Getting outside doesn't have to be complicated: there's tons of fun and learning just waiting to be discovered in your backyard, around your block or at your local conservation area. To get you started, RVCA's Outdoor Educators have compiled some awesome activities to help you maximize your outdoor adventures!
Spring Resources |
Winter Resources |
Elementary School Activities: | |
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Why is this type of play beneficial for kids? Loose parts encourage kids to be physically active and creative. The learning is hands on, engaging, and encourages children to communicate and be cooperative along with developing great problem-solving skills. |
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Rainy Day Play — Water is a wonderful in Parents, be sure to watch your kids near deep or fast flowing water! Dry off and pair your experience with a fun story. Check out “Over and Under the Pond" by Kate Messner or "In the Small, Small Pond" by Denise Fleming. If you have a library card, many books can be accessed through digital library connections like OverDrive Tumble Books for free. |
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The messiness of play and learning can take its tole on your indoor space and patience! Try taking it outside for some fresh air fun. Grab some containers from your recycling, buckets, old kitchen utensils, bowls, pots, pans, etc. that you have lying around and set up a mud kitchen in your backyard. Find a spot where your children can dig in the soil or sand and collect ingredients from nature. Fill some containers with water and watch their imaginations go! Although you may see lots of fancy set-ups for mud kitchens online, we have found that children are more than happy to sit on the ground or work with their tools on a stump, bench, board, or picnic table. When the play is finished, you can throw everything in a plastic bin or sturdy reusable shopping bag. Washing things off is totally optional! How can this play support learning? Here are just a few examples:
Have fun! Don’t for get to check out our blog at https://www.rvca.ca/blog. |
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How does this play support learning? Here are just a few examples:
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How does this play support learning? Here are just a few examples:
Resources:
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Middle and High School Activities: |
Pond Study: Using bugs to test for pollutionSome bugs are more sensitive to poor water quality than others. In this hands-on science experiment, get up close and personal with the benthic invertebrates that live in your local pond or stream to determine whether or not its polluted. Instructions here! |
Join the world’s largest treasure hunt!Just you and your phone, chasing a secret — if you have to be outside, this is how to do it! The global geocaching movement is all around us, including at Baxter Conservation Area. Use your phone to track down the secret treasures tucked into our trees. Download the Geocaching app for iPhone or Android to get started. Bring a friend! |
Trail JournalingForest therapy is great for your mental health. Next time you're on a hike, at the cottage or even at a local park, tune into your wild side for a few minutes. Put away your phone, find a comfy spot to sit and just watch and listen. What do you see? What can you hear? Print your trail journal here! |
Five Senses in the ForestTake a nature break! Harness the restorative power of nature to help you stay grounded and able to cope with the stress all around us. Try our Five Senses in the Forest mindfulness activity here. |
Naturally Artistic ChallengeCreate your own outdoor masterpiece using nature’s gifts. Using rocks, twigs, leaves and any other natural materials you find, build your design outside, take a snap and leave it behind. Post it on your socials and tag us with #RVCAFreshAirFun! Find instructions here! |
Photo challengeForget the selfies! Put your phone to the test: What beautiful nature photo can you freeze in time? The flight of a feathered friend, the unique bend of a tree branch, the buds about to burst? Filters allowed! Be sure to post to your socials and tag us with #RVCAFreshAirFun. |