Thursday's Thing to Do: Nature Scavenger Hunt

It's always good to get outside, breath fresh air, and do something different.  If you haven't tried an activity like this before, I'd highly recommend it.  (If you have, why not do it again?)  It's so simple, FREE, and kids absolutely love it!  Plus, it's a great way for them to learn about the world around them.

What you'll need:
   * Something to hold everything in.  (A bag, box, plastic jar, basket....doesn't really matter, but most kids will want their own so it should be something they can handle.)
   *  Some place outside (your yard, a park, the mountains, anywhere really)

What you do:
   *Let the kids find things they can fit in their container.  Leaves, rocks, sticks, a penny on a sidewalk, basically anything that's not a dead bug .....or worse.  (you know what I mean.)
   *  After they've collected their items you can do several things with them to expand this activity,
Such as:
     - Sit down and talk about what they found.  Answer questions they have about their items
     - Take the items home and glue them to paper....you could even make designs, or monsters, or new animals out of what you've collected.
     - Trace the shapes on the sidewalk with chalk, or on paper with crayons
     - Place a piece of paper over leaves and have them rub the side of crayons over it to see the design from the leaf appear.
     -  Have them identify colors in what they've found
     -  Have them touch and feel the different way each item feels.  Some are cold, rough, or smooth, ...

Whatever you do, plan for some good time to just enjoy the SIMPLE things with your children.