Get into Nature

As a mother I am always finding an excuse to get out side and to get into nature, I pat my self on the back that 1.) I got them out side,  2.) Nature is way more fun than any tv show. So I was excited to see that there is a book about getting outside, and into nature. Thank you to PBS for solidifying my firm belief that nature is full of inspirations. It is.

Fall is the best time to get outside, I dread the winter like most of us, so when I saw that Downtown Bookworks published this Stick and Stones book  Our family had to have it! I am grateful that Downtown Bookworks partnered with PBS Kids, they have some really neat kid activity sets if you are a PBS nerd like I am! They also have a wonderful field guide A Walk In the Woods that helped us identify our leaves, trees, rocks and a snake that was coiled up along the trail, which my boys were like can we keep it? NO!

I felt more inspired about getting into nature. Into The field Guide A Walk in the Woods is jam packed with content that will help even the most curious mind understand the habitat of the "woods." I just wanted to do some fun cheap children crafts that they could really connect learning and art together. I plan on using these books for our son's 5'th birthday party with his pk friends, the kit has everything you need, just add sticks or rocks, or pine cones and let them create! an easy art activity!

What is it about being outside in nature that makes you feel amazing? I feel like a million bucks when I take my kids onto a trail, it soothes and calms my soul. Families bound better when they are outside don't you think? What better way to make some memories than being out side on a trail. While we were walking my oldest daughter was talking about fairies that live in nature, I was half listening, and half watching my younger sons walk together, and all of the sudden while my daughter was talking,  a gentle breeze flowed by and gently leaves started to fall at the same time for a perfect mother daughter moment,  Thank you Fairies!   It was one of those memories that I will never forget, it stopped us in our foot steps as we witnessed the simple beauty that nature provides. That is what it means to get into nature, to make some memories!

We are very lucky to have a state park with in walking distance from our house, I don't know how we got so lucky but I am grateful for it. Here are some of the things we have made using nature and Downtown Bookworks inspiring books to help us.

Stick people, there are so many fun ways to make them, in the Stick and Stone Craft kit had all the inspiration to let me kids run  with the idea of making stick people. They painted them and then used washi tape for their "clothes" I have the maon jar with popcorn kernels displaying the sticks in a window sill as if they were flowers, it makes me smile. I think my kids just like seeing the transformation that googly eyes make, googly eyes transform anything ordinary into a magical creature don't you think...

 I had no idea that you could create cute little creatures out of simple things outside,  you can use anything to make some really unique critters (I'm putting these cuties on our Christmas tree when the time comes.)

We all giggled when we saw  the googly eyes transformed a simple nut, corn flower head. I shelled the nut (maybe a hazel nut, I found it on the forest floor while walking.) The shell was used as the ears, the whole inner shell was the head. Then I glued googly eyes that came with the kit.

The painted sticks were just fun to paint! we may or may not do anything with them. I know of some artists that love painting on sticks, I was inspired by one that paints on cat tail stems! it's a fun way to learn about nature even if you are a parent to a boy that loves sticks and paint.... why not combine the two.

I am always trying to find artful ways to help my kids learn, these two books solidify my belief that we can feel more deeply when we learn through hands on experience. These two kits/ books do that for our family, along with the memories that have been made from our walks in the woods.