Backyard Exploration

Your backyard is the perfect place to explore nature with young children. The world outside your backdoor is teeming with life, you just have to look! Flip over rocks, study a flower, sit under a tree – you may be surprised by what you find. Young children are great at exploring backyards; they are naturally curious, they notice small details (like an insect on a grass stem), they are enthusiastic, and they explore with all their senses. Follow their lead and have fun!

Exploration “Kit”

It is not necessary to take anything with you to explore your backyard; however, here is a list of things that may come in handy. Some children will love the idea of packing up an exploration kit. Others may just want to run around and look. Either way, the important thing is to let children explore and discover.

• Notebook/journal
• Pencil/pen
• Magnifying glass
• Binoculars
• Bug repellent
• Sunscreen
• Field guides

Exploration Journal

Creating a family exploration or nature journal is a wonderful way to record your findings and memories. You can create an exploration journal from a sketch pad, a composition notebook, or even loose sheets of paper in a binder. Exploration journals can contain your observations, drawings, photographs, and even pressed leaves and flowers. You can start your exploration journal in your backyard and branch out from there to your neighborhood, local park, and even take it on vacation.

Nature Table

After you are done exploring your backyard you may find that you are carrying or have pockets full of “treasures” your children have found along the way. Try creating a designated “nature table” or shelf in your home to display and keep your nature items. Pebbles, sticks, leaves, flower petals – all these things can be displayed for children to explore further.  

Children’s Books

Arnosky, J. 1998. Animal Tracker. Random House Value Publishing, Inc.
Arnosky, J. 1997. Bird Watcher. Random House Children's Books.
Arnosky, J. 1997. Bug Hunter. Random House Children's Books.
Arnosky, J. 1979. Crinkleroot's Book of Animal Tracks and Wildlife Signs. Penguin Group (USA).
Baylor, B. and P. Parnall. 1997. The Other Way to Listen. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Becker, B., and S. Halpern. 1999. Tickly Prickly. HaperCollins Publishers.
Boring, M. 1999. Fun with Nature. T&N Children's Publishing.
Boring, M. and L. Evert. 2001. More Fun with Nature. Northword Press.
Capogna, V.V. 1999. Did You Ever Wonder about Things You Find in Your Backyard? Marshall Cavendish Inc.
Fredericks, A.D. 2001. Under One Rock: Bugs, Slugs and Other Ughs. Dawn Publications.
Hines, A. G. 1994. What Joe Saw. HarperCollins Publishers.
Hoban, T. 1984. Is It Rough? Is It Smooth? Is It Shiny? HarperCollins Publishers.
Kalman, B. 1993. The Colors of Nature. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Morrison, G. 2004. Nature in the Neighborhood. Walter Lorraine Books/Houghton Mifflin Books.
Portis, A. 2008. Not a Stick. HarperCollins Publishers.
Rau, D.M. 2006. Star in My Orange: Looking for Nature's Shapes. Lerner Publishing Group.
Rotner, S. and K. Kreisler. 1992. Nature Spy. Atheneum.
Roy, J.R. 2005. Patterns in Nature. Benchmark Books.
Stockdale, S. 1999. Nature's Paintbrush: The Patterns and Colors around You. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Wallace, N.E. 2006. Look! Look! Look! Marshall Cavendish Children's Books.

Resource Books

Chalufour, I., and K. Worth. 2003. Discovering Nature with Young Children.Redleaf Press.
Leslie, C. W. 2010. The Nature Connection: An Outdoor Workbook for Kids, Families, and Classrooms.Storey Publishing.
Van Tilburg, C. 2005. Introducing Your Kids to the Outdoors. Stackpole Books.

Links

Nature Rocks: A global program inspiring families to explore nature
http://www.naturerocks.org/

Nature Rocks Activity Finder

http://www.naturerocks.org/activities/index.htm

50 Ways to Explore Nature in Your Own Backyard

http://www.goexplorenature.com/2010/08/50-ways-to-explore-nature-in-your-own.html

Backyard Nature Fun

http://www.goexplorenature.com/p/backyard-nature-fun.html

Exploring Your Own Backyard

http://www.hswlt.org/wildlife/living-with-wildlife/exploring-your-own-backyard.html