The Backyard Nature Hunt

The Backyard Nature Hunt :: What can you find?

Last week I was trying to get the kids to play outside. They were more reluctant than usual. I packed them up and told them we were all going outside together and would stay outside until I finished working out. Grumble, grumble. (Why is it that all winter they want to play outside, but when the weather is great for outdoor play they want to stay in? Why!?)

We moseyed on outside and they sat on the back porch staring at me while I did my kettle bell workout. Awkward.

It didn’t seem to matter how many things I reminded them they could do outside, still they sat.

As I moved through my reps, I began noticing little things in the yard you wouldn’t see if you just sat around. A feather. Little trees peeking through the grass.

The Backyard Nature Hunt

Once I finished and put my things inside, I told them we weren’t quite ready to be done with outside.

I grabbed a display box we’d gotten a few weeks earlier at Hobby Lobby to store our nature finds and brought it outside.

Of course there were complaints about it being hot and wanting to go inside, but I told them “I found a few things in the yard we need to pick up. Let’s see if you can find them.” That peeked their interest.

The Backyard Nature Hunt

“Can you find something small and soft?”  Hmm…they began looking around.

“It might have came from something that lives up high.” A feather!

Can you find something prickly?

Can you find...? Challenge

Can you find...? Backyard Challenge

We continued around the backyard eventually making our way to the front, since the call to find something pink sent them racing to our beautiful, blooming crepe myrtle.

And so, our hot, somewhat whiny afternoon was transformed simply by taking a closer look to the world around us.

The Backyard Nature Hunt

The Backyard Nature Hunt

"Place the soul of the child in contact with creation, in order that he may lay up for himself treasures from the forces of living nature."

The next time you’re outside (or inside!) and the natives are growing restless give them a Can you find…? Challenge!

 

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