Cool Things to Do Outside from Lynn Brunelle
3 June 2009
by Lynn Brunelle, the author of Camp Out! A Kids’ Guide
Whether you’re camping in the backwoods or pitching a tent in the backyard there are countless adventures awaiting you. Open your eyes, use your imagination, and discover the amazing world of nature right outside your back door. Here are five fun things to do when you get outside. Check them out. Then see what kind of adventures you come up with yourself.
1. Check out the Seedy Side of Things. The next time you’re out in a field or a meadow, put a pair of socks on OVER your hiking boots and take a wander. At the end, take a peek at what kind of seedy hitchhikers you have picked up. See if your socks give you a clue about how plants compete in a crowded world—how do they get their seeds to travel if they don’t have legs?
Then observe those seeds in action:
- put them in a plastic baggie
- spritz them with some water
- put them in the sun
What happens after a few days?
2. Craft a Pond Peeper. If you find yourself by a pond or a tidepool, make a Pond Peeper by taking out both ends of a big coffee can (get a grownup to help you) and placing a large sheet of plastic wrap over one end. Use 4 to 5 rubber bands to secure the plastic wrap around the can. Now you can place this tool in the water and see things up close and personal without getting your face wet.
Use your observations of the pond to make something new. You could start a field journal to record all the plants and animals you see in the pond. Or make an art exhibit of what you see. Take pictures through the Peeper. What other ideas can you come up with?
3. Invent Your Own Constellation. There’s nothing like just looking up into the evening sky and being amazed by all those stars twinkling above us. Night time is a wonderful time to learn about the ancient myths and stories and the constellations. It’s also a great time to open up your imagination and see your own star pictures and make up stories about them. Look for “The Marshmallow Stealer,” a star grouping that looks like a raccoon roasting a marshmallow on a stick. Can you find “Surfer Falling,” a beach-time favorite? What constellations do you see? Find your own to make up stories about.
4. Make some Campsite Pictographs. I don’t go anywhere without a box of chalk. It’s a great thing to have on hand for budding storytellers. Like the ancient tribes of the Southwest, you can create symbols and drawings to decorate rocks in and around camp. The chalk shows up nicely and in the end washes off with rain. It’s an eco-friendly way to connect with our ancestors.
5. Use the sun to tell time. You can make a sundial out of something as simple as a stick in the ground. Or make a portable one out of a recycled coffee cup and a straw:
- Poke a hole in the side of the cup about an inch below the rim.
- Thread the straw through the hole and through the center of your lid so the straw sits at a 45 degree angle.
- Now find north.
If you don’t have a compass, how can you find north? Here’s a clue: Where is the sun rising and setting?
- Line the straw up so it points north.
- Make marks on the lid every hour and write the time.
You can take your sundial anywhere—line up the straw to the North and VOILA! You have a portable camp clock.
