Fun Friday activities are quick-and-simple ways to explore nature in your own backyard.
Last weekend’s family nature club stroll through the Venice Canals was the perfect place for an urban nature scavenger hunt. (But trust me – this walk is just as much fun when taken through your own neighborhood or a local park.)
The idea is pretty simple: discover nature in the city. We used this list put together by the self-proclaimed “scavenger hunt guru” (who I will introduce to you in more detail soon, I promise). I like that this list includes things to look for, listen for and think about.
It was nice to see parents connecting with their kids to find the items on the list. One parent even thanked me for the opportunity to slow down and really notice the little things, like flowers growing from a sidewalk crack or the shape of the clouds.
Kids being kids, everyone was intent on being the first to finish. But lucky for us, there was something worth slowing down for – this snowy egret.
Most of the kids had never seen one and were pretty excited by the big guy’s yellow feet. Funny what kids find fascinating.
I’m glad everyone had a chance to realize just how much nature surrounds us every day – even in the city. I encourage you to take a walk with your kids through your neighborhood and see what you can discover.
Take-Home Tips
- Use pictures instead of words for little explorers. You can even add words under the pictures. (We didn’t try this but I wish we had!)
- Go with the flow. If you find something especially interesting during your hunt, by all means investigate, explore and enjoy! Add a drawing of what you see to your list if you like.
- Quit while it’s still fun. The goal here is to observe and talk about your discoveries. There aren’t any prizes for finishing first – or for finishing at all for that matter!
More Ideas for Outdoor Fun
This weekend is the first in a long time when we don’t have anywhere we have to be. I’m hoping for some quality time in the backyard – our bird feeders and planters could use some love! If you need some inspiration to get outside, try one of these simple ideas for backyard fun:
- Set up a bird feeder.
- Make leaf and bark rubbings.
- Check out the new Winter Activity Guide from Nature Rocks.
- Or try one of these 50 ways to explore nature in your own backyard.
@Carolina: You can make a day of it if you spend some time on Venice Beach, too. :o)
That is a great idea, since there is so much to see when we just slow down a bit. And…I've been wanting to check out the Venice Canals next time I'm down in L.A.
@backyardsafari: I think the hardest part for me when I'm outside with my kids is knowing when to quit. I'm always too eager to want to show them everything & sometimes they just need to move on.<br /><br />@Anna: You live in the perfect spot to observe nature in the city every day! I started with my youngest at birth, always pointing out the birds, trees & such on our walks. At
What a great idea! I'll definitely do something like this with my son when he's old enough. Thanks for sharing.
How cool that the kids saw the snowy egret's yellow feet when there was "something natural that is yellow" on the list!<br /><br />The "quit while it's still fun" tip is a great thing to remember! I have been learning that in my class activities–sometimes I want the kids to experience too much at one time! <br /><br />I love this activity!