Monday Musings – 5 Fun ways to enjoy nature

It’s a great time of year to get outdoors and enjoy nature with the kids. I’m always on the lookout for something for the boys to do. I stumbled upon a park with nice trails and aesthetic surroundings. Actually I visited a park for a writer’s meet up.

The visitor center where we met was cozy with its’ wooden floors and rustic appeal. As nature would have it, I was greeted with a warm welcome. I was sitting alone in one of the open rooms waiting for the meeting to begin when saw my greeter from the corner of my eye.

A chipmunk had enter the room from outside. I think he entered through the wall. Being the city girl that I am, I nearly jumped from my seat. My first thought was that it was that it was a mouse. As I glanced out a window to see where the chipmunk came from, I saw another one just like him positioned near the window.

I didn’t wait for Alvin, Simon and Theodore to all converge on me. I jumped from my seat and went to join the couple of other people who were gathered in the meeting room. Having said all of that, I want my boys to be comfortable with nature, not jumpy like I am.

If you have been wanting to introduce your child to nature, Parents Magazine has several tips to get you started.

1.      Bird Watching – you can take your child bird watching at a park or in your own neighborhood. Take a pair of binoculars on your next walk. Have your child survey bushes, trees, and grass for our feathered friends. Be sure to observe a birds color, size and behavior. Complete your outing with a craft – make a bird feeder, set up a bird bath or create a nest box.

2.      Nature Scavenger Hunt – create a list of items for your child to search for. You could include pine cones, acorns and bird feathers to name a few.

3.      Catch a Critter – along with your scavenger hunt, you could go on a bug hunt. Catch a bug, place it in a plastic jar along with a twig and a few leaves.

4.      Plant a garden – let your child plant flowers, vegetables or herbs.

5.      Celebrate the sunrise and sunset – listen to bird calls in the early morning and enjoy the multi-color of the sky at sunset and listen to nocturnal creatures.

For the complete list of fun ways to enjoy nature click here. What would you add to the list?