Go Play Outside!
by Kyanna SuttonKids of all ages can learn a lot about their connection to the natural world. By exploring what's around them, kids begin to develop investigative skills which will help them later when they have to grasp many different science and math concepts.
Younger Kids Outside
With younger children, I've always found it's better to plan many activities that take short amounts of time, rather than say, a long hike on a cold day.
Young kids also have more bathroom needs and generally have a shorter attention span. Try to keep hikes to a healthy length so as not to completely exhaust them. Younger children like to explore what's around them but need an adult by their side.
Games are a good idea for younger kids when you're planning an outdoor adventure as a family. Hide-and-seek, camouflage, and blindfold walks are some good traditional games you can play with your kids.
Visiting farms or nature centers is a fun outside activity because kids really like seeing animals but can be overzealous. In a nature center, there's usually a safe distance or barrier between kids and animals.
If you go on a hike, bring snacks and check the weather so you're prepared. You might also bring activities like scavenger hunts to keep your kids' interest piqued.
Younger kids in can:
- Name their favorite plants and animals.
- Learn about environmental diversity.
- Understand what ecosystems are.
- Grasp the elements of a habitat.
- Understand changes in the environment.
- Learn mapping techniques.
- Name different sources of energy and energy transformation.
- Identify basic survival needs.
- Learn how the human community is dependent on the natural environment.
- Identify environmental changes that occur over a period of time.
Older Kids and Preteens Outside
Older kids and preteens like to be in groups. Any kind of group problem-solving or scientific testing will get the best results when kids this age work in teams.
At this age, kids usually like physical activity and need a lot of it. Recreational activities such as cross-country skiing, biking, and snow-shoeing can help lead them into the outdoors.
One popular activity is called Predator/Prey. Students role-play different organisms in a giant food chain tag game. They love the running and tag but also learn a lot about food chains.
Older kids and preteens can learn to:
- Identify why living organisms make environmental adaptations.
- Describe cyclic changes.
- Distinguish between renewable and non-renewable resources.
- Identify organisms using a key.
- Use tools like thermometers and compasses.
- Identify different ecosystems.
Teenagers Outside
Teenagers like a measure of independence. They can spend a lot more time outdoors than younger kids and participate and lead outdoor adventures like backpacking, canoeing, and rock climbing.
A great project for teenagers is to look at a local environmental problem and try to come up with a solution. In this activity, not only do teens learn about their own ability to solve a problem, but they also must understand the source and cause of the problem.
Teens can learn and grow from exploring the natural world. They can:
- Identify and explain the differences among various types of soils.
- Identify and explain the importance of the major aquatic biomes.
- Describe the key features of the major kinds of terrestrial biomes.
- Identify local environmental problems, determine their causes, and describe an appropriate solution.
- Participate in and lead, depending on experience and interest, any number of outdoor adventures.
