5 Days of Outdoor Play: Nature Walks and Pockets

It's been in the high 30's and low 40's this week, which for Iowa means it's nice enough to go to the playground and take walks! We play outside in lower temperatures, but reserve extended activities for warmer weather. Yesterday we brought Sweet P's lunch to a playground and later that afternoon we took a family nature walk that ended up at the library!

Sweet P took her stroller, Lionel Messi (a soccer bear named after a soccer player) and a little bag to collect stuff in, and we headed for the path near our house.

She picked up several items along the path to put in her bag and stomped in a few puddles.

Her nature items

• Green pine needles
• Tan pine needles
• 2 tiny acorns
• 2 large acorns
• 1 pecan shell
• 1 leaf
• 1 tiny pinecone
• Berries
• Berries on a stem

When we got home (after she put on her swimsuit, of course) I taped contact paper to the table and she stuck all of her nature items to it. She really liked that the table was sticky.

After she finished, I cut another piece and laid it on top, forming a nature pocket. We talked about how each item felt while it was in the pocket.

Then, I got out some markers and a piece of paper, and encouraged her to draw the nature items she found. We talked about the color of each item as she drew. She made some pretty cool pine needles! In addition to her nature drawings, she told me she wrote my name and she also drew a funny man. And after loading my pictures, I realized I didn't take a picture of her drawing.

This activity was so simple, but allowed her to explore, pick up, feel, draw and see different items in nature. I'm excited to do this again when there are even more items outside to pick up!

Linking to the Outdoor Play Party!