Outdoor Activities

  • Toad Cottages

    July 31, 2017 Toad Cottages

    I saw this idea in a book we checked out from the library recently, “Toad Cottages and Shooting Stars” by Sharon Lovejoy, and thought it was just the cutest! Such a simple and fun summertime craft for kids of any age! Around our house the kids are always finding little critters under rocks and flowerpots ...

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  • Mushroom Spore Prints

    October 27, 2016 Mushroom Spore Prints

    Did you ever make MUSHROOM SPORE PRINTS as a kid? They’re super-easy to make and super-beautiful! Lately the girls and I have found lots of mushrooms around the yard, at L’s school, and when out hiking in the woods! Mushroom spore prints are so mush fun to make…you’ll be out looking for mushrooms everywhere you go! When looking for mushrooms, ...

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  • Homemade Elder-Blossom Nectar

    June 15, 2016 Homemade Elder-Blossom Nectar

    Inspiration for our HOMEMADE ELDER-BLOSSOM NECTAR came from one of my favorite children books, “Linnea’s Almanac” by Christina Bjork and Lena Anderson. L rediscovered the Linnea books a couple weeks ago and has been poring over each page. In the July section of the book is a recipe for Elder-Blossom Nectar. Since I had never ...

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  • Tin Can Telephone

    May 19, 2016 Tin Can Telephone

    Now I know this craft, toy, activity is as old as they come, but how many of you have actually made a TIN CAN TELEPHONE for your kids yet!?! L has been begging for weeks for us to make one and today was the day! It was so quick and easy to put together and ...

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  • Pajama Walks & Dandelion Walks

    May 10, 2016 Pajama Walks & Dandelion Walks

    A couple years ago, our family started going on “Pajama Walks” during the warmer months of the year. They’re not something we do on a daily basis, but maybe once every couple of weeks. Pajama walks are perfect for nights when the kids have been really good, dinner was on the early side, and you ...

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  • DIY Nature Frame

    February 23, 2016 DIY Nature Frame

    Is your child a nature collector or, as Pippi Longstocking would say, a “thing finder”? If so, the DIY Nature Frame is the perfect project for them! Just about every day of the year, L fills our stroller, our wagon, or our pockets with things she finds on walks. We could be going for a ...

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  • DIY Bird Nesting Kit

    February 12, 2016 DIY Bird Nesting Kit

    The “DIY Bird Nesting Kit” is the perfect project for little hands and little helpers! L and I made three kits this week: two gifts and one to hang in our own backyard, next to our DIY Tin Can Bird Feeder. It took less than a day for our feathered-friends to find it and start ...

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  • Snow Paint Fun

    January 28, 2016 Snow Paint Fun

    This activity is so easy, so simple, it almost seems silly to write a blog post on it…but people have asked, so here it is! Earlier this week, we had  35 inches of snow fall in our area and it’s given us an opportunity to do anything and everything snow-related…we’ve built igloos and tunnels, gone sledding, ...

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  • Mixed-media Fall Art

    October 21, 2015 Mixed-media Fall Art

    We have some glorious October weather in Virginia this week…cool mornings, sunny days, and brilliant leaves falling from our trees! L’s been painting outside these days, in a world of October color! Yesterday she made a beautiful fall tree using acrylics, melted crayons, and a sprinkle of “leaf glitter” (tiny pieces of actually leaves). The outcome is ...

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  • DIY Toy Sail Boat

    September 3, 2015 DIY Toy Sail Boat

    One evening this summer, while we were getting ready for bath time, L pulled a wine cork out of her pocket. She had been saving it all day to float it around and play with in the bath tub. That got me thinking…I knew with a few toothpicks and some leaves we could turn her ...

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