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This weekend, find a local farm to visit. Since it’s springtime, chances are you’ll get to see some calves, lambs, or kids while you’re there.    Photo by carolwerner   

All you need for this creative activity are some smooth pebbles, canvas boards, and twigs. Click here to find out how to get started. 

This weekend, head outdoors with your favorite color of chalk and get creative! If you don’t have a paved driveway or sidewalk, ask around to see if there’s somewhere else you could draw. The local churches, the  library, or a  community center might be willing to share their space, especially if you have a group …

Grab your cameras and cell phones! Using forced perspective, you can create photos with fun optical illusions. For ideas and more information on how to get started, check out these sites:  Easy Trick Photography Even a Kid Can Do  Secret Tip: Forced Perspective Photography 7 Tips for Creating Excellent Forced Perspective Photographs 

This activity will challenge students to see things from a different perspective as they practice writing creatively. Here’s what to do:  Instruct the students to take notebooks and pencils and head outside. Next, have each student locate a crawling insect (no flying insects as they are too difficult to follow).  Students are to follow that …

This weekend, find a creek in a park and follow it. Take a phone or camera along to photograph what you find.    Photo by Anugama

This week, take a few minutes to review the water cycle. Then head outside as a class to find evidence of it. Here are come good reference sites: National Geographic – “Water Cycle” Nasa – “Precipitation Education” Peer – “The Water Cycle” Photo by Erean

This weekend, make your own butterfly feeder. There are lots of directions for different types of feeders online. Here’s one to try. All you need is a plastic 2-liter bottle, a hole punch, a needle, some string, hot glue and a glue gun, a cotton ball, and some artificial flowers. Other DIY feeders you can …

This week, take your class out on a sensory walk. Start with a short lesson about the five sense. Then, take your students outside with notebooks and pencils. Have them record the things they feel, hear, see, and smell. They could also include what they would taste if they were tasting things. Come back together …

This week, help your students kick off their own gardens by starting seeds indoors! To begin, provide students with a list of plants that do well when started indoors. You can find the list here. Then check the planting calendar for your area. Simply put in your zip code to find out the best time …

What wild birds live near your home? Take a walk in a park and see what feathers you can find. Then try to identify them using The Feather Atlas by the Fish and Wildlife Service.     Photo by Bryan Hanson  

This week, head outside during reading time! Whether students are reading alone or in groups, have them take their books outdoors to read in the fresh air. It’s a whole different kind of reading experience! When you go back inside, discuss the differences the students noticed between reading outside and reading in the classroom. Which …

This weekend, plan a scavenger hunt in your own neighborhood. The night before, make a list of all the things your children need to look for. They can include: A dogA catA bicycleA street sign A house with an attached garageA squirrel Swing set A blue car A fire hydrantSomething that begins with the letter …

Supplies needed: one magnet per studentnotebookspencils This week, head outside to the playground with magnets, paper, and pencils. Together, name all of the objects on the playground and have the students write them down. Next, have the students decide if they think the objects are magnetic or not. If they think an object is magnetic, …

Nothing warms the heart on cold days like sitting around a campfire with friend and family. And if you’re going to be making a campfire, it’s time to make s’mores! If you can’t make a campfire in your backyard, don’t worry. You can use the sun to make your s’mores! Photo by shebaduhkitty

Valentine’s Day is almost here, so this week, send your students out to find some hearts in nature. Take along a camera; when a student discovers a heart-shaped object, have him or her take a photograph of it. Also write down where the heart was found. Then print the pictures to display in your classroom. …

Outdoor Classroom Day is a global campaign to encourage outdoor learning. On that day, thousands of teachers will move their lessons outside for the day. The next Outdoor Classroom Day is scheduled for May 23, 2019. This week, head outside for a planning meeting! Tell the students about Outdoor Classroom Day. Brainstorm together activities you …

If short winter days have you longing for more time outdoors, how about bringing a bit of the outdoors to your desk? Research shows that indoor plants can improve your outlook and even reduce stress (see, for example, this article on the benefits of plants). Our family has a long-standing practice of keeping fresh flowers …

I’m not really scared of snakes, though they sometimes surprise me by seeming to appear out of nowhere. Over the years, we’ve found a number of black snakes in our yard; they’ve been in our chicken coop, in our driveway, even in my mother-in-law’s house! There have been enough of them that we began to …

  We love thinking of ways to celebrate each season.  Here’s what we’re looking forward to trying this Fall.  Let us know if you try them!     You’ve tried a leaf pile. This Fall, try a leaf maze or labyrinth. We’d love to see pictures of your designs. Make smores with a solar oven. …