If you spend much time exploring nature with your kids, you’ve undoubtedly touched on the subject no one really walks to talk about: death. Maybe you saw a dead bug or a dead bird. Heck, maybe your own child stepped on a few ants or squashed a spider. Chances are good your kids have at least heard about or discovered this thing called death during their outdoor explorations.But … [Read more...]
10 Ways to Explore Nature in March
How did March get here so fast? It’s hard to believe that the official start of spring is just a few weeks away. Every month, I put together a few ideas for ways we can explore nature in and around our neck of the woods. Some of these ideas are seasonal; some can be done any time of the year. This month’s list includes a free printable so you can print it, post it and use … [Read more...]
Field Report Friday: Orange Picking at Heritage Park
Picking oranges seems like a quintessentially Southern California activity. And yet finding a place to take the kids to try it out for themselves wasn’t so easy. Enter Heritage Park in La Verne. It features one of the last working orange groves in Southern California, where visitors can pick fruit right off the tree. The 1.1-acre Heritage Park includes Weber Ranch, home to a … [Read more...]
8 Lorax-Inspired Nature Activities for Families
“The Lorax is coming, the Lorax is coming!” You could say we’re pretty excited around these parts about the furry guy’s pending debut on the big screen. If you’re not familiar with the story of The Lorax, get yourself a copy pronto and read it with your kids. In a nutshell, it’s an ecological warning handed down by Dr. Seuss that puts the fate of our planet’s future smack … [Read more...]
How to Plan a Nature Date With Kids
One of the items on my list of 12 resolutions for getting outside is scheduling a date in nature with your kids. If your kids are still very young or you play outdoors a lot anyway, these one-on-one experiences may seem unnecessary. But trust me. They are very necessary. I try to do something special outside with each of the kids separately once a week – even it’s just a … [Read more...]