Since summer officially has begun, I thought it would be fun to do an online, community wide promotion to get kids outside during the month of June. Summer vacation for most kids begins in a few weeks, if it hasn't already, so they will have a lot of time on their hands. I am challenging myself and my followers to get their kids outside every day this month."Every day you ask?" Yes, every day. "What if the weather is bad?" Well, rainy days are just as much fun for kids as sunny days. "But, we are so busy...where can we find the time?" Not an excuse this month!
Experts say it takes 21 days to form a habit. Let's work on creating a knew habit with our kids. It does not have to be complicated. A walk outside for 30 minutes qualifies in this challenge. Even some time out back playing in the grass with a ball qualifies. The key here is to make it matter and do it for 30 minutes or more.
Over the next 30 days, I will be providing activity ideas for you and your kids. Some will be my own, but I also plan to include ideas from my favorite blogs, Web sites and books. If you sign up for my RSS feed or to be on my e-mail list, you will receive notification each time I post a new activity. I welcome your comments and ask you to share your activities with the group.
So, to start this challenge off on the right foot, let's do an activity today. Here's a great one borrowed from Fiona Danks and Jo Schofield in the book Nature's Playground, it's called The Sleeping Lions Game:
- Invite everyone to sit or lie in a circle.
- Provide the children with a challenge. Who can count 10 nature sounds? Can anyone identify any birds by their song?
- Can anyone hear any bugs?
- After a few minutes, break the silence and ask the children to describe the sounds they've heard.
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