Seasonal Ideas

March 30th is “Take a Walk in the Park” day.  Spend an hour enjoying a lovely stroll! Either find a fourth grader or act like one and plan your summer trips around national parks. As of this year, fourth graders get free annual passes to national parks! Make your own spring tonic soup. (Be sure …

1. Start a New Year’s tradition to celebrate the possibilities of a fresh start. For example, a New Year’s afternoon family hike! 2. Make your own centerpiece from natural materials: for example, pine boughs, cinnamon sticks, pinecones, sprigs of rosemary or floating cranberries. Share your photos with us on Facebook. 3. Place leaves on photosensitive paper, …

Invite some outdoorsy friends to enjoy free National Park admission on Veteran’s Day, November 11th. Pick a pumpkin off the vine. Find pumpkin patches and more. Replace your tired summer annuals with a salad garden: arugula, radishes, carrots and baby lettuce are delicious and simple to grow. Check out the wealth of gardening knowledge available …

Hurray!  The time has changed and the days are getting longer.  Use the additional daylight to enjoy time outdoors.  Some of our favorite things to do are play kick the can, enjoy a game of hide and seek, and play freeze tag with family and friends. Lay outside on a quilt outside and look for …

Try remixed snow art: Add color to your snowman or snow angel with spray bottles of diluted food coloring. Take a nature walk to gather materials (think rosemary, holly, pine cones or berries) to decorate your home. Try cross-country skiing. If you missed it this fall (or even if you didn’t), build a bonfire and …

1. Passport to nature: A national park pass 2. For your New Year’s resolution: A pair of running shoes 3. To document your adventures: A new digital camera 4. To keep you hydrated: A good-looking reusable water bottle 5. Get out and about: A trip to a natural wonder 6. Show your true colors: A quirky …

Catch a falling leaf before it hits the ground and make a wish. Daylight savings time gives us an extra hour on November 3rd. Use that hour to watch the sunrise. Try three new types of apples. Bonus: pick-it-yourself! (Find an orchard at PickYourOwn.org.) Find the biggest rock that you can (mountains count) and climb to …

Start the day with a walk outside: no headphones, just the morning sounds of birds, breezes and possibilities. See how it changes your day. Plant a summer garden: our favorite things are heirloom vegetables and flowers! Pick a fresh bouquet of flowers for your desk every day for a week. Explore a new trail. Forage for …