Outside

Beauty

“If you truly love Nature, you will find beauty everywhere.” ~Vincent Van Gogh Playing on the beach, Bodega Bay, March 2012 {I’m taking a little time off this week to spend time with my girls, host a cousin sleepover, and catch up around the house. I’ll be popping in to share a few photos of [...]

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Leap Day Obstacle Course

Burn off some energy this Leap Day with a jumping, hopping, leaping obstacle course. I’m sure your kids can think of many different ways to move by jumping. Here are the ones we thought of, to get you started: • Play hopscotch. Draw with chalk outside, or make with masking tape inside. • Try a [...]

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Nature Valentine Photographs

A few days ago, the girls and I spent an afternoon rummaging around the backyard collecting leaves, sticks, rocks, bark, and other nature bits. Our plan was to find heart-shaped things, or arrange items in a heart shape, and take photos for Valentine postcards. We had such fun “staging” our photographs. The girls were so [...]

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Welcoming Summer

Happy First Day of Summer! We’re doing a few simple activities this week to celebrate the Summer Solstice. The girls made neat mixed media sunshines yesterday – gluing, painting, salt-sprinkling, and cutting fun! Here’s a look at the process: Make a mixed media sunshine: Glue assorted items to a chipboard or cardboard circle (something sturdy!) [...]

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Play + Learn: Kites and Wind

Use some of the wild energy a windy day brings and try some of these kid-friendly kite and wind-themed activities: Make a paper kite :: maya*made Create a brown paper grocery bag kite :: Rhythm of the Home Write a Kite Tail acrostic poem :: WritingFix Decorate your house with little origami kites :: Craft [...]

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Read & Play: It Looked Like Spilt Milk

My girls get so excited when we have a “puffy-cloud” day, because those are the best days for finding cool shapes in the clouds. One of our favorite cloud stories is It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles G. Shaw. This book is simple, but engaging and was always a favorite in my classroom. When [...]

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Teacup Bird Feeders

We had a great time making teacup bird feeders for Christmas gifts. I bookmarked the tutorial (@Cap Creations) last spring and I’m very happy we finally got around to making them! The girls had a great time choosing cups and saucers at the thrift store. We ended up with some matched sets and some we [...]

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6 Simple Ways to Welcome Winter

Is it already feeling like winter where you are? We have been enjoying some night walks around our neighborhood in the brisk, damp air. I’m enjoying bundling up in my scarf and gloves, followed by something warm to drink on our return. In a little less than a week, on December 21, it will officially [...]

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Teeter-Totter

A big hooray for a dad that says yes to requests for things like impromptu teeter-totters… Hope you find time to play this weekend!

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Nature Collections: Simple Ways to Store and Display

My youngest daughter is a collector and a saver. Her favorite thing to do is head outside with a bucket and gather acorns, rocks, leaves, and sticks. We come back from any walk or trip to the park with full pockets. I have dreams of shadow box frames and other beautiful displays, but for now [...]

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