Backyard Nature Fun activities are quick-and-simple ways to explore nature in your own backyard.
I couldn’t resist sharing just one more idea for some nature fun this Halloween … if you’re reading this after the festivities have passed, make a note to try this next year. Yeah, it’s that fun.
When The Explorers and I saw a pet rock cemetery during our visit to the Wildlife Learning Center last week, we all agreed we needed to create one of our own.
The Big Explorer made the fancy sign all by himself. (He used the tools included with a metal art kit he received for his birthday earlier this month. Sorry about the reflection in the photos.) I love that we attached it to The Little Explorer’s favorite stick brought home from a recent trip to Yosemite.
What made this project so much fun is that we spread it out over several days – one day to make the sign, another to hunt for sticks for the cemetery “gate” and another to choose and set our rocks. (Do you like how we added fresh dirt to make it look like the graves have been freshly laid?)
Each day of this project was filled with excitement as we watched our little creation come together. Making our pet rock cemetery was hands-down the most fun any of us had getting ready for Halloween (okay, maybe it was just me!). We can’t wait to see what the trick-or-treaters think of it tonight.
Take-Home Tips
- Keep it natural. We challenged ourselves to use as many items from nature as possible.
- Break the project up into small steps. This is a simple enough project, but breaking it down into small steps kept The Little Explorer interested and excited; it also allowed us to spend more time on the fun stuff, like searching for sticks and choosing our favorite rocks.
5 More Ideas for Getting Outside This Week
- Go on a Halloween scavenger hunt.
- Play I Spy Crows.
- Dig in the dirt.
- Go on a backyard safari.
- Host a stuffed animal picnic.
Happy Exploring!
