Using your " I's " outside

3 Ways to Enhance Outdoor Time

Investigate, Interact, Imagine

Investigate: Look at things often overlooked. Ask questions about the environment then seek answers. Spend time observing plants and trees over time, or bugs in their natural habitats. Let children experiment with what water does to sand and how the wind blows maple leaf pods. Ask "What are you experiencing with (each of your senses)?" as they explore.

Interact: Kids need to expend energy, and groups of kids are great at encouraging each other to do just this! You can often observe groups of children making up or playing games which are full of movement and action (gross motor development). Practice the fundamentals of sports with a few of the neighbor kids or teach them one of the games you used to play at recess when you were younger. The neighborhood park can be a comfortable place to practice early social skills.

Imagine: It takes time for children to conjure up imaginative plots and story lines. Give time to develop imaginative play. Set out a box of simple props or costumes OUTSIDE and they'll look at them in a whole new light! If children have a good thing going, give them time to play out the scene without interrupting.*

*I can remember having quite long periods of time outside with the neighborhood kids where we'd have to entertain ourselves and the longer we had it seems the more creative we had to be to occupy that time!

Flower Petal Perfume

Sometimes the boys pick me flowers that well, are a bit beyond my TLC. I let them make me perfume instead!

Tear up the flower petals and let them soak in a cup or two of water. After a good soak, pour the liquid into a new container through a coffee filter to catch all the pieces. Let the kids give it a fancy name and dab on a little of your new "fragrance."

*Variation: Add other smell-goods before you filter it, like cinnamon, vanilla, orange rind, etc.

*Variation: Different varieties of flowers.