It's all about getting outdoors

This site has ideas for the natural explorer in all of us. The activities and resources I have chosen are for families and teachers to engage with the great outdoors. There are lots of different ideas so that they may appeal to all kinds of explorers. I hope you find some that you will enjoy.

In each idea there are links to help you implement and extend the activities including practical and story books, the theory behind the idea.

So what are some of the ways to explore?

• Blowing Bubbles
• Birdwatching
• Picnicking
• Kite flying
• Making a scarecrow
• Parachute games
• Playing Ball
• Learning about bees
• National Parks
• Fishing
• Gardening with kids
• Star gazing
• Being a scientist
• Learning about rainbows
• Exploring tidepools
• Free outdoor activities

Nature and the hand of man

I found this great quote about nature and saved the image but could not remember where I found it. The quote resonates with how I feel about nature and why I seek it out. So... I was a bit shocked when trying to discover it's source that it came from a cell phone cover! Maybe it's good to have a constant reminder of our strong connection to wilderness on our phones?

 

But it's a strange irony that my phone will not even connect to the grid or emergency calls when I am in my favourite wild place!

 

 

Check out the cell phone cover

Kids' nature clubs in the UK

Discovery, understanding nature, interacting with and learning about the world around you, these are the great things about the planned activities in the nature clubs.
This short informative video shows a nature club for parents and young children run by the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust in the UK.



The Wildlife Trusts run more than 240 of these nature clubs for children across the UK including Scotland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Mann and Jersey. Families can participate in new and exciting outdoor activities and learn about how you can make a difference to wildlife. Find a group near you on the interactive map.

Start your own nature day

There are lots of ways for you to have family fun outdoors but what about joining up with other families to explore and connect with nature? It's a great idea but just how would you go about it?

Well the problem is solved because Children & Nature Network has great resources that can help you start your own Nature Day or Nature Club to get groups of people together exploring nature. 

"Nature Clubs for Families is a great way to get started, get

involved, and get the benefits of time in nature. Nature is all around us. It abounds in rural settings and wilderness, but

it’s even available where we may least expect to find it—

from backyards, city neighborhoods, and rooftop gardens

to suburban parks and walking trails."

 
Children & Nature Network have suggestions and checklists, including a destination checklist, participant checklist, inspiration and tips including invitations, flyers and letters, all in their free tool kit brochure (pdf) Nature Clubs for Families.

   

Happiness is simple: go fly a kite

Here at 52 ways to explore we like the simple everyday things that you can do to get outdoors with your family like gardening, going for a picnic and flying a kite but some ideas may take some more thought and planning so please have a look around the site to get some ideas that you might like.

See the how, why, where and when of flying a kite
Parachute games
Collect a rainbow
Rock collecting

Climb the mountains

Plitvice Park

 

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn. ~ John Muir.

Plitvice Lakes National Park is the oldest national park in Southeast Europe and the largest national park in Croatia. It is famous for its 16 cascading lakes.




Just 2 of the cascading lakes

 Are you lucky enough to have a beautiful National Park near you? Have you visited some of the world's parks? I would love to hear your suggestions here...
Get more inspiration for National Park exploration on this site at Find a Forest.

The night sky

"Two things inspire me to awe -- the starry heavens above and the moral universe within."  Albert Einstein.

What happens to a child who has never ever seen the stars shining in the night sky? 

See a simple activity you can do as a family to view the awe inspiring stars and get ideas for budding astrologists.

This image was catalogued by Hubble Space Telescope Institute of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).  Penetrating 25,000 light-years of obscuring dust and myriad stars, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has provided the clearest view yet of one of the largest young clusters of stars inside our Milky Way galaxy, located less than 100 light-years from the very center of the Galaxy.