Backyard Nature Fun activities are quick-and-simple ways to explore nature in your own backyard.
Sadly, I can’t think of many adventures in nature we’ve had that haven’t involved picking up someone else’s trash. But going on a nature walk with kids with the explicit purpose of cleaning up litter had never entered my mind until I watched The Explorers do so all on their own.
We took our litter cleanup walk during last month’s camping trip to Leo Carrillo State Park, but you can do this right outside your back door on a walk around the neighborhood.
While we were enjoying an afternoon on the beach, the wind picked up, tossing around several bits from our towel out to the sand. The kids were eager to chase the items down.
They quickly spotted a lot more trash lying around than just ours. So they decided to go on a litter cleanup walk. They grabbed an empty, left-behind Lego bin to store the litter and took off down shore.
The kids continued walking the shoreline for quite a while, having turned their task into a contest to see who could find the next piece of trash.
By the time we were ready to leave, they’d filled their bin and then some. And enjoyed every minute of their adventure.
Take-Home Tips
- Come prepared with something to hold your loot. This is a perfect way to recycle a plastic bag.
- Go with friends. It was amazing to see kids turn litter cleanup into a game that kept everyone involved and having fun.
5 More Ideas for Getting Outside This Week
- Go barefoot.
- Discover a new-to-you neighborhood park.
- Compare the colors of different leaves on the trees on your street.
- Go apple picking.
- Paint a pumpkin.
Happy Exploring!
