A couple of months ago I shared the top 10 books about nature play on my reading list. No. 1? It’s a Jungle Out There! 52 Nature Adventures for City Kids by Jennifer Ward. At the time, I promised a review and giveaway shortly.
Sorry it took so long.
It’s a Jungle Out There! offers simple and inexpensive activities to introduce kids to nature in the city. Which is a message I can get behind, since even with this blog, I still have friends ask me where nature exists in an urban location like Los Angeles.
The 52 activities in It’s a Jungle Out There! are arranged by season, making it simple to know where to turn to find something you’d like to try today. (The Big Explorer already found a fall activity he wants to try: A game called “Minute to Win It” in which you see who can find the most items in nature in one minute.)
I found that most of the activities in It’s a Jungle Out There! aren’t necessarily limited to city life. But ideas such as a pigeon hunt, drawing pictures of nature on the sidewalk and a search for city habitants offer something specifically for urban residents.
Many of the ideas in It’s a Jungle Out There! are things we’ve tried before, like a color walk, shadow play, the listening game and more. I like that Ward provides plenty of ideas for making these activities different from one time to the next.
The Nitty Gritty on It’s a Jungle Out There!
- Activities are organized by season, PLUS there’s a section of ideas for bringing the outside in when the weather prevents getting outside
- Each activity includes a section for parents and caregivers called “Plant the Seed,” which provide prompts for further conversations about nature
- Although this book is geared toward city dwellers, many of the activities seem appropriate no matter where you live
- Activities are low-to-no cost
- Book is geared toward children ages 4 to 8, but activities could easily be adapted for kids slightly younger or older
- Other books by Jennifer Ward worth checking out include I Love Dirt! 52 Activities to Help You and Your Kids Discover the Wonders of Nature (for ages 4-8) and Let’s Go Outside! Outdoor Activities and Projects to Get You and Your Kids Closer to Nature (for ages 8-12)
The Giveaway
You know the drill: If I review a product here that I think you’d all love, I want to share! Which means one of you lucky readers can win your very own copy of It’s a Jungle Out There!
To enter, leave a comment sharing your favorite way to get outside and explore nature with kids in your city.
- This giveaway will run through midnight PST on Wednesday, November 16, 2011.
- Sorry, but this giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.
- The winner will be chosen using the nifty random number generator at random.org.
- Winner will have 24 hours to reply to my notification; if I don’t hear back after that, I’ll pick another winner.
Note: I received a free copy of It’s a Jungle Out There! for review, but you can be sure I’ve shared my honest opinion. I encourage you to read my full disclosure policy for more information.
