I think one of the best things about being a parent is being able to witness the joy of discovery through a child’s eyes. I love watching my children as they take in the world around them, try to figure out how things work and all the questions that they have. With a one and three year old, each day is spent discovery something new.

With spring emerging we’ve been spending so much more time outdoors when the weather cooperates and my children are absolutely loving exploring the outdoor world around them. The warm sunshine, brisk breeze and rebirth of everything around us is so invigorating and really pumps our senses into overdrive. Being outdoors inspires my children in new ways and I love being able to utilize that for learning and growth.

I’m sharing Teddy Soft Bakes in my life as part of a sponsored series for Socialstars™

When outdoors I try to utilize the world around us to spark their sense of discovery, creativity and playfulness. Here are a few activities that we do when outside to help foster those senses:

Play I Spy

We love taking walks, but my 3 year old son can get a bit restless after about 20 minutes. While we walk, we’ve started playing I-Spy to keep him entertained and it’s a great way for him to really take in and notice his surroundings. Often times it leads to questions and conversations that we would never had had if he hadn’t noticed certain objects.

Look For Shapes in the Clouds

This simple, yet fun activity is great for spurring imagination. I love hearing my son explain about the objects that he sees in the sky. Sometimes he will spin his images into stories that are quite elaborate and it’s great observing him be so creative.

Sticky Nature Frame

This is such an easy activity that kids love! Simply take some packing tape (the super strong and sticky kind) and make a square or rectangle out of it with the sticky side facing up. The tape your sticky tape square to a flat surface (side of house, garage door, window, etc.) with the sticky side facing out. Let the kids collect nature items (grass, leaves, small twigs, rocks) and place them on the sticky surface. Kids love this simply activity and being able to see all their treasures placed on the sticky surface.

Nature Bracelets

This activity is very similar to the one mentioned above with one small change: make a bracelet with the sticky tape! Place the tape sticky side up on your children’s wrist and place nature finds and treasures on the sticky side of the tape. My son loved showing off his “bracelet” to everyone.

Picnic

We love setting out a big blanket (or large sheet) and having a snack together. Eating outside seems like such a precious experience (especially when we’ve been stuck inside the last 5 months). We always pack along a few drinks and out favorite snack, Teddy Soft Bakes. These tasty treats are made with ingredients I approve of – no high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors or flavors – and have a surprise filling (chocolate or vanilla), that made my son gasp with surprise and delight the first time he tried one. Plus, the fun bear shape is perfect for playing a bit of make believe and pretend as we enjoy the outdoors together. Teddy Soft Bakes are the perfect way to recharge after a busy afternoon playing and exploring in the outdoors.

Chalk Drawings

Bringing a bucket of chalk out to the driveway and going crazy is always fun! Whether it’s creating murals, tracing each other, making hopscotch ladders to jump through or simply writing out our ABCs, this is one of our favorite outdoor activities.

Open Ended Questions

If possible, try to avoid yes and no questions. They often lead to dead-end conversations and you’ll be amazed at what you might learn if you keep your questions open-ended. Open-ended questions allow your child’s mind to wander and question the world around him a bit more. Keep the 5 W’s in mind: who, what, when where and why.

I’d love to hear about any fun and creative crafts or activities that you do with your kids outside! Please share them below!

 

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