Going Stir Crazy Inside? Your Own Backyard Can Be a Bountiful Playground of Wild Wonder!

Whether you are living in a traditional home or have a small RV like we do, we are sheltering in place to help stop the spread of this pandemic.  As spring blooms in many parts of our gorgeous country, it’s difficult to stay fully inside.  Remember, your backyard or the area immediately surrounding your RV can be full of discovery opportunities. 

As both Outdoor and Environmental Educators, we have used these fun, learning activities with kids of all ages.  These lessons are designed to build science, writing, art, and communication skills, but the best part is that most kids don’t even realize they are learning!  Each activity can be adapted to the age and skill level of your kids, and only require simple tools that you most likely have in your home. These activities can be adapted to use along a trail or in a nearby park, just make sure there aren’t many people around so that you are staying safe.  And, when you are finished with the activity, WASH YOUR HANDS!

Backyard Phenology

Phenology is the study of plant and animal life cycles and how these are influenced by the seasons.  Sometimes we are too busy scurrying around from place to place to notice these annual seasonal changes taking place in our own backyard.  Take advantage of this extra time at home -- being in one place for what could be many weeks.  These activities can be as stress relieving as gardening or coloring or knitting and are designed to enhance observation and identification skills, with a twist of fun and community connection!

Step 1: Observation. Each day (or every couple of days) jot down the changes that you see in your own back and front yards.  Are there new buds?  What flowers are blooming?  Which trees/shrubs got new leaves?  What insects or critters are crawling or flying?  What birds are coming to your feeder or are simply in your yard?  Where is the sun rising/setting from your vantage point?  Are there patterns that happen each morning, afternoon, or evening?  For instance, is there dew on leaves and grass each morning?   Record all of the observations you make along with the date, time of day, temperature, barometric pressure, and general weather.  You can even make your own rain gauge. 

Step 2: Recording.  For budding scientists, record this information in a notebook or spreadsheet.  For writers, develop a story or poem about the changes they observe.  For artists and photographers, drawing detailed pictures or creating a photo journal can be a very special way to remember the “good” part of this crisis.

Step 3: Identification.  Identify what you’ve observed!  Depending on the age of your child, this will vary.  For young kids, simply ask them what they would call a plant, bug, bird based on its attributes (color, special characteristics, patterns, etc.).  What does it remind you of?  The sillier the better can be really fun!  One season, while interning as an Education Ranger at Acadia National Park, one of the Park Rangers we worked with shared that a child on her afternoon hike identified a type of lichen as “avocado food fight.”  We’ll never forget it!  While the internet has thousands of resources to help identify what you find around you, here are a few we love.  

Identification Apps:
iNaturalist - Great for Animals, Insects and Plants, also getting connected to other Naturalists and contributing to the field of observation. 
iBird - One of the best bird ID apps out there, we use it all the time. 
Picture This - Great for plant ID, take a picture of leaves, flowers, etc. and learn more about the species.
Butterfly Collection - Mostly moths and butterflies, but great for knowing what might be flitting about.

Other ID Resources:
North Carolina Environmental Education Resources
Dichotomous Keys - A quick google search unlocks thousands for your young naturalist, from plants, to insects, to types of animal tracks. 

Step 4: Sharing. If your relatives and friends are willing to do the same thing in their own yards, the opportunities for sharing can be endless! There are a myriad of ways this can be done electronically and you can find out what’s happening in other parts of the city or even country, all from the comfort of your home.

Soil Census

It’s census time for the US; so why not take a census of what’s in your backyard?  For older kids, budding scientists, or those who easily focus on details, this activity will help them take their observation skills to the next level.  This can be done daily or every couple of days, much like the activity above.  The difference is that this activity is focused on a chosen 3 ft x 3 ft space on the ground in your yard – you can even use a hula hoop to section off the space.  Observe and count everything that occupies that space, such as: rocks, lichen, plants, insects, leaves, seeds, sticks, etc.  Be sure to measure plant/flower height and count the buds and leaves.  Record all of the observations you make along with the date, time of day, temperature, barometric pressure, and general weather.  Repeat this process each day in the same space, at approximately the same time of day, and note the changes.  Were there half as many insects (or three times as many) as the day before?  Is there anything new or anything absent?  Has anything grown taller or died?  This activity can be absolutely addicting for some detail-oriented kids!

Nature Scavenger Hunt

This naturalist activity can be taken in a variety of directions.  You (or your kids) choose a daily theme (e.g., rocks, flowers, lichen, leaves, sticks, seeds, bugs, etc.) and each child collects as many different types as they can in 15 mins.  Then, have them share what they find, identify them, and maybe create a work of art from the things they find.  Note:  We encourage collecting photos of living things such as plants and insects. They are trying to recover from winter, so you don’t want to harm them at this crucial time of year.

Backyard Bingo

This activity is similar to the scavenger hunt above, but instead of a theme, each player has a “bingo card” with one item listed in each square.  For younger kids, use things that are easy for them to identify (e.g., pointy leaf, pink flower, layered rock, yellow lichen, bee, ant, fly).  For older kids, the categories can be more scientific in nature (willow leaf, petunia, sedimentary rock, sunburst lichen, etc. )  Establish a time frame for the game, and set them loose in the backyard.  The winner is the one who gets Bingo first.  And, of course, have a prize ready!

Soil Composition

Find 2 large mason jars with a tight-fitting lids.  Identify two different locations in your yard, and label the jars with a description of the location (near the fence, by the back door, near the flower bed, etc.)  For each location, scoop up enough soil to fill half the jar, then add water until the jar in about three quarters full.  Shake well and let sit for 2-3 hours.  Without shaking the jars, record observations about what is happening in each jar.  Let the jars sit overnight and record observations the next morning.  What has changed?  Allow the jars to sit for 3 days and check them again.  At this point, the soil in each jar should have settled into 3 distinct sections which represent sand, silt, and clay.  Have the kids measure each section with a measuring tape or ruler and then estimate the percentage of sand, silt, and clay for each jar.  Record additional observations.  Did you know that 1 TBSP soil has 7 billion living things in it?!?

The Color of Sand
Get a few small jars/cups and fill each with a small amount of sand from different parts of your yard, playground, beach, etc.  Get out the magnifying glass and have the kids examine what they see.  Have them write down all the colors that they can see in the sand: green, white, yellow, red, blue, and more!  Do this for each area from which you scooped sand.  How are they different?  Ask them why they think sand is full of color.  How does sand form?  What sort of things make up sand: shells, minerals, different colored rocks, etc.?  Watch out...they'll never look at a beach, playground, or even desert the same way.

Life Rings
Find a fallen tree where you can clearly see the rings.  Most kids are aware that if you count the rings in a fallen tree, you can identify its age.  Some lines are thicker (strong growing season), some are almost non-existent (tough growing season).  Ask them why they think the lines are different and what environmental conditions would constitute a strong vs. tough growing season (e.g., drought vs. plenty of water, good sunlight vs. too much shade, fire, insect infestation, bad air quality, etc.)

Get a large piece of paper and some colored pens/pencils.  Have the kids draw their own "tree rings."  Then, have them identify and label some special years that they remember -- maybe those where they learned something new (music, sport, academic skill, etc.), experienced pain from the loss of a family member, friend, or pet, the years that you went on a cool vacation, and more.   Ask them to make those labeled lines thin or thick depending on how they felt about the situation (strong growing season or tough growing season). The more notations the better!  

If you want to continue this activity, have them add "future rings" and have them dream what they hope for their future.  They can add as many rings as they want.  Be sure to keep these charts visible, they can make a great conversation piece for later in life.

Decomposition Mission:  Identify the F.B.I.’s

Have each child find 3 of the same type of living thing, each in a different state of decay (e.g., leaves, flowers, sticks, berries, seeds, etc.).  For example, for leaves, find a fresh green leaf, another that has fallen but not yet decomposed, and a third one that is nearly completed decayed.  Bring them back and ask them to identify which F.B.I.’s (fungus, bacteria, and invertebrates) caused these living things to decompose. Once they’ve identified the decomposers, have them draw or photograph each object and write a story, poem, or scientific paragraph about what they think happened to their objects as they decayed.  You may even be inspired to start a compost pile!

Late Night Howl

We got this idea from a friend in Mill Valley, CA.  At 8pm last Saturday night, everyone in his neighborhood went outside and howled at the top of their lungs.  The “Mill Valley Howl” was so much fun, it is now a nightly tradition!

You can take this idea up a notch by having your kids research which nocturnal animals make night sounds and then encourage people in your neighborhood to do the same.  At a specified time, everyone goes outside to hoot and howl to their hearts content.  It’s a way to stay connected with your neighbors, even just once a day.  And, your kids will learn all about the cool creatures that come out at night.

Constellation Bed-Time Stories

Instead of just watching TV every night and playing games online, take this time at home to learn about the night sky, without any fancy equipment or telescopes necessary.  There are many online resources available that will help you identify the constellations you are seeing from your backyard, such as the Star Tracker and Star Walk 2 apps.  Each night, chose a new constellation to study. Look up the story behind each constellation and read the myths and legends about the stars. Within a couple of weeks, you’ll have learned all about the constellations above you!

Other Outdoor Education Resources:
https://www.acornnaturalists.com/
https://chewonki.org/https://chewonki.org/
https://ncascades.org/signup/schools/mountain-school/mountain-school-at-home
https://bangordailynews.com/2020/03/18/act-out/6-educational-outdoor-family-activities-to-try-during-the-pandemic/