Fun Friday activities are quick-and-simple ways to explore nature in your own backyard.
THE IDEA: Delight in the magic of a rainbow with your kids.
Okay, so you can’t really plan this one. But that’s what makes it so special.
The next time you’re lucky enough to witness a rainbow (which should be soon now that the rainy weather is on it’s way), sit back, relax and take a moment to really enjoy it.
OUR NOTES FROM THE FIELD
The weather in Los Angeles this week has been extreme to say the least. We’ve had record heat with almost no let up in sight. Imagine our excitement when we spotted this gorgeous rainbow one evening during our after-dinner stroll.
At first, none of us could stop staring. I later discovered that this was actually a double rainbow. (I’m guessing by the time we saw it, one of the two rainbows had already faded from view.) No wonder it felt like it filled the entire sky.
After gawking for a while, we decided to continue on with our walk. We were amazed to see this amazing sun set in the sky opposite the rainbow. Wowza!
I figured the spectacular display would fade before we finished our walk, but things just kept getting better. The big explorer found two separate spiders spinning their webs seemingly “in the air,” each with a beautiful scene behind them.
No matter where we looked, the sky was putting on a spectacular show.
The little explorer ran from one house to the next asking, “where’s the rainbow” until he found it again. As we approached our house, he finally dropped down in the grass and simply stared up, taking it all in.
One final glance at the slowly fading rainbow as the night sky turned a beautiful shade of pink.
And then it was gone.
For a while we talked about how glorious it was. How thankful we were that we’d decided to come out for a walk (the big explorer had put up a quite a stink about doing so just before we left the house).
Imagine what we would have missed if we’d stayed inside.
TAKE-HOME TIPS
Watching a beautiful rainbow doesn’t really require much effort. To make a nature connection:
- Talk about it. We talked about how a rainbow is made and why we might be seeing one during a heat wave. We also reminisced about other rainbows we’ve seen and wondered if there was really a pot of gold at the end.
- Stop and enjoy it. It’s easy to walk right past a rainbow and give it little thought or consideration. It was a treat to stop, sit down and really enjoy it.
MORE IDEAS FOR OUTDOOR FUN
I admit it: Fall is my favorite season for enjoying the great outdoors. The (normally) moderate temperatures and changing landscape make time outside refreshing and inspiring. Here are a few creative ways you might want to enjoy nature this week:
- Discover the wildlife living within a pile of leaves
- Create a fall collage with items from nature
- Start a rock collection
- Or try one of these 50 ways to explore nature in your own backyard
What outdoor fun do you have on tap for this first weekend in October?
@Mel: I haven't seen the video, so I'm off to check it out. Thanks!
Anders LOVES rainbows, so we stop and gawk whenever we see one. Thanks for the reminder to stop and smell the roses (or watch the rainbow). <br /><br />BTW Have you seen the double rainbow video on YouTube? It's been passed around a lot, but just in case you missed it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQSNhk5ICTI It's so intense 😉
@Juliet: What great ideas. Thanks for sharing!<br /><br />@Crystal: Oooh … that sounds fun, too. The kids LOVE watching food coloring change the water color.
Rainbows are one of those things that turn me right back into a child again…they're just pure magic! <br /><br />I used to do a little rainy day activity w/ my preschoolers: you take a large clear glass or plastic vase, and pour a small amount of vegetable oil in (just a tiny bit, enough to form a very thin layer on top of the water once it settles). With the Muppet Show's "
I love rainbows too. A nice follow-up to a real rainbow is to look at oil floating on puddles – I know it's pollution but it's another place to find them. I also have CDs for play purposes which are great for making rainbows along with hanging crystals and plastic or glass prisms.