Summer vacation is right around the corner! Here are some fun ideas to get your little ones outside to enjoy those beautiful summer days to the fullest.
SENSORY BINS
Since toddlers learn a lot through their senses, it is always fun to provide a little bit of extra imagination to sensory bins for them. Create a beach at home with a small tub, sand, and seashells. Next, add a bucket of water and shovels. Fill a bin with rocks and give them small trucks and excavation tools. Add pretend animals to a bin of mud to stimulate imaginary play.
NATURE RUBBINGS
All you need is paper, crayons, and random items in nature, and you can discover what patterns they make. Leaves, bark, flowers, grass, or even hard-packed dirt make simple and interesting rub patterns. This is also a great way to teach them about sustaining the environment since the item can stay in nature, and the rubbings can come home with you.
STORY TIME OUTSIDE
Bring reading outside. Whether the story is nature related or just any favorite book, start reading outside instead to see how much more attentive your little ones are to the event. You could even bring a smaller book along with you to the park or on walks for a fun little sit down when their little legs need a break.
BUBBLES
There are so many ways to play with them and there is no denying the fact that toddlers just love bubbles. Bring some to a local playground and your little one is sure to make some new friends fast!
ARTS AND CRAFTS
Arts and crafts can be messy and require a lot of material and preparation. Try adding a natural aspect to your crafts. By doing so it will make it more fun and manageable.
- Buy some contact paper and collect small leaves and flowers and then stick them together to create cool window hangings.
- Bring out the washable paint and paint rocks, sticks, or pinecones to keep the mess outside and limit what supplies you need.
- You can use these items as stamps on a large sheet of paper to make a nature mural.
- Give your little one a paintbrush, water, and some stones, and let them discover how they change when they get wet.
Going out in nature has countless benefits to childhood development, moods, and focus. So, choose any of these fun and easy outdoor activities for your kids the next time you want to inspire their imagination, watch their creativity bloom, listen to their laughter, and watch the joy on their faces from being outside in nature.
