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15 Summer Activities in Nature

FAM, kids By Jill Amery July 17, 2014 Tags: activities, art, berries, biking, bugs, camera, camping, chalk, featured, forts, gardening, geocaching, hiiking, kayaking, kites, mushrooms, nature, ocean, old-fashioned, outdoor, scavenger hunt, shells, soccer, sprinkler, summer No Comments

Summer is a perfect time to facilitate learning through entertainment. Remember being a kid and looking in the encyclopedia when you found a mushroom or learned a bit about physics when your fishing rod broke? Let’s get outside this summer and see what nature will teach us!

15 Summer Activities in Nature

1. Go for a hike! It’s a great way to get some exercise and discover new species at the same time.

2. Build forts made of driftwood on the beach. The kids can learn about structures while having fun scouring the beach for the much needed piece of wood for the roof.

3. Go camping! Whether it be at a site or just the backyard, camping is a great way to get outside and learn about your surroundings.

4. Do some gardening! Get the kids involved and give them a small patch in the backyard to create their own mini garden. They can learn what different species need to survive and have fun choosing the plants for their garden at the same time.

5. Go on an outdoor scavenger hunt! Make a list of things to find, whether it be a pinecone, something yellow, or a leaf the size of your hand and get scavenging!

6. Go geocaching! Teach the kids some navigation skills as they hunt for treasure. You never know, there may be treasure waiting for you right around the corner!

7. Go for a family bike ride. On a trail or through the neighbourhood, biking is a great way to be active in nature.

8. Go berry picking! Everyone can do it and afterwards the family can learn how to make a delicious treat incorporating the berries.

9. Fly a kite! You can get crafty and make your own or you can by one at the store. Either way, kite flying is a great family activity.

10. Have a neighbourhood game of soccer! Get the whole neighbourhood involved and play this simple yet fun game in your front yard or the park. You will be teaching the kids about teamwork in a way that just seems like fun and games.

11. Decorate the sidewalk with chalk! The kids can unleash their creativity while enjoying the great outdoors.

12. Take out your camera and go outside for some outdoor photography. Get some shots of your favorite plants and animals to use in a scrapbook!

13. Scavenge the beach for shells and sea glass to use in an art project of the kid’s choosing. Their creativity will not be lost over the summer with projects like these.

14. Go kayaking or stand up paddle boarding! Get outside and breath in the ocean air! Perseverance is taught (especially if it’s your first time) and the health benefits are endless!

15. Set up the sprinkler on those particularly hot summer day’s and watch the endless hours of enjoyment begin.

Easy Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream

EAT, family meals By Jill Amery August 24, 2013 Tags: Easy Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream, family meals, frozen dessert, kid's activities, old-fashioned, slider, summer No Comments

What’s the end of summer without trying a few old-fashioned kid activities? Especially delicious ones. To make an easy homemade chocolate ice cream is the stuff of memories. Kids learn exactly how much sugar can fill their favourite treat and parents can control the quality of the ingredients. It also teaches patience.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Combine sugar, milk, salt, and cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Bring to a simmer. Place the egg yolks into a small bowl. Gradually stir in about 1/2 cup of the hot liquid and return to the saucepan. This will assist in amalgamating the egg into the hot mixture. Heat until thickened, but be careful not to boil. Remove from the heat, and stir in the chopped chocolate until melted. Pour into a chilled bowl, and refrigerate for about two hours until cold, stirring occasionally.

When chocolate mixture has completely cooled, stir in the cream and vanilla. Pour into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. An ice cream maker to finish the treat is easiest, but if you don’t have one you can fill a big bowl with ice and put the cold liquid into another metal or plastic bowl nestled into the ice bath. The family can take turns stirring. If nothing else the kids will learn patience!

Inspired Summer Picnic Tips

EAT, entertain, lunches By Jill Amery May 16, 2013 Tags: environment, ideas, old-fashioned, picnic, Safety, slider, summer 1 Comment

We love lazy summer picnics filled with giggles, soft blankets and sandwiches with crusts cut off. SO we’ve come up with a few inspired summer picnic tips to enchant your family as you lead them into the lazy days of summer.

1. Head to a fabric store and use pinking shears to make cloth napkins so the edges won’t fray. It’s great for the environment and you can design themed, beautiful picnics at a low cost.
2. Use individual jars for salad and dressings so you can shake and serve.
3. Don’t forget baby wipes and hand sanitizer.
4. We have lots of printables on our pinterest pages so you can do nature walks and scavenger hunts.
5. Bamboo plates always look stunning and are earth friendly.
6. Ditch the tech and opt for old-fashioned entertainment like cards, etch-a-sketch and throwing a ball.
7. Make a picnic playlist for every summer and your kids will have years of happy memories associated with the songs.
8. If you have little ones, include a few favourite dolls or stuffies with tiny dishes. Enchanted.
9. To help teach responsibility and respect, throw a garbage bag and some plastic gloves in the basket and do a mini garbage cleanup of the site when you are done. Picking up litter of others will instill many lessinons in your children.
10. Opt for tealights in mason jars for twilight picnics. It will be both safe and beautiful!

Enjoy – and don’t forget the bug spray! Add your ideas below!