You don’t need a big plan, or even a backyard, to enjoy nature with your child. Step outside, slow down, and see what you discover together.

Outdoor play gives children room to:

• Explore and be curious
• Use their imaginations
• Build strength, coordination, and confidence
• Engage all of their senses
• Slow down, relax, and connect with you

A stick can become a magic wand. Rocks can become treasures. A puddle can become an adventure!

Easy Ways to Explore

No special supplies are needed. Try:

• Collecting leaves, rocks, or sticks
• Splashing in puddles
• Watching bugs, birds, or butterflies
• Digging in dirt or sand
• Watching clouds
• Sitting quietly and listening to nature

Try These Simple Ideas

• Go on a color hunt
  “Can you find something green? Something yellow?”
• Build a tiny world
  Use sticks, leaves, and stones to make a home for a bug or an imaginary creature.
• Stop and listen
  Pause together. What can you hear? Birds? Wind? Footsteps?

Let your child take the lead. Follow their curiosity, even when they want to do the same thing over and over. Try asking:

• “What do you notice?”
• “I wonder what will happen if…?”
• “Tell me about what you found.”

Give your child plenty of time to explore, get messy, and wonder. A few minutes outside can give your child space to explore, imagine, move, and connect with nature and with you.