NATURE RUBBINGS

Art and the outdoors: what a great combination.
Getting children curious about the natural world and being outdoors, even if they aren't a sporty type of person, is what this activity is all about.

Materials: Thin paper, crayons and pencils.
Children to place paper over objects and rub with crayons and pencils.
Try tree trunks, acorns, rocks, fences, bricks, anything with texture. Discover what works as a textural surface and what does not work, what is nature and what is man made. Talk about what are man made objects.

PHOTO thanks to yell.com
LINKED AT: Outdoor Play Link Up
Garden Journal

Blowing Bubbles

Bubble blowing is a wonderful activity for all ages, to watch or create, from babies to great grandads and grandmas. We always have a wonderful time of learning and discovery whenever we make up our bubble blowing mixture for outdoor play time.

For avid learners who want to know more about the science of bubbles:
A soap bubble is a thin film of soapy water that encloses air, forming a sphere with an iridescent surface.
When light shines onto a bubble it appears to change colour. The colours seen in a soap bubble are from interference of light reflecting off the front and back surfaces of the film. Depending on the thickness of the film, different colours are seen.

RECIPES for bubble mix, ACTIVITIES, SONGS, BOOKS and the SCIENCE OF BUBBLES all at 52 days to explore

I'm forever blowing bubbles...

Shadow Play

On a sunny day watch your shadow and see what it can do.

HOW TO: 

• Find a sunny open area to stand in with no trees or big structures around. 

• Find the sun and turn your back to it.

• Your shadow should be in front of you.

• A lot depends on what time of day it is:  

       - if the sun is low in the sky your shadow will be long.
       - if the sun is high in the sky your shadow will be short.


MORE ACTIVITIES:

If you are feeling patient, stand very still and see if someone can draw around your shadow.

Shadow Shapes for older children

Shadow puppets at night

Me and my shadow,
Strolling down the avenue,
Me and my shadow,
Not a soul to tell our troubles to . . .

And when it’s twelve o’clock,
We climb the stair,
We never knock,
For nobody’s there . . .

Perry Como

Hula Hoops

We found some great hula hoops that are shiny, multi coloured and make a noise when you shake them or spin them or roll them. 
We put out 6 and the children had lots of fun making up things to do with them without any adult input.

Playing with hoops: public domain image

Parachute songs and games

Parachute songs and games are great to do outdoors.
You only need 2 or 3 ideas to keep everyone involved.

Dandelion Clocks

Blowing dandelion clocks.
1 o'clock... 2 o'clock...3 o'clock...
The number of puffs needed to blow the filamentous achenes from a dandelion is supposed to tell the time.
Try again with another dandelion.