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Family Backyard   Outdoor Play – Getting started in every season 365 Ways to Enjoy the Outdoors in Fairfax County, Virginia Walk barefoot in dew-soaked grass Make animal puppets using socks Design animals from leaves Imitate animal sounds Create a birdbath Find colors that match a handful of crayons Ski cross-country along park trails Canoe Collect different shades of green, orange, brown, etc. Find evergreen trees and compare needles Carve faces on apples or turnips – even if it’s not Halloween Make footprints on the sidewalk Play Fox and the Hound tag in the snow Examine frost on a window and write a secret message Weave grass or flower stems into crowns or matts Play I Spy guessing game Swim Rake leaves Plant milkweed to attract monarch butterflies Watch moths at the porch light at night Hike in your neighborhood Lie on the ground and listen carefully Make pinecone bird feeders with peanut butter Photograph Play pioneers exploring the outdoors for the first time Play “Lean” See Footnote 1 Jump  rope using variations of traditional jump rope with Double Dutch or “Chinese” jump rope Create seed and bean art Geocache Collect smells, like flowers, leaves, dirt Venture on a family night hike in your neighborhood Drop sticks in a stream and race them Create stone sculptures Play Tarzan Hop across a stream, but don’t get wet – or do Swing Paint terra cotta pots with your favorite animal or flower Collect textures for an outdoor safari Make a birdhouse from a coffee can Count time between thunder and lightning Sled Practice tying knots Lie under a tree and watch shadows through the leaves Plant violets into a small garden Identify wildflowers or make up names for them Help worms cross the sidewalk after a rainstorm Play “button button, who has the button?” See Footnote 2 Follow a butterfly Imagine a conversation between 2 birds Dip a net in a pond or stream Make a bed out of pine needles Ride a bike Watch a bird build a nest Play “Kick the Can” See Footnote 3 Shoot marbles Recycle a milk jug into a bird feeder Read a book outdoors Create a bouquet using grass, flowers, twigs, leaves and cattails Make a bow and arrow from items in your backyard Climb a tree Create a bug bottle from a recycled soda bottle for catching and releasing insects Hold a buttercup under your chin – if it shines yellow, you like butter!! Find ants moving their eggs and pupa under a rock Make a chart of different seeds Outline a child’s shape using chalk & design into an animal Play “Space Station” See Footnote 4 Grab a compass and learn orienteering Start a worm compost pile Cross a grassy area without stepping on anything green by hopping from dirt patch to a rock to a root, for example Make a construction site outdoors with toy trucks Find a hideout in a bush in your yard Chase a cottontail rabbit Assemble a leaf house for animals Cross a creek on a fallen log Fashion a crown out of sticks and leaves Make a flower chain with buttercups Erect a dam in your local stream but remember to take it down before you leave Make a home for fairies or elves Blow a dandelion seed Construct a debris “fort” Find a divining stick and search for water Smell a lilac or lavender bush Teach a dog a new trick Catch a falling leaf before it hits the ground Visit a farm (like Fairfax County’s Frying Pan Park) Find a feather – can you guess what bird it came from? Make a fishing pole Find a flower for each color of the rainbow Create a forest diorama Create a flying disc golf course Grow a garden of your favorite plants Design a gift from objects found in nature Paint a gourd Catch a grasshopper Plant a hanging garden Dig a hole and look at different soil texture and smells Skewer orange slices on branches, add a smear of peanut butter and seeds for a winter snack for birds. Prepare a forest puppet show Hike a trail in a park or try the Cross-County Trail Fly a kite Create a labyrinth from rocks Make a lacrosse catcher from old milk bottle and play with a wiffle ball Start a leaf collection Make a leaf stencil Start a lemonade stand, using mint you’ve grown! Make a list of everything you see in one morning Start a nature diary Fly a maple seed helicopter Make a maze though tall grass (remember to check for ticks!) Watch a meteor shower Create a mobile or wind chime using natural objects Make a picture frame from twigs or shells Create a modern art piece using an old white sheet and muddy hats or feet See Footnote 5 “Bake” a mud pie in the sun Make a musical rattle from things found in nature Design a Native American talking stick Create a nature scrapbook Bury a nature time capsule Make a clover necklace or crown Fashion a paperweight from a rock Find a new friend by making a pet rock Create a photo collage of bugs and flowers found in your backyard Catch a snowflake on your tongue Munch a picnic breakfast Run with a pin-wheel you create Compose a nature song or poem using each letter of your name Make a pinecone holiday tree Design a pinecone turkey Write a poem about your favorite tree, poet-tree! Make a pond viewer Carve a pumpkin Make a mystery touch sense box Prepare a puppet show on a white sheet with a flashlight after dark Build a rain or snow gauge Create a rainbow with a garden hose Whistle using reed or grass Construct a robin nest using grasses and mud Start a rock collection Create a sand bottle Search for creatures under a log Dig a hole in search of worms Make a slug trail, letting a slug crawl across a piece of black construction paper Decorate a small tree with ribbons or hollowed out eggs Have a snow hunt (hide waterproof objects during a snowfall) Make a sundial Build a snowman, monster, insect or animal in winter Watch a spider make a web Make a star from straw Create a wave bottle Do a turtle survey Make a stick reindeer Tell a story under the stars Create a sun catcher See Footnote 6 Pitch a tent made from blankets Build a terrarium using recycled soda bottle Watch a thunderstorm Erect a toad house Explode a touch-me-not or impatiens seed Mark a trail using stacks of stones and ask a friend to follow Create a treasure bowl to store all outdoor treasures Plant a tree Build a tree house with the help of an adult Adopt a tree in your neighborhood See Footnote 7 Create a tunnel for a chipmunk or toad Build a sandcastle Make a scarecrow Grow a vegetable garden Decorate a walking stick with things found during a nature hike Make a walnut shell boat Create a wind vane and track the wind direction for a week Plant a windowsill herb garden Somersault across the yard Make a wreath Learn about animal tracks then look for some on a creek bank Learn about how a carrot grows at the local farmer’s market Research and teach a friend about outdoor safety Seek out small puddles of standing water and dry them out to reduce mosquitoes’ breeding Create an animal mask Make an apple print card Make an ice sculpture by freezing water in different objects other than ice cube trays Build an igloo Create an indoor scavenger hunt using things found outdoors Watch and follow ants See Footnote 8 Catch and release tadpoles Find animal burrows and imagine what animals live there (but keep fingers away from openings) Find animal tracks, identify the animals and follow them in the snow in your yard Find animals by characteristics such as has 2-legged or 2 wings, etc. Start ant farm Bounce a ball on a tennis racket Zoom around on your  skateboard Act as a pirate leaving treasure hunt clues on a nature trail Hunt for crayfish in your local stream Play badminton Host bike races or set up a slalom course Enjoy bird watching Sail boats in the gutter or stream Play Bocce ball Blow bubbles Catch butterflies Count butterflies, ladybugs or other insects Gather cicada molted skin often found on tree trunks Play croquet Make daisy chains Learn different bird calls Catch and release minnows Play dodge ball Roll down a grassy hill Remove English ivy and other invasive plants from your yard Rise extra early and listen for birds calling at dawn Capture fireflies and then let them go Play flashlight tag after dark Press flowers Look for a 4-leaf clover Build a saucer sled run Watch for baby ducks at a pond or creek Watch for bats at dusk Listen for bullfrogs and other summer frogs Search for camouflaged animals Dig for clay and make pinch pots Hunt for crayfish in your local stream Look for signs of foraging animals Search for fossils, real or pretend Look for galls (bumps) on leaves – what is the most you can find on one leaf? Rub back of leaves or bark with the side of a crayon onto paper  Look for dragonfly molted skins on stems near water Look for insects with a magnifying glass Paint a fence with water Watch for leaves changing color – how long does it take? Look for letter-shaped leaves, twigs or branches Listen for migrating geese – even after dark Look for mistletoe in a tree and kiss someone after asking permission Search for Monarch butterfly chrysalises Look for moss and feel the different textures Hunt for mushrooms and fungi but DON’T touch or collect Make homemade paper Soak your feet in water then make tracks on your patio or driveway  Watch for opening of night blooms (are moths nearby?) Look for a  patent leather beetle under logs and listen to them squeak Search for patterns in nature – do they repeat? Look for Paw paws or persimmon fruit Search for a rotting log – how many creatures can you find in it, under it or on it? Search for scat (animal droppings) Look for snakes-don’t touch! Look for snow fleas (springtails)  Sit still for 20 minutes in a shady spot Search for spider webs Listen for spring peepers and other spring frogs Listen for woodpeckers and look for their holes Search for a rainbow Look for wooly bear caterpillars – predict whether winter will be cold or not Play Four Squares Challenge friends to game of what’s in your yard (animals, plants or minerals) Challenge friends to watermelon seed-spitting contest Play Hackie sack Post haikus to a backyard tree Play in a sprinkler Make homemade garland for the birds from popcorn Make icicles in winter by puncturing small holes in a container, fill with water and hang up outdoors Swing in a hammock Participate in a bird count Camp atBurke Lake Park Volunteer in your community garden Play in the creek Draw in the snow with dyed water in squirt bottles Spin in a hula hoop Slide in the mud Listen in the evening for owls calling and learn their different calls Jump in piles of leaves in the fall Play in a playground Splash in a puddle Dance in the rain Lie in the snow, flap your arms and legs to make snow angels Dress in your swimsuit and “swim” in the rain Draw in the mud with your toes Bring indoor games outside, such as cards or checkers Make ink from berries Scramble into the bushes to play Sardines (reverse of hide and seek) Play it’s ancient times and you are a dinosaur Play jacks Gather friends for kickball Capture the flag in king of the hill Play leapfrog with a friend Collect leaves of many colors Collect lichen Play limbo with your garden hose Chase lizards Toast marshmallows over a campfire Wash out your birdfeeders with an adult’s help Play catch with a plastic inflated ball over your rooftop with a friend Play monkey-in-the-middle (also known as keep away) Eat honeysuckle nectar Play hopscotch Paint with mud using feathers or brushes Pick narrow plantain flower/seed stalks and shoot them at friends Raise native butterflies Hop on one foot across your yard Breath on cold glass and make a cloud Skate on a frozen pond where allowed Balance on a log and practice your Olympic balance beam routine Jump on a pogo stick Glide on roller skates Lie on your back and stargaze Count rings on a tree stump Paint on a stone Chew on a wild onion Plant silver maple seedlings Bike or drive to a petting zoo Create origami forest animals Play shadow tag Spell out your name in pebbles or seeds Create outdoor bingo game and invite family and friends to play Adventure outside with nature scavenger hunts you create Hop over rocks Turn over rocks and see what can be found Jump over a stick or log- create a challenge for yourself Fly paper airplanes  Sink a basketball into a laundry basket in your backyard Dab peanut butter on twigs, look for flying squirrels in winter evenings just after sundown Draw patterns in snow, grass or dirt big enough to see from space Play Pooh sticks (check out Winnie- the -Pooh stories to find out how) Create rain art with dry poster paint on paper plates Play red light, green light Play Red Rover Scrape resin from a pine tree and wait a million years for it to turn to amber Go rock climbing Jump rope and create a jump rope poem that makes you giggle Survey salamanders Make sand painting or sculpture using wet sand Plant seeds Make trail signs with sticks Play Simon Says Try skateboarding at a skateboard park Race snails, slugs or earthworms Shake snow from branches and let them spring back Super soak your friends with water-filled spray bottles Map spots where birds nest in the summer and check back in early spring for hatchlings Treat neighbors with a surprise of a bunch of flowers hung from their doorknob Watch squirrels and try to find their dreys (nests) Play stick ball Make stilts from tin cans Skip stones Count the number of birds who visit a bird feeder for a week Count the number of frog calls and mimic them Search the moon for the man-in-the-moon or do you see a rabbit? Watch the sun set Stomp through frozen puddles Volunteer to clean up your local park or your neighborhood Go to a pumpkin patch Sleep under the stars for backyard camping Sit under a tree and look up Twirl until you are dizzy and fall down Dress up a snowman with seed decorations as bird treats Sneak up on a squirrel to see how close you can get Tally the number of water striders in the stream by a bridge Pose with freeze tag Draw with chalk on sidewalks, patios or driveways Connect-the-dots with stars and imagine what shapes they make Hold your own animal Olympics (hop like a flea, jump like a rabbit, etc.) Pick your own apples during apple harvest Squish your toes in the mud Build your own backyard mini-golf course or go to one of the county miniature golf courses Make your own potpourri and sachets Design your own horseshoes or quoits with recycled materials Challenge your family or friends to a snowball battle Play animal charades Draw your yard and update your picture the first of each month noting the changes!   1. Need at least 4 players.  Players stand in a circle, join hands, and count off alternatively by ones or twos.  Those with number ones lean forward toward the middle of the circle while the twos lean backwards.  Players counterbalance each other for support.  Once players are balanced, slowly reverse leaners.  Try also taking a step to the right or left around the circle while still leaning in and out. 2. Form a circle with “it” in the center.  Those in the circle hold their hands behind them, with only one player with the button.  “It” guesses who has the button. 3. http://familyfun.go.com/playtime/kick-the-can-708085/ 4. Place 3-5 Frisbees (“space stations”) on the ground in a large area.  One person is selected to be ground control; the rest of the players are astronauts floating through space.  When ground controls shouts “red alert,” astronauts find the closest space station.  Last player to touch a space station is out; two players cannot touch the same space station – if they do, they are both out.  Ground control can remove space stations until only one is left.  The last person to survive a red alert gets to be ground control next. 5. Using a rock or sticks, can also smash green leaves or flowers for extra color, texture and smell. 6. In winter, you can chill water in a milk jug or other plastic bottle and then hang outdoors. 7. Visit the tree at least 4 times a year, making a note of all changes to the leaves in each season.  Note how large the tree is (how many hands or hugs around is the tree; how many children standing on each other’s shoulders would it take to reach the top; search and imagine what animals use the tree and which part of the tree they use. 8. Can add a few cookie crumbs to see if the ant follows.                                               Outdoor Play – Everyday Last Child in the Woods Office for Children Outdoor 101 Be Out There with the National Wildlife Federation Nature Rocks Children and Nature Bringing Nature to You

 

 

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