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Children need the opportunity to play and explore nature freely. At these early stages of youth development, being able to experience nature increases critical thinking, autonomy, empathy for others and nature, and reduces stress.
Children often mirror the activities and behaviors of others. Parents can join in the fun to expand children's adventures!
Need some conversation starters? Talk with your child(ren) about species life cycles, their habitats, and environmentally-friendly behaviors such as recycling. Discuss the importance of turning off the lights when you leave a room, or why we turn the water off while brushing our teeth. All of these conversations will help increase positive behaviors that take care of our environment.
Below you will find 4 clickable categories of free activities (citizen science, active, mindful, and digital) to help create fun nature-themed endeavors.
Citizen Science
Citizen Science
(click here for activities)
(click here for activities)
Be part of the process by helping scientists collect data:
Be part of the process by helping scientists collect data:
- Join the Bumble Bee Watch by documenting any sighting of bees in your neighborhood. Have fun learning the different types of bees and discuss their importance in the world with your little ones.
- Ladybugs are dwindling! Help find and share pictures of ladybugs in your neighborhood on the Lost Ladybug Project website.
Help track pollution in your neighborhood. As your family goes for an adventure hike, take trash bags and collect litter as you walk. Record your litter sightings on the debris tracker.
Active
Active
(click here for activities)
(click here for activities)
Go outside, explore, and do something fun with one of these activities:
Go outside, explore, and do something fun with one of these activities:
Take a trip to a local farm to pick your own food! Search for areas specific to your region, or use this website to help you start your search: U-Pick Farm Locator.
Access guided outdoor and creative play through the interactive app Caper.
Go on a Family Plant Scavenger Hunt.
Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens helps bring fun and educational activities right to your own home with their Nature Play Calendar.
Join the World's largest scavenger hunt with the Geocaching app! Geocaching takes you to places you never knew existed, even in your own neighborhood. It's a great activity for any age.
Mindful
Mindful
(click here for activities)
(click here for activities)
Take a look inward as you explore nature:
Take a look inward as you explore nature:
Get outside and make your neighborhood a better place to be... by cleaning it up! Grab a plastic bag and some gloves and pick up some trash!
Make your own art project with eco-friendly art materials like sticks, leaves, flowers, etc. Stuck on a design? Look here for some inspiration! The kinderART site is also a great place to start.
Get your engineering hat on...as you build a birdhouse! Want to step up your game? Build an insect hotel!
Digital
Digital
(click here for activities)
(click here for activities)
Can't venture outside? Try one of these digital opportunities to join the fun:
Can't venture outside? Try one of these digital opportunities to join the fun:
Help collect data on penguins from home. Visit the Penguin Watch, and as your family watches the time-lapsed videos from Antarctica, record and upload your data. As you collect data, watch how penguins interact and learn more about these awesome creatures together.
Sign your child(ren) up for a virtual field trip adventure to the San Diego zoo. A guided lesson with live stream videos of animals at the zoo will be sent via an email link for you and your child(ren) to explore.
Play Zoo Guardians on your device to learn about how to take care of zoo animals and how to save their species!
Top Background Photo Courtesy of R. Arbor
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