Top 5 Multi-age Outdoor Summer Nature Connecting Activities

Summer is here, hooray! It's the time of year when many homeschoolers want to either completely take a break from all things academic, or take more breaks often if year round homeschooling.

Below are my top 5 outdoor nature activities to get you and the kiddos motivated to turn off the devices and get in some dirt time.

For materials, keep it as simple as a phone for photos and a blank journal and pencil with a water bottle and snack in a backpack.

#1. Daily walks/hikes around the neighborhood. This one is easy and convenient since all you have to do is open the door of your house and go out for a walk. If you have a forest within walking distance from home, take a hike through it. Pick a time when you and the family can take a walk together.

Are you early morning risers? Take an early morning walk together after hydrating. Is it better in the evening before or after supper? Go then. Have this time be as relaxed and enjoyable as possible. It's a way for you and the kids to notice other neighbors backyards and connect with your local neighborhood flora and fauna in a chill yet fun way.

#2. Backyard nature objects scavenger hunt. Put together a list of local plants and animals. Invite the kiddos to go around the backyard and locate all of the items and line them up on a picnic table. Take photos. Make sketches in a blank journal.

#3. Backyard birdwatching. Set up a homemade feeder in your backyard. As a family, learning walk quietly outside to observe the birds. Invite the kids to make sketches of the birds in their journals and write short descriptions about them.

#4. Rockhounding the neighborhood. During your daily walks, you can also look down at your feet to look at and pick up rocks. Observe their colors, sizes, shapes, and weights. Take photos and leave them where they lay. Collect ones you're especially interested in. Make sketches of any rocks of interest in the journal.

#5. Create backyard Andy Goldsworthy style nature art. Who is Andy Goldsworthy? Andy is a famous European artist, photographer and environmentalist. Andy creates art only using items from nature. His work is very elaborate. Many of his pieces look like they defy the laws of physics. Look up Andy Goldsworthy's artwork online and YouTube for inspiration.Invite the children to gather natural objects from around your backyard and create fun art.

Have the kids create designs on the ground with those objects. They can be flat or 3-D. Take photos and make sketches in your journals.

As you and your kids try any or all of these activities, you will most likely become inspired to do your own discovered outdoor nature connecting activities. Make a list as a family on varying activities the kids would like to do outdoors.

Best of all, have fun this summer!

Snag here my Patterns in Nature Backyard Scavenger Hunt templates, if you haven't already.

Want to try some math fun in nature?

Check out here my Homeschool Math - Patterns in Nature Playlist on YouTube.

Ready to deschool math including doing nature math? Check out my Math Learning Secrets guide.

Talk Soon,

NatureGlo