It's no secret that water play–pouring, scooping, splashing–is a great way to engage young children, and the perfect way to stay cool on a hot day. But exploring moving water can add a whole new dimension to this play. If you are lucky enough to have access to a creek or stream (or even the side of …
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Family Fun Connections: A Bird Checklist for Young Birders
Just in time for summer vacation, we've added a new resource to our Birding in Maine page: The Maine Birds Checklist for Young Birders (pdf). This photographic checklist features forty common species and includes extra information about each bird's behavior and diet, making it a useful tool both as …
Family Fun Connections: Take another look
Happy summer! Were you told that “only boring people get bored” as a kid, too? As much as I've tried to take this to heart with my own parenting, these are unusual circumstances and some of our everyday routines are starting to feel a little stale. Time for some fresh …
Family Fun Connections: Move like an animal
I don't know if it's the changing weather, a bit of cabin fever, or both, but lately my household has been feeling a serious need to move! If that's true for your family, try taking a few minutes to slither, hop, and run along to this “Move Like an Animal” song in the video below: Then, to …
Family Fun Connections: Shapes and Symmetry
Nature provides so many great ways to explore math concepts, and shapes and symmetry are a perfect place to start. After all, complex forms and patterns have been present in nature much longer than people have been around to describe them! Watch this week's video for a symmetrical butterfly art …
Family Fun Connections: Exploring Color
Nature is colorful year-round, if you know where and how to look. But there's something about the deepening shades of green in late spring, plus the pops of color from each new blooming tree, flower, or shrub, that make this a particularly nice time to explore color. Let's dig …
Family Fun Connections: Neighborhood Trees
As we've gotten better acquainted with the trees we pass on our daily walks around the neighborhood, I love that they're starting to stand out as individuals. In the past I've talked about spotting differences as a precursor to identifying species, but those same skills are what have led to noticing …
Family Fun Connections: Exploring Texture
If you've ever been in a store, public bathroom, or museum with a young child, you know their urge to touch everything is strong. The good news is that, barring exceptions like poison ivy, nature is full of opportunities for truly hands-on exploration! Touching and manipulating the natural world …
Family Fun Connections: Animal Homes and Nests
One unexpected outcome of spending all this extra time at home has been seeing what other creatures find shelter in my neighborhood, too! This week, my challenge to you is to look for places where wildlife live, hide, and nest all around you. And once you see something, take a closer look! What I …