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Nature Activities

Nature Activities
There is so much in nature.. right at our fingertips that we can use to inspire creative thinking and learning. And best of all… nature activities are free!
nature activities
Learning with STICKS

Sand/Dirt Writing: Using a stick, let your child practice their writing in sand or just plain old dirt in the backyard.

Counting:  How many sticks did you find? Count them.  Count them by twos and fives. Make tally marks with them.

Adding/Subtracting: Great manipulative for learning to add and subtract.  Start with 5 sticks.  Take 2 away. How many sticks are left?

Measuring: After collecting sticks, put them in order from shortest to tallest.  If available, have children measure with paper clips or a ruler.

nature activities
‘Spindle Box’

Number Identification/Counting: I absolutely love this ‘Spindle Box’ idea from Montessori On a Budget!

nature activities
Stick fairy house

Building: To encourage creative thinking, let your child explore building with sticks. With my assistance,  P (age 8) built this cute fairy house. She’s difficult to see, but there is a little fairy in there! P drew her and cut her out.

nature activities

Inspired by our creating, S (age 10), decided to get in on the action.  She built a mini-campfire with sticks and stones.  We actually used it to create a fire in the evening.  Let’s just say, she was more than thrilled!


Learning with STONES

Experiment: Collect different sizes of pebbles and rocks. Have your child drop the pebbles and rocks into a plastic bin of water. What are the differences in the splashes made by each rock? How long did the ripples last? Count and compare.. (adapted from Preschool/Kindergarten Instant Lessons For Little Learners- The Mailbox 1997)

Collecting: My kids love collecting rocks. Let your child pick out a few of their favorites for a rock collection.

nature activities

Create and Imagine: Create rock sculptures and pictures.

Counting: Just like sticks, rocks are the perfect manipulative for counting, adding, and subtracting.

Alphabet Fun: Use a sharpie and stones to create alphabet manipulatives.
Painting: Rocks make such a great little canvas for kids of all ages. You could even paint a pet rock.

Explore and Investigate: Using a magnifying glass, have your child compare the different rocks.  Look at the different textures, sizes, and colors.

 

nature activities

Sticks and Stones…

Perfect for summertime fun and learning!

Written by Jen

Multiples Mom

Wednesday 8th of August 2012

Those are great learning activities. I like the idea of using a magnifying glass to compare the stones. Please link this post to Artsy Play Wednesday on Capri + 3.

: 0 ) Theresahttp://www.multiples-mom.com