Quick Click: 5 Ways to Help Your Child Become an Outdoor Observer
Find fast ways to introduce your child to the wonders of nature.
• Create play binoculars to train your child to focus his
gaze. Tape two toilet paper rolls together side-by-side, and attach a
string so he can wear them around his neck.
• Put a hula hoop on the grass, and ask her to lie down on
her stomach and study the area inside the hoop. She should describe what
she sees — from weeds to bugs — and record her observations
in a special "naturalist" notebook.
• Place a foot-long piece of string in the grass and ask
him to pretend to be a tiny ant hiking along its path. What would he see?
How long would it take?
• Have a texture scavenger hunt, where you challenge her
to find things in nature that feel smooth, slippery, rough, cool, hot,
etc.
• Ask him to sit down on the grass, close his eyes, keep
quiet and listen carefully for five minutes. Afterwards, talk about what
he heard. Could he hear better than he usually does?
