Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, lamented that children suffer from a ''nature-deficit''. Children need to play creatively outdoors exploring, discovering, experimenting, learning to enjoy themselves in nature. I know we are supposed to turn off the cartoons but it can be hard some days. Additionally, corporate America has sent a call to parents. Young professionals are showing scars left from a childhood raised by helicopter parents. Loving parents are pushing their way into grown children's salary negotiations. Johnny shows up late at the office because Mom's phone was out therefore he didn't get his wake up call. This book offers 101 fresh ways for a care-taker of young children to take five minutes of set up time initiating creative, independent play outdoors using everyday objects found in the house or yard. These activities should not replace time spent with parents. The value of love and attention from a parent is undisputable. Rather, these creative play ideas are meant to become one part of your child's day when she can explore and experience nature independently. No need to purchase more toys, batteries or DVDs. It's all within your child and the yard. It's time to play outside!

It's Time to Play Outside

101 ways for your young child to enjoy independent fun under the sunBy Miska L. Rynsburger

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2011 Miska L. Rynsburger
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4567-3204-2

Chapter One

SUMMER

Off to the Races!

Materials: sidewalk chalk, several bug volunteers, small container

Ladies and Gentlemen (and Bugs) start your engines! Who doesn't love the thrill of a race? It appears almost instinctual, when two or more children gather together at some point there's bound to be a race. In this activity it's not actually the children racing, it's the bugs. To get the race started you will need to grab some sidewalk chalk and draw several concentric circles on the concrete. The race starting line is actually the smallest, innermost circle in the center. The finish line is the largest, outermost circle. When the lines have been drawn, give your child a little collecting container. Tell your child to go hunting for and gathering up several bugs that look like good athletes ready to show off their mad skillz. Once he has a sufficient number of bugs in his little container your child is ready to prepare his bugs for the races. Your child should carefully place all the bugs in the center circle and declare, "Runners take your mark, get set, GO!" After all the build up, now the job is to sit and watch, wait and observe. No fair budging them along. Likely one bug will start moving, any direction is appreciated and soon the rest will follow. You'll hear your child cheering the racers on, getting louder and louder as one pushes toward the finish line. Soon, your child can declare a winner. Once all the racers have crossed the finish line your child should carefully collect the exhausted little athletes and retire them back to where they were found. Round two can begin with a new group of fresh racers who are raring to go. When the activity concludes be sure to ask your child who he had expected to win and why? What surprised him during the race? The more your child can practice verbalizing the details of his experiences the better. This helps your child's brain recall the order of the event, what his expectations were as well as what he learned and concluded from the activity. These are all great skills for the budding learner.

Summer Stream

Materials: hose, dirt, sticks, stones

Whether it's the happy bubbling sounds or the fact that water is constantly changing form, I have never found a child who is not attracted to a stream. I believe it is one of the laws of nature. You put your children by a stream and within 60 seconds those little explorers will be wandering about in the water; shoes, no shoes, it doesn't matter. It's as if they can't help themselves. Sadly, not all of us are fortunate enough to raise children with a happily, bubbling brook in the backyard. That doesn't have to stop you from allowing your kids to enjoy the exploration of moving water. If you can't bring your children to a stream, why not bring the stream to your children? Simple enough right? Unwind that garden hose on a warm, summer day. Find a spot in the yard that has a slope, keeping in mind the bigger the slope the more fun experimenting your children will have. Crank the hose on and let that water begin cascading down the slope or backyard hill. While the water is saturating the earth, your children can prepare for the fun by each filling a bucket with dirt. Their task will be to help shape the stream by building low walls along the edge of the water path. The real fun begins by creating a dam. Encourage your children to use sticks, stones and mud to help strengthen the force of the dam. Are they able to stop the flow of water? Did they redirect the path of the water with the dam? Or was a waterfall created? What happens when your children change the force of the water from the hose a little slower or a little faster? Float a variety of objects down the stream to see what objects float the farthest or fastest in the water. The possibilities are endless. What a great way to experience the joys of water right in your own backyard.

Ant Restaurant

Materials: scrap of cardboard or tag board, few condiments from the kitchen, paper, pencil

Ants are a marvel to children. Unfortunately, children are a nightmare to ants as soon as those curious, little fingers can start pinching. Young children love to watch these little, black dots bustling busily around on the sidewalk. Alas, these little, black, moving dots are often not quite fast enough to escape the reach of an inquisitive baby. I'm sorry to say our family has had a good many ants that have lost their lives in the name of science at the hands of our little 10-month-old scientists. With a little more direction that young scientist, now with a few more years of life experience and a deeper level of empathy, can carry out a much more humane experiment on these amazing, little creatures. Over a meal, talk with your child about what foods he would expect an ant to prefer to eat and why (I know, you never saw yourself discussing bugs' diets over a meal but, here you are). Have your child choose four foods from the pantry or refrigerator he expects ants might like to eat. Help him put a quarter sized blob on a piece of cardboard or tag board. Now your child must head for the yard in search of a hungry looking group of ants. They can be found in the grass, the sidewalk, a bike path (although be wary of the bike path, bikers can be found there as well), or the driveway. Once a good colony has been identified, set the restaurant within "ant sniffing" distance and have your child observe, no pinching this time please. You may encourage your entomologist to list each food used and tally how many ants chose each delicacy. How did they do with their predictions? Were they surprised?

*hint: in order to help your child achieve a certain level of success in this experiment be sure he chooses something sweet; for example syrup, molasses, sugar granules, etc.

Singing in the Rain

Materials: any and all umbrellas you can find in the house, one lawn chair per child

There's something about the tap, tap, tapping of the rain falling on an umbrella that almost seems magical to young children. Unfortunately, parents are not able control the precipitation outdoors. On a warm, summer afternoon when it seems your child's outdoor creative play could use a little shot in the arm, grab all the umbrellas in the house including the biggest one you have. Can you find any extra large sized umbrellas like a beach umbrella or old, patio umbrella? Set the largest umbrella you could find in the middle of the yard (by now, your children's curiosity is sure to be piqued. Don't let them know what you're up to at this point. Let the suspense build). You may find you want to have the large umbrella standing straight up or simply lay it on its side. Place one lawn chair for each child half in and half out of this large umbrella. Attach any other umbrellas to these chairs with ropes, bungee cords or wiggled between the fabric strips of the chair. Tell your children to take a seat in a chair and then turn on the sprinkler so it hits the umbrellas. That's all it takes. The novelty of something so different, the feel of the water and the sound of the `raindrops on the umbrellas' will stir the imagination enough for tons of afternoon fun. Head back into the house and watch as your children challenge themselves running in and out of the water trying to dodge the "summer rain drops". At times they might just sit a spell and listen to the sound of the falling rain hitting the umbrellas. Now, about that laundry....

Car/Bike Wash

Materials: dirty car or bikes, sponges, hose, soapy bubbles

Something about dirty cars, hoses and kids that just seem to go together on a hot, summer day. Of course, you ask your husband and he'll probably tell you it is cars, hoses and bikini clad women but that's another book. Rather than taking your car through the car wash, stay at home and enlist the help of your children. Get everyone dressed in old play clothes (that flattened Mayfly on the grill just doesn't look so hot on your daughter's new, summer dress) and fill a bucket with soapy water. Turn on the hose and they can start washing. A word of caution about water with play, if your children are young or nutty, thrill seekers this activity must be supervised closely. A bucket with only two inches of water can pose a danger for young ones. Once the car is suds up, start blasting the hose. I've completed this stage before realizing the moon roof on top of the car had been wide open. You'd think the water cascading inside the car would have tipped me off but apparently not. Learn from my mistake and keep all windows, sun roofs and those sneaky moon roofs closed right from the start. While I can't claim to be an auto detailing expert, I do know that all the soap must be rinsed off the paint of the car. Therefore, it would be wise to intervene at the end of this activity to ensure all the soap has been washed off your squeaky clean car. If one looks closely, one would notice that our car is often cleaned in rainbow streaked patterns from about 4 feet and down. Above that line the dust, squished bugs and bird droppings are often untouched. Our cars will look better as our children get taller. If you don't want the concern of a half washed car have your children wash their bikes. Bikes are always dirty and your child will be able to reach from the top to the bottom for a complete cleaning.

Worm Hotel

Materials: moist soil, dark cloth, a few lucky worms

Has it been raining for forty days and forty nights? Forget the ark. You're probably all about ready to hop aboard the crazy train! What you may not know is that, under these conditions, your yard is teeming with hundreds of worms crawling up from out of the dirt in search of air to breathe and buddies to save them. We're quickly going from bad to worse aren't we? Before you're completely disgusted and turn the page, allow me a few more minutes. If there is a small break in the rain clouds you can send your children out on an important rescue mission. Cover them up with rubber boats, rain coats, whatever the weather requires and let them know someone needs to save those poor worms in the yard. The worms have come crawling out of the dirt because the rain water has flooded their tunnels and homes. Consequently, they can't breathe. They come squiggling out of their dark world and enter the world above in search of fresh air. Unbeknownst to them when the rain clouds dissipate and the sun begins to shine again these little guys will be sitting ducks if they happen to be on any form of cement at the time. They will fry faster than your Aunt Margie can whip up some scrambled eggs, might not look much better either. Your child can fill a glass bowl or large, glass jar with loose soil. When the jar is full he should stir the dirt with a stick to ensure there's plenty of fresh air for the incoming occupants. Now the new residence is ready for those insane worms who thought they could take on the concrete. Don't let your child go overboard. He should choose a humane amount of worms to save. Your child can carefully set the worms on top of the dirt and watch as they acclimate themselves to their new home. Soon your child will probably naturally seek out a few sticks and leaves to add, creating some nice ambiance for the worms. If you decide to allow your child to 'overnight' with the worms be sure to cover the jar with a dark cloth to allow the moisture to stay in the hotel. Nobody likes a cooked pet, even if it is a worm.

Good Ole' Daisy Chain

Materials: Daisies or Dandelions, fairy dust (bag of glitter or sugar)

This activity is a favorite, time honored outdoor pass time and can be used to help a child transform her world into a land of flowers and fairies. It does require nimble fingers, however. In order for this activity to be completed independently your child will need to be very comfortable and confident with tying a knot. If that skill is not in place I'm afraid you'll find your child in a frustrated, befuddled mess of stems, stains and tears. Your child can prepare for the fun by picking a large bouquet of daisies or dandelions (a great way to rid the yard of some stubborn weeds for a day or two). Keep the stems as long as possible. Demonstrate for your child how to tie the bottom of one flower stem to the top of another stem, just below the flower head. When the knot is complete your child has the first chain link. She can continue tying one flower stem to the previous flower just below the head. When she feels the flower chain is long enough for a headband, wristband, necklace or sash your child can tie the last two flower end pieces together. Before setting her new tiara and bracelet in place your child may want to get dressed up in her "fairy clothes" to help get the imagination and creative thinking rolling. With her new adornments your flower fairy will be ready to begin spreading magic throughout the yard. One more long stemmed flower can serve as her magic wand. Give your dressed up fairy a little bit of magic, fairy dust a.k.a. bag-o-glitter. If glitter is not handy at the moment a little bit of sugar in a baggie will also work. While it's not ideal for your child to have easy access to sugar, ingesting too much salt can actually be dangerous. If you see your fairy licking her fairy dust rather than sprinkling throughout the kingdom you may be better off to forego the magic fairy dust this time. Encourage your fairy to attach any dandelion or clover flower she can find to trees braches, bushes and tree bark. She can fly around the yard bringing about summertime to the land.

Mud Pies

Materials: aluminum pie plates or paper plate bowls, spoons, pitcher of water, measuring cup

Just finished dinner? Now you're hoping to clear the table, load the dishwasher, get a little laundry done and straighten the house aren't you? Setting the bar pretty high. On those days when it really matters, it might be time to pull out the big guns. Tell your children dessert is their responsibility tonight. Get them set up in their "kitchen", or area of the yard with some dirt that could stand a little extra moisture. They'll need a pitcher of water and some aluminum pie plates. If you don't have a fresh supply of disposable pie plates hanging around the cupboards, paper plate bowls or disposable plasticware works pretty well too. Each child will also need a spoon and if you can part with it, the measuring cup which will allow them to practice with concepts like volume and liquid measurements. Tell your children their task will be to bake up a whole fresh supply of mud pies for all to enjoy. What could be better for dessert? As your chefs are whipping up their concoctions you'll find you've got time to fly through your tasks. Children love being involved in the cooking process to any given degree. You'll see them adding a yummy smattering of goodies to the recipe that began with merely water and dirt. There they are happily creating, stirring, sharing and playing. Before you know it the house is in great shape, you've had a chance to read the article in the paper you could only glance at this morning and you've even returned a few calls. The best part, for those muddy little folks outside? By the time you call them in it's bath time.

Shmuk Tag

Materials: large sponge, several buckets of water

Tag is a time honored game that is a delightful mix of racing and catching your opponent. A form of tag is really one of the first games babies enjoy playing. Ever see adults hide behind their hands and ask, "Where did Momma go?" "Peek-a-boo!" Yup. Baby form of tag. Shmuk tag is a version of tag that is best played outside in the summertime on a hot day. Grab a few buckets from the sand box and fill them up with water. Set the buckets throughout the yard in locations that mark the boundaries of play. The person who is "it" is given the biggest sponge you are able to find, like car washing kind. The objective for the sponge bearer is to get that sponge soaking wet and throw it on one of the runners. Faces are off limits. If one of the runners gets shmuked he becomes "it". In this version of tag there's no disagreements about whether or not a runner's been hit. If you've got a wet spot, you've been shmuked.

*variation: if you've got children of different ages and varying abilities, some might be a little young for the speed and agility needed to play tag. They might enjoy playing toss with the big, wet sponge instead. Place a bucket at the feet of each participant. Each bucket should be filled with water at a comfortable temperature. Set your young players close together as that big, wet sponge can be quite a heavy load. Saturate the sponge, hand it off to an eager child and let the tossing begin. Your children will find this activity a fun way to practice eye hand coordination all the while staying cool on a hot afternoon. A word of caution with water play and young children; anytime you add water in your children's play, close supervision is necessary. Accidents happen easily and quickly.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from It's Time to Play Outsideby Miska L. Rynsburger Copyright © 2011 by Miska L. Rynsburger. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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