Slacker Saturday — Bug Hunt

Bug hunting is probably one of Emily’s favorite activities. Even if it’s raining outside, she likes to hunt for bugs inside the house! I think she inherited this bug-loving gene mostly from Mark. Although when I was a kid, I was known to have a fascination with caterpillars, but I think most kids are naturally […]

Slacker Saturday — Dandelion Bouquets

Do you remember how all the flowers seemed so beautiful when you were a kid — even the dandelions? That is the concept behind today’s Slacker Saturday activity. Today we made dandelion bouquets. Emily got to spend lots of time outside, and we have the added benefit of enjoying a dandelion-free lawn! Send the kids out […]

$5 Friday — Outdoor Tea Party

We have been blessed with some beautiful weather lately, so we started our day collecting twigs to make a trivet. Somehow this led to an endless tea party with Emily pretending that the trivet was an outdoor stove. I love how one project leads to another one like that. This went on for a long […]

Park Love

Today’s visit to the park was full of activities, and it did not cost us a dime. We enjoyed tree climbing, tree hugging, dog petting, leaf studying, bird feeding, squirrel watching, leisurely walking, rock picking, and nature listening. Emily picked a few rocks to bring home from our trip. With a little inspiration from Painting […]

Nature Packs!

If you are looking for some cheap entertainment this summer, you may not have to look any further than your own backyard. To help foster some outdoor time for Emily, I asked her to gather some things from around the house to make her own nature pack. She is very excited to go on an […]

Inexpensive Field Guides for Tots

When I took Emily to the book store the other night, we looked for some field guides to add to her backpack for nature hikes, but they were very expensive. I found a great way to make a more child-friendly version. It is simple and easy to make yourself. To make your own bird field […]