Cragmama "Not all who wander are lost…" JRR Tolkien

Tag Archives: backyard fun

6 Ideas for Nature Hunts with Young Explorers

6 Ideas for Nature Hunts with Young Explorers

While I’ve written before on the many benefits of unstructured outdoor time for children, you might find that your green hour time needs a refreshing boost every now and then with a planned activity.  Also, the added challenge of a trail “assignment” can make for happy hikers!  But just because an activity is planned doesn’t mean it has to be elaborate or complex, especially for younger kiddos.  By nature kids are creatures of curiosity that love exploring (whether it’s out in the woods or rifling through that drawer in Mommy’s office they aren’t supposed to be into…)  And I don’t…Read the rest of this entry →

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How to Cultivate Independent Play in Your Child

How to Cultivate Independent Play in Your Child

It’s probably safe to assume that most parents would agree that allowing your child to park him/herself in front of the TV all day is a bad idea.  So why is it that in 2009, the average 2-5 year old watched a screen (TV, DVD, iPad, computer) for an astounding 32 hours per week?!?  (And 6-11 year olds weren’t that much better, at 28 hours per week.)  That’s more than an entire day out of every week!  As shocking as those statistics are, I think the reason behind them is simple.  Parents are tired, and stretched too thin – an educational DVD…Read the rest of this entry →

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DIY Backyard Adventures: Let’s Make A Mud Kitchen!

DIY Backyard Adventures: Let’s Make A Mud Kitchen!

At this juncture in our lives, C and I are on-the-go for a lot of our mid-week adventures – we have a host of local parks, playgrounds, and nature trails that we explore on a regular basis.  But I had a feeling that baby #2’s arrival would change our entire family dynamic rather dramatically…And while I’m optimistic that our baby-wearing mantra will be a crucial help when it comes to getting outdoors with a newborn, I know that these first few weeks and months, we’ll likely be spending more time at home than what C is used to.  With that…Read the rest of this entry →

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Junior Entomology 101: Cicadas!

Junior Entomology 101: Cicadas!

If you have been reading this blog for a long time (as in, more than 2 years), you may remember that this is not the first post I have written about cicadas.  The crag-kiddo’s first experience with these giant creepy-crawlies came during the first summer we spent in our new home in Charlotte. Last year must have been an “off” year for the cicada, at least for our yard, because their leftover shells were not rampant as they had been the year before.  Lucky for my sweet cicada-loving C however, they were back in full force this year, with even more…Read the rest of this entry →

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“Not all who wander are lost.” —JRR TOLKIEN