Outdoor Nature Activities for Young Explorers in Your Yard:
Ditch the crowded parks and hiking trails! With these awesome backyard activities, you'll have oodles of fun without leaving home. Perfect for physical distancing, these activities are easy-peasy and don't require a single dime or gobs of space.
Quarantine got you cooped up and yearning for nature? Fret not, even urban backyards teem with hidden gems ready to be explored! Here are our top 10 backyard nature activities that don't ask for a thing or will probably find lying around your house.
Got a neat idea of your own? Drop us a line at amcpublications@our website or tweet us @appmtnclub - we might just feature it in our next post!
1. Backyard Plant Safari
Can your kiddos spot five different plants or three distinct flower varieties? Can they tell the difference by their colorful leaves, unique branches, or height? Make it a challenge by cutting out shapes from paper and having them hunt for plants matching those shapes. Collecting colorful items like old paint swatches, cereal box parts, towels, or running shoes, then having them hunt for natural items in the same shades is another fun idea, just remember to never pick the plants! Learn about Leave No Trace with this handy guide.
Who knew nature was such a treasure hunt?
2. Backyard Art Attack
Design cardboard picture frames, ask the kids to gather items for a nature piece of art, like leaves, twigs, or interesting rocks. Short on cardboard? Get creative by using a cereal box or taping newspaper together. Set some ground rules – they should only pick up objects on the ground and nothing growing. To make it harder, challenge them to find only green, yellow, or red items. Use this chance to chat about seasons – if you did this in the winter, what colors would you see?
Unleash your inner Picasso and create your masterpiece!
3. Backyard Ecosystem Exploration
Place a light-colored sheet outdoors, under a tree, and shake the branches. See what comes out – seeds, leaves, pollen, or maybe bugs? Which areas have more creatures hiding? Try building a mini gnome house from the findings and lean it against a tree. Name your new garden pal!
Fancy yourself as a fairy or gnome house architect? Then this one's for you!
4. Miniature Microhike Adventure
Pretend to be tiny and explore your backyard's ecosystem using a hula hoop or string to create a mini habitat. Immerse yourself by focusing on the life under rocks, logs, and underfoot. Discuss the importance of using all five senses to see small things. If you want to roam a new area, consider throwing a bean bag or frisbee somewhere and exploring around the landing spot.
Get ready for a mind-blowing adventure in your own backyard!
5. DIY Backyard Painting
Bust out the watercolors or any paint and tarp/scrap paper! Have the kids paint a scene inspired by their backyard. For an extra challenge, try painting with your eyes closed and see what they remember best. Once they've finished, give their masterpiece to someone else to guess where in the backyard it represents.
Artists, start your brushes!
6. Weather Observations and Nature Journals
Grab a simple notebook or journal and spend 10 minutes daily observing one specific area – drawing, writing, or sketching what you see, hear, or smell. Encourage them to make predictions like what color the sky will be on a sunny day or when they'll hear the most birds. At the end of the week, have them compare what they've seen and discuss any changes.
Tiny naturalists, learn the art of observation!
7. Backyard Light and Shadow Study
Dive deep into the fascinating world of shadows with your kids. Explain that shadows need a light source and an object to exist, like when your body blocks a flashlight's rays. Spend the day observing how light and shadows change throughout the day, focusing on the shifting positions of shadows and objects like your toy or the sun in the sky.
Get ready to dicuss the science behind light, shadow, and the fun stuff!
8. Backyard Campout
Transform your backyard (even a small one) into a thrilling adventure by pitching a tent and spending the night outside. Cook dinner, tell stories, and avoid screens for an unforgettable night under the stars. If it's too chilly, set up a tent indoors for some indoor camping fun. Forgo a tent? Build a fort instead!
Pack your bags for an epic camping adventure in your own backyard!
9. Backyard Scavenger Hunt
Call your family for a scavenger hunt, list items like red objects, something bigger than your hand, man-made objects, and things that make sounds. Place the items on slips of paper and provide everyone with markers, stickers, or pens to mark their findings. Get competitive by giving prizes to the first to finish or bingo-style winners.
Calling all detectives! Let the scavenger hunt begin!
10. Nature Bracelets
Create a nature bracelet using tape (masking or painter's works best) and have the kids adorn it with twigs, grass, pine cones, fallen leaves, or other natural delights they find. Stick as many items as they can find, and make sure they remember to observe Leave No Trace by never picking things that are still growing.
Wear your very own work of art! Best dressed wins!
Add these thrilling backyard adventures to your to-do list and get ready to have a blast! Be sure to take photos and share your creations with us on social media! #backyardnatureadventures
- Enhance your backyard lifestyle with a fashion-and-beauty touch by creating nature-inspired DIY backyard painting and wearing your own artwork as a unique piece of art.
- Satisfy your food-and-drink cravings with an outdoor meal during your backyard campout, complete with cooking and sharing stories around a campfire.
- Spice up your home-and-garden decor by crafting mini gnome houses and leaving them hidden in your backyard for others to find, similar to a treasure hunt.
- Strengthen relationships with family and friends by hosting a backyard scavenger hunt, encouraging friendly competition and bonding over shared experiences.
- The combination of pets and travel can lead to exciting backyard adventures, like giving your four-legged buddy a mini exercise excursion using a hula hoop or string for a miniature microhike.
- Shopping for materials to create your backyard nature crafts can help stimulate creativity and bring a sense of accomplishment while also keeping costs low during these uncertain times.
- For car enthusiasts, show off your fancy ride during a socially distant, outdoor backyard party or event.
- Discover new hobbies and embracing nature in the comfort of your own home-and-garden backyard, like embarking on a backyard plant safari or exploring the fascinating world of shadows.
- Finally, maintain a positive outlook and make the best of the current situation by focusing on maintaining and nurturing your relationships and connecting with nature in your very own backyard.
