #4: Time in Nature for Young Children

Bubble Activities #11:  Chasing Bubbles Nature Time

In only one generation, children have been separated from Nature. For a simple but magical activity, kids can have some chasing bubbles nature time. Part of the fun of blowing bubbles is then chasing and trying to catch them. Outside, in a backyard or park, kids will also catch nature. On a calm day, the … Continue reading Bubble Activities #11:  Chasing Bubbles Nature Time