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This little hive of a nature cupboard inspires kids to pay close attention outside and curate their own collection of natural wonders. YOU’LL NEED: a shallow cardboard box with flaps…

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Oranges roasting on an open fire – oozing with orange-infused cake! This is a fantastically simple and exciting way to bake outside – whether in the woods or at your…

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Easy, lovely and kind. A wreath is a good way to serve up all sorts of foods that nourish birds in the winter months. To make the wreath, you just…

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This lovely count down idea checks all the boxes: anticipation, excitement, yumminess, sensory intrigue, education – and it looks beautiful, too! And if you don’t celebrate Christmas, count all the…

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One of our favorite sweet snacks from the garden in the summertime is a handful of fresh, chompy, succulent sugar snap peas. And they’re not just delicious and healthy, they…

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The dim, brisk, wee early morning is all yours, wrapped up together in a blanket relishing silent sips of hot chocolate, ears pricked up, eyes searching the dawn greyscape, no…

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Add Sweet Woodruff (ideally before it has bloomed) to lemonade, apple juice or white wine for 45 minutes and drink in the Spring! In the words of an astute 7…

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It’s almost magical, the way some fruits and vegetables regenerate if you put their heads or feet in water – and an exciting process to witness. In some cases, you’ll…

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It’s amazing how perfectly kaleidoscopic snowflakes look when you really examine them closely. Seed pods, leaves, and dried flowers in your garden are great places to investigate – where individual…

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We definitely scream for this ice cream! It’s as easy to make as it is yummy. With the intense sweetness of condensed milk, our favorite flavor so far is raspberry…

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Turn maple syrup (or honey) into a taffy lollipop! Not only was this a scrumptious activity, it also precipitated discussions about matter changing from solid to liquid to gas and…

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You can spiral-weave anything that’s long, pliable and not too frail into a medallion. And the treasure hunt for items which meet that criteria in your own garden (or on…

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This one’s like a magic trick. A simple (looking) stick – or wand, if you will – placed in water at the end of January sprouts flowers by the time…

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Our most successful and easiest to make bird feeder yet! Coat a pine cone in peanut butter, roll it in bird seed. And hang on dainty limbs that can’t support…

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These fleeting ice beauties are a lovely way to showcase natural treasures – illuminated in the winter sun like sparkling stained glass windows. You just need treasures, string, and some…

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Dried orange slices catch the sunlight like nature’s stained glass. If you have an orange or two past their prime for eating, slice them as thinly as you can and…

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A festively adorable garden decoration for you, a bewildering smorgasbord of treats for the birds! And a really fun afternoon of nature crafting! BIRD SEED ORNAMENTS BIRD TREAT GARLANDS BIRD…

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Popcorn and fresh cranberries make a stunning indoor/outdoor garland – especially against a dark green backdrop. And the outside ones are a lovely snack for the birds. If you’re hanging…

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Especially in the winter, birds can use a little help from their friends (that’s you 🙂 ). These seed ornaments are a perfectly festive way to nourish and entertain them…

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If you’ve got some O-shaped cereal (no sugar or other stuff added), maybe a few fresh cranberries and some wire, you have the makings of a beautiful holiday ornament for…

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What does it feel like to have the biggest wings on the planet? The Wandering Albatross knows, with a wingspan of up to 12 feet! – and so can you….…

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These don’t look half bad – but their glory is in the festive, spicy-citrus scent they share. You just need an orange, a string or ribbon and 20+ cloves to…

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Protecting nature and keeping her clean are crucial ways to show our gratitude. And a beautiful thank you note is nice too…. Next time you’re exploring, collect a few treasures…

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Before you take a blower to the carpet of leaves in your garden, give your child a rake to carve some pathways. Older kids might enjoy making a formal labyrinth,…

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A single ginkgo leaf is a perfect, elegant beauty. Each November, we are lavished with a thick yellow carpet of them. To preserve at least a few, my crafty mom…

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What to do with all of those gorgeous leaves? Make them glow! You just need wax paper, an iron, construction paper, string, a twig and a battery-powered tea light. Heat…

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On a gusty Autumn day, bring some string along to an open meadow and collect an assortment of large, broad leaves (maple and oak work well). Tie them at intervals…

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Simple yet magnificent! Next time you head into the woods, bring along a 2″ x 20″ long strip of card stock (or, we stapled together 2 folded letter-sized colored paper…

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Sifting for fossils requires…… a sifter! Below are links to some easy instructions for building the ideal tool. That said, anything that separates bigger pieces from sand is a good…

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That beauty hides in the overlooked stuff is one of nature’s wonderful life lessons. Every season offers up this teaching moment. For me, an undeniable trigger is when my allergies…

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My son discovered this cool painting technique at Jacob’s Creek, where the beaches are full of red-tinged flat rocks. He pulverized them by rubbing one against another and then used…

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Using a milk carton or yogurt tub, you can make a device that gives you a fish’s eye view of the underwater world. Cut away both ends of the milk…

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If it floats, it’s a boat. The savvy shipwright might add a leaf sail to make it faster, use flatter, broader pieces to prevent it from capsizing or embellish it…

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Composing a melody has never been so easy – or fateful. You’ll need someone who knows how to read music and ideally plays a portable instrument – and 20 or…

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Everyone has his or her own way of drawing and coloring, which you can clearly see when you compare two people’s renderings of the same thing. But what if everyone’s…

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The perfect pastime when everybody needs a break – or a good laugh! One person writes down 4 or 5 sentences describing their surroundings, leaving blanks for a few key…

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Whose eyes don’t widen after their ears hear the rumble of a train? It’s just plain exciting. And if yours is the kind of little one who starts jumping up…

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You can find a few creature faces in every tree or fallen limb. Keep your eyes open and sketch your favorites. Give them a name and a personality. Then toss…

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Hold a mirror just under your eyes on top of your nose and watch the tops of the trees as you walk. It’s another world up there – that most…

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Grabs 4 sticks to outline a square patch on the ground. Then find at least 20 things in that square to describe. Then double down by breaking those sticks in…

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Dress appropriately for this one. On your way to your mud source (a few dependable spots below), gather fallen leaves, petals, grasses, anything on the ground that looks interesting. When…

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With some vines or long grasses and a pile of twigs, you can make a panda bear, a giraffe or a lion. Find a nice spot for it to live…

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Have you ever gotten to know a tree so well that you could recognize it with your eyes closed? This game is about doing exactly that. Blindfolded, your friends lead…

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Make a treasure hunt using compass coordinates on hidden notes as clues. Then see how well your friends fare! Along the way you’ll learn how to use a compass, better…

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Sometimes the best way to get from one place to another is on a NOT footpath. See if you can find special tunnels to move between footpaths. Your chances are…

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As you stroll along in search of your favorite, most idyllic setting, pick up little twigs, seed pods, pretty fallen leaves and any other natural treasure. Then plan out your…

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From June to August, when wild blueberries, wineberries, raspberries and blackberries ripen, put together a pie kit and head for your favorite berry patch. All you really need is a…

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Gather everybody’s senses and focus on nature’s details all around you as you take turns finding creatures, plants, landscape in alphabetical order. “A” is for ant, “B” is for bee,…

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