Day 1: Create art with nature, the introduction to the Junior Ranger Activity Book and a nature riddle
Outdoor activity ideas and inspiration
From mid-March to the end of May 2020, Harpswell Heritage Land Trust (HHLT) posted a simple outdoor activity idea and nature riddle for kids every weekday. Some days we also posted other resources, like downloadable chapters of the Junior Ranger Activity Book.
Created to support parents who found themselves homeschooling during the COVID-19 pandemic, these activity ideas are a great jumping off point for any outdoor adventure. Click here for a list with links to all 50 activity ideas.
Nature riddle
What mammal is brown in the summer, white in the winter, lives from the deep south to the Arctic and has up to 10 babies in April or May. Click here for the answer, and to read more about this interesting animal.
Create with nature
- Go outdoors.
- Collect a variety of natural objects (rocks, sticks, leaves, shells, bark, etc.).
- Get out a cookie sheet.
- You can do the next step indoors or outdoors. Arrange your natural objects to create art or a structure. Let your child do what inspires him or her. She/he might make a picture or build a log cabin, a bridge a playground or a museum.
- Ask open-ended questions like, “Tell me about this.” You can also have your child write a story or a how-to about what he/she built. This activity encourages imagination, creativity, story-telling, problem solving and engineering.
- Take a picture of your child’s creation and share it with us at photos@hhltmaine.org. We’d also love to hear your ideas for nature-based activities! We’ll share them on our website and social media.
The Introduction of the Junior Ranger Activity Book
The Junior Ranger Activity Book includes engaging science content, activity ideas and trail maps! It’s a great resource to learn about and explore nature and get outdoors, even if you don’t live near Harpswell. The book was created by Emma Levy, who was a high school senior when she wrote it. Click here for more about the book.
You can download the entire book, chapter by chapter, through our outdoor activity ideas posts.
Click here to download the first nine pages of the book.
If you would like a physical copy of the whole book, you can order it on our website for just $8 + shipping. Click here to order.
