Nature 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.

Fairy Nature Soup- Fairy and Elf Activities #10 for Boys and Girls

Fairies, elves, gnomes, sprites, pixies, leprechauns, and other mythical creatures all live in the heart of nature, so they love fairy nature soup. Let’s make some. The recipe for fairy nature soup is simple. It starts with something to make the soup in like a bowl, pail, or pot. If there isn’t one available, no … Continue reading Fairy Nature Soup- Fairy and Elf Activities #10 for Boys and Girls

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

Fairy and Elf Activities #4 for Boys and Girls: Fairy and Elf Gardens

Today is also World Environmental Awareness Day, so it’s great timing for making fairy and elf gardens; either one is fun for both boys and girls. What can be more magical than a garden? It grows in the dark from small hard things called seeds. Tiny little sprouts pop out of the ground. Although we … Continue reading Fairy and Elf Activities #4 for Boys and Girls: Fairy and Elf Gardens

Fairy and Elf Activities #3 for Boys and Girls: Looking for Fairies in Nature

Looking for fairies is a favorite outside activity of both boys and girls. Who wouldn’t love discovering the imaginary world hiding in the real one? Once kids are dressed for the weather, they only need to tuck imagination into their pockets and they can head out to look for fairies, elves, and other creatures. Is … Continue reading Fairy and Elf Activities #3 for Boys and Girls: Looking for Fairies in Nature

Mayhem and Messy Play #13: Kids Gardening Messy Play

Sunny weekends at this time are an invitation to get outside that can’t be resisted plus it’s time for some kids gardening messy play and sensory fun. Mom Ursula M recently posted a photo and a comment about gardening with kids. She said after spending some time showing her son about planting, Lucca“had dirt from … Continue reading Mayhem and Messy Play #13: Kids Gardening Messy Play

Outdoor Classroom Day – Kids Need to Play and Learn Outdoors

Today is Outdoor Classroom Day all around the world because kids need to play and learn outdoors! Over one million children, in more than 52 countries, and almost 10,000 schools are involved so far. But they don’t have to be in school to have fun outside. You can do this at home or at a … Continue reading Outdoor Classroom Day – Kids Need to Play and Learn Outdoors