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 animal lives in an underground den with multiple tunnels and uses a sharp whistle to alert its neighbors to the presence of danger? Click here to read more about this fascinating animal.

Mystery bag

This simple activity is something we do often at Nature Day Camp. It’s a fun way to get kids thinking and connected to their sense of touch. It’s simple. Choose a natural object and put it in an opaque bag. Have your child reach into the bag without looking, touch the object and guess what it is. Repeat. Have your child choose an object for you to touch too!

Pott’s Point Preserve chapter 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, from our outdoor activity ideas posts.

Click here for the Pott’s Point Preserve chapter of the book, which delves into tide pool life.

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.