Take Me Outside Resource Newsletter

Dear Educators, Parents, Caregivers and Students,

We hope you are keeping well during these challenging times, adjusting and adapting to the changing circumstances and finding creative ways to keep yourself and your families well in body, mind and spirit. While it’s probably more important than ever to be reaping the benefits that fresh air, exercise and nature time provide, it’s not as simple as just stepping outside these days, depending on where you live and the circumstances in your family. Heading into your backyard, taking a walk or visiting a park may simply not be an option.

We want to support all of you through these uncertain times by offering suggestions and supports that you can do regardless of your circumstances. We know that if you’re living in an apartment building or perhaps are a family that is self-quarantining, getting yourself and or your family outside may be a stretch right now, while for others, backyards and even lesser used trails may be easily accessed. We’ve been grappling with our own restrictions of course and have been keeping an eye out for and trialing resources that can help us through some very long days at home.

Fortunately, there is no end of ideas, suggestions and resources out there so we’ve compiled a few we found to be very helpful regarding outside time, as well as including some tried and tested activities that you can do outdoors or in if going outside is not an option. We’ll also be posting more resources on our webpage soon, which you can find at takemeoutside.ca/resources)

Please feel free to share any of these with your own networks, especially parents of the students you teach. And if you have your own experiences you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you.

Wishing you all the very best in the days and weeks ahead.

YourTake Me Outside Team

ARTICLES

Should I go outside in the COVID-19 era?

This article prepared by Outdoor Play Canada is a useful summary for the Canadian context addressing questions many of us have in the era of heading out with restrictions.

How to bring the outdoors in when you’re stuck inside

For those who may have limited to no option for getting outside but who still want to receive some of nature’s benefits, this article provides some useful tips and reminders.

How to practice social distancing with kids in tow

If you are able to get out and have access to public green spaces, then adjust your timing to avoid high traffic times, keep your distance and avoid surfaces that are easily contaminated as outlined in this article.

ACTIVITIES

Non-digital, creative activities to keep children (& adults) busy during this mostly-indoor time.

World-watching window

Looking out on the world, especially with a view of nature can help take you away from your inward-facing world, which may feel very small and crowded (by family) these days. Studies have shown that views of nature (i.e. green spaces) have positive health benefits. So make sure you have some window time each and every day if you’re stuck inside. At this window you can do any number of things, as we suggest below.

DIY binoculars

Make toilet paper roll binoculars (or use paper towel rolls cut in half in this era of toilet paper panic buying) to add a new dimension to your outdoor viewing time. This is a fun, simple craft that can be a starting point for bird watching and other nature observations or could be used to kick-start some story-telling about the things being viewed outside.

Eye spy Spring with my little eye

Brain storm a list of things that indicate spring’s arrival in your area. Then go in the yard, on the balcony or from a window (ideally you can open it on a nice day to enjoy some fresh air) and play the eye spy game with those signs. You could also begin by simply trying to spot as many signs of spring as possible and then in time you could play eye Spy. And don’t just to stick just with colors, you can spy something with wings or something growing low to the ground, something wet, or sticky or stinky to change it up. Use your DIY binocs to get a better view!

Plant some seeds…

… and start a little garden. It’s a great time of year to watch life emerge from the soil. You can try planting the seeds from whole fresh fruit and vegetables in your kitchen or from dried beans and seeds like sunflower seeds. You only need a small amount of soil in a container and a light source, ideally through a window. And water of course. Watching a plant emerge from a seed is magical, simple and new life can bring hope and excitement.

Adopt a Tree

Whether you are able to get outside or simply look outside from a window or balcony, you can take part in this activity. Pick a tree (or other plant) that you have a good view of and watch how it changes and grows over the coming days, weeks and months. Watching trees grow at other times of the year can be like watching paint dry, but at this time change comes about quickly and taking notice of small details are good skills to hone in most people. Start a tree/nature journal and take notes on your tree or draw pictures over time to document changes. When do the leaves emerge, who (i.e. which animals) spends time in the tree or makes it their home? With this activity you can encourage journaling, scientific observation, attention to detail, art, writing, etc.

Animal Forms

Think of animals in nature and how they move, then mimic their movement (and sound if you’re up for a potential cacophony!). You could brain storm a list of animals and place them in a hat and family members have to walk a pre-arranged route around the house as the animal they pull. Or get ideas and inspiration here. If you think this is just kids’ stuff, you’ll be surprised to learn that many athletes use animal movement for strength, conditioning and overall movement coordination. Give it a try! You’ll have a good laugh in the process.

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