I make no claims to be particularly crafty. But like most kids, The Explorers are huge fans of crafts. Thankfully, nature and crafting go together nicely, making my job as the family’s Lead Crafter a little easier. When it comes to nature crafts, I aim for activities that don’t require much more than natural materials we can find right in our own backyard. In addition to … [Read more...]
The Kids Winter Handbook
Winter seems longer than the other seasons, doesn’t it? I’m thinking that in spite of all the stellar ideas I shared in 50 ways to connect with nature this winter, you might be feeling a little uninspired about heading outside right about now.Which is why I’m sharing a resource that might come in handy. The Kids Winter Handbook is billed as “the official book of wintertime,” … [Read more...]
Valentine’s Day Nature Activities for Kids
Last year’s 9 Valentine nature crafts for kids post was a big hit around here. So I figured you might be interested in seeing some of the amazing ideas that have surfaced around the web since then. Here are some of my favorite Valentine’s Day nature activities for kids. 1. Nature rocks: A random act of kindness Heart rocks can be fun to make and give away. Or add a twist … [Read more...]
Exploring Tide Pools at El Matador State Beach
I’ve mentioned before that one of our favorite things to do at the beach is to go tide pooling. Lucky for us, there are quite a few great spots to do that in Los Angeles. We especially love exploring tide pools at El Matador State Beach. Located about 25 miles north of Santa Monica, El Matador is one of three “pocket” beaches that make up the Robert H. Meyer Memorial State … [Read more...]
5 Winter Weekend Getaways in Nature
The Christmas holidays have come and gone. And spring break feels like it’s a lifetime away (even though it’ll be here before we know it). Instead of settling in to the winter doldrums, there’s no time like the present for a little winter weekend getaway in nature. When it comes to weekend getaways, we have a few simple rules we abide by: Go somewhere close to home (say, … [Read more...]