The MomSpeak

When was the last time you stopped and took some time to smell the roses? Your preschooler probably does it all the time. Give young children the opportunity and they will sniff every flower, turn over every rock, and inspect every leaf they can find. It can take them 15 minutes to traverse a single city block!

Children are extremely curious about their surroundings and genuinely excited about all things nature. And the park, your backyard, or a walk down the block are great ways to spend some time with your family without spending a lot of money. 

The next time you take a stroll outdoors, turn your trip into a little adventure. Gather some acorns or walnut shells, and when you get home, turn them into teeny boats that can actually float! Or if your child is more interested in an art project, collect leaves of different shapes and sizes on your walk. When you return home, you and your child can use those leaves to create a beautiful work of art.

There are many inexpensive ways to explore the great outdoors and bring back little treasures for your home. Here are some of Savvy’s very best:

Leaves, Acorns, and Rocks, Oh My! Building a Nature Collection
Activity for 2-6 year olds
Children love to collect various items on an outdoor walk. Next time you go on a walk with your child, bring a bag with you. As your child collects leaves, acorns, and rocks, put them into your bag. When you arrive home, you and your child can sort and count the different outdoor “souvenirs.” To begin a nature collection, give each different type of thing its own jar or bowl that your child can add to on future walks.

 

Materials Needed: Plastic bag, clear glass jars or small bowls, nature!

 

Leaf Impressions
Activity for 2-5 year olds
Next time you’re out walking with your kids, collect leaves of different shapes and sizes. After you get home, help your child to place leaves between 2 sheets of tracing paper; then paper clip or tape the papers together. To create the leaf impression, let your child rub an unwrapped crayon over the paper. Once finished, disassemble the papers and discard the leaves. You now have a beautiful work of art to hang on the fridge!

 

Materials Needed: Leaves, tracing paper, crayons

 

Nature Book
Activity for 2-6 year olds
Go on a nature walk with your preschooler. While on your walk, collect leaves, stones, flowers, and bark. Let your child pick up different objects that represent the nature in your area. Put one of each nature item in a quart-size Ziploc bag and seal. Label each bag with a Sharpie (e.g. “Yellow flower”). Tape the bottom side of all 4 bags together with colored painters tape. Now you have a book where you and your child can read and “open” or unzip the pages. Not only will you build your child’s vocabulary and reading skills, but you can also learn about all the different trees and flowers in your neighborhood.

 

Materials Needed: Ziploc bags, Sharpie, painter’s tape

 

Nature Silhouettes
Activity for 2-6 year olds
This activity combines the challenge of a nature hunt with the satisfaction of a simple painting project. Help your child to search the yard or park for an interesting stick, flower, leaf, or rock. Once you arrive home, place your child’s treasure on a piece of white paper (thick paper will work best). Dip a small- or medium-sized brush in the paint of your choice and let your child flick the paint onto the paper. Try not to bump the paper because it might move your nature find. In fact, you may want to use a small piece of tape to keep items in place that might blow away. After flicking the paint–you can use one color or multiple colors–let your child lift off the leaf or flower to reveal the silhouette it has made by blocking the paint from the paper.

 

Materials Needed: Leaves, sticks, flowers or interesting rocks; white craft paper; paint (regular, non-toxic children’s paint or watercolor) and brushes, scotch tape (optional)

 

Leaf Collage
Activity for 3-5 year olds
Create a collage of leaves to hang in the window. Cut two sheets of clear contact paper to desired size (a square 8′ is good). Peel back paper to reveal sticky side of one sheet, and stick on leaves, moss, etc. of various sizes and colors. Then peel and place other sheet of contact paper over it, and you have a collage you can hang in a window. Also works with cut paper pieces if leaves aren’t readily available.

 

Materials Needed: Clear contact paper, leaves (or colored paper), kid scissors (for cutting contact paper, and for cutting colored paper if you choose to use it)

 

Tiny Ships
Activity for 3-6 year olds
Using acorn tops or walnut shells, children can create boats that actually float! Take the clean, halved shell and place a small amount of clay in the bottom. Stick a toothpick in the clay. Cut a small square-shaped sail out of paper, put this sail on the toothpick by poking it through the toothpick. Put it in the water and watch it float.

 

Materials Needed: Walnut shell or acorn top, toothpick, paper, clay

 

Bug Catcher Jar
Activity for 2-6 year olds
Help your child make a bug-catching jar for your next walk or park outing. Begin by cleaning an empty plastic peanut butter jar. Soak the jar in water to remove the label. Then, cut a few holes in the lid with a knife or utility scissors. You can then let your child write his or her name on the outside with a permanent marker–or scribble a few designs, if he or she’s not writing yet. Grab your bug catcher, and head outside to see what you can find!

 

Materials Needed:  Clean, empty peanut butter jar, scissors, permanent marker

 

Nature Scavenger Hunt
Activity for 2-6 year olds
You won’t need to disturb the neighbors with a nature scavenger hunt you can do right in your own backyard. For even more fun, head to your local park or botanical garden. See if your child can find the following: smooth rock, bumpy rock, green leaf, leaf with bug holes, “needle” leaf, insect, flower, broken branches, animal footprints, bird nest, ant hill, feather, water, and a bird. Look up, down, and all around, and take the time to point out interesting discoveries