Parents—consider this an invitation for your child to connect with nature in their own back yard this summer.  Happy exploring!  N.E.

• Go exploring in your own back yard.  Can you find some bugs under rocks or some ants at work?
• Choose a tree to explore.  Feel the bark and the leaves.  Learn the name of the tree or give it your own special name, “Big Grandpa Tree?”   Each tree has a different personality.
• Make “mud stew” and other backyard goodies.  Get a big pan and some water and gather interesting green things to stir into your stew.
• Sleep out under the stars with your parents or an older friend.
• Listen and watch for birds.  Get to know several new birds this summer.  Can you find some bird nests?
• Collect new and interesting rocks.  Sort and play with them.
• Spend some time each day lying on the grass watching the clouds.  What do they look like today?  Do you think it might rain? Learn to read the sky.
• Plant a little garden in a big old pot or bucket.  What seeds do you want to buy?
• Create a leaf collection.  How many different leaves can you find?
• Look for animal footprints or holes.  What animals do you think might live in your yard?
• In the evening after a good rain, go outside and look for the worms that have come up out of the ground. 
• Set up a tent in your back yard and imagine you’re up on the mountain.  Eat outside at your campsite.
• Ask your parents to tell you about the games they used to play outside.  Let them teach you a new game.
• Draw pictures and write about your summer back yard adventures.