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Every child is a scientist in the making. Your young one may not grow up to pursue a career in biology or zoology, but scientific discovery and learning are accomplished daily as your child plays in and interacts with all of nature and the great outdoors.  Through tactile exploration, new information is acquired and tested. …

This weekend, head outside and gather some beautiful fall leaves! Then try out some of the following craft ideas:  Autumn Leaf Art Embroidered Leaf Place Cards   Fall Leaf Book Page Banner  Fall Leaf Crown  Leaf Coasters  Leaf Doodles  Leaf-Printed Tote Bag  Leaf Rock Art Leaf Sun Catchers    Photo by lisalep

This weekend, head outside after dark and search for constellations! Not sure what to look for? Find out which constellations are visible in the part of the night sky you see on In-the-Sky.org.     Image by Free-Photos 

The months have rolled on, and the seasons have changed, but sure enough, COVID is still here. And although everyone’s lives are shaped differently, in various places and at different stages, uncertainty is a collective commonality. I’ll say it: new “normals” are hard. Working from home—adjusting to online college—not being able to turn on the …

It’s the time of year when leaf blowers can be heard throughout the neighborhood. But instead of blowing away all of the fallen leaves in your yard, gather them up into a giant leaf pile. Give some leaf rakes to the kids and let them help, too! Then jump right in and enjoy some old-fashioned …

This week, head outside with paper and crayon (any color will do!) to make some nature rubbings. Take a walk through the woods, in a park, or around your neighborhood to see what interesting textures and designs you can find in natural things likes trees, leaves, and rocks. Then, place your paper over the object …

It’s the first day of fall! Here are 25 ideas to help you enjoy the season!  Create a Nature Discovery Center. Go apple picking. Choose different varieties of apples and try some new recipes.  Go leaf peeping.  Start a Nature Wonder Hour tradition. Find your way out of a corn maze.  Go on a hayride.  Go hiking.  …

‘Tis the season for picking apples! This weekend, visit an orchard and pick your own apples right from the tree. Many apple farms also sell other fruity treats, such as homemade apple pies and donuts, apple jelly, and apple cider.   Photo by kakisky

This week, go out with a friend or family member after dark and take a night hike! Be sure to take along a flashlight!    Photo by colinpithers

Humans are creatures driven by smells. We become alert when our nose detects that something could indicate danger or provide information. We react to smells such as burning, linger around strangers wearing an attractive perfume, wrinkle our noses when the trash hasn’t been taken out on time, and run to the kitchen when we smell …

This week, talk about condensation! Some good online resources include: “Dew”. National Geographic  “Condensation”. Geography for Kids Kids are probably familiar with finding condensation on a window or drinking glass. But they may not have thought about finding it in nature. Go out early in the morning to find examples of condensation on grass, leaves, …

If the year 2020 had a mascot, I’m pretty sure it would look something like the picture above.  As scary as it might look, this is actually an empty cicada shell that the insect left behind as it began its new phase of life. In our family, we’re embracing that symbol. Who needs an elf …

This year, the start of school is anything but routine. Some students are going to school five days a week, while others are attending class just one or two days. Some students are staying home and doing everything virtually. But no matter how the school days look, you can still bring the outdoors into your …

Get your creative juices flowing and enter Outdoorosity’s first Adventure Short Story Contest!   Who can enter? Students ages 8-13 living in the United States.   What do I write about? Tell us about a character who is experiencing a summertime outdoor adventure in nature! Some ideas include: hiking, kayaking, birdwatching, spelunking, canoeing, swimming, and …

When we hear the word “recycling”, we oftentimes think of  a single-use water bottle being dropped into a bin designated by three triangular green arrows and then sent on its merry way to be remolded into a new plastic product.  But sometimes, recycling can be a little more inventive than that. Over the past several …

Imagine  you’re on a trail run, a bike ride, spending the afternoon swimming at a lake, or maybe even on the top of Max Patch Mountain with no spare clothes or cell service at 9 o’clock at night like me last Friday… And it starts to rain. The fact of the matter is: it happens. …

Explore Nature this summer with the Cricket Challenges!  You can find them all here!

One day, as we were out by our creek, we spotted several salamanders under the rocks. They turned out to be southern two-lined salamanders. Here are several others you might find under a log or in a stream. Spotted Salamander Mostly black, these salamanders have rows of spots down their back and a grey and …

After driving the beloved forest green family minivan for all of my licensed teenage years, I was excited when it came time to pick out a new set of wheels.  I’m not a very picky person when it comes to cars, but after sporting a twenty-year-old Ford Windstar and embracing all of its “charming” imperfections, …

Learn 3 easy ways that you can incorporate nature into your evening routine to relax, unwind and create conditions for a great night’s sleep.