StoriesFrom Sean, age 7, New YorkScavenger Hunt:
From JoAnn (parent)Nature Explore Club has such great ideas for getting kids outdoors. I love it that it gives them things to look for. It is teaching the kids things while they are having fun. They also get to use their imaginations and connect to beautiful things. The stories and activities are wonderful. My husband and I believe we need to help our children get off the couch and away from TV and video games. My seven-year-old daughter is very kinesthetic. Being outdoors seems to help calm and center her. Outdoors she is free to touch and run and jump and explore. She really needs that. Nature Explore Club has such great activities. 
From Jesse, age 11I like how Nature Explore Club makes you search for things and you get to draw some of the things you see. If you stay inside all of the time you never get to experience the beautiful things in nature like the trees, bugs and everything. I like being outdoors with my whole family. From Olivia, age 7When you get to do the Nature Explore Club you find things and you're proud of yourself. You find really cool stuff. You get fresh smells from outdoors. It is peaceful and makes me feel good. I love to feel the breeze go across my face and I like finding the pretty colors in the trees. I hope we can go outside to do Nature Explore Club even if it's raining or snowing! From Tristan, 2005One day I had no paint. I asked my mom where I could get some paint (I had no money though). Her advice was to use one big rock to put on a bigger rock with a small rock in between and crush it. So I did. All I got was some powder. The powder made paint when it was put in water. But I didn't know that would happen. The inside of the rock was very interesting, too. It had all types of colors. 
I also discovered inside trees or twigs, that there's something called pith. You can take the pith out and put in lead and make your own pencil! From Linda M. (Grandparent):I got Nature Explore Club memberships for my grandchildren, Jenny, age 6 and her younger brother, Zach, age 3½. Right away they loved the “neat stuff” that came for them like the magnifying glass and clipboard. Already my grandchildren are spending more time outside. They actually ask to “go explore.” I'm glad to see them getting away from the TV. I think it's great to have something that makes them want to go outside. Nature Explore Club is a great gift. My grandchildren get to have quality time with the adults in their lives. They can do the activities with us, their grandparents, or their parents. I'm glad they're developing an appreciation of nature and helping their observation skills and getting away from some of the violence that's in TV or movies. My grandchildren love the “surprises” that come in each Nature Explore Club mailing. I felt really good because after our first time together going outdoors to do the adventures, my granddaughter announced that she “couldn't wait to tell all her friends how neat this is.” From Cami (parent)I know I don't want my children spending all their time watching TV or staying inside. My son Brett already has attention difficulties. Brett seems to know he belongs outside. He learns by being actively involved with his natural surroundings. 
With Nature Explore Club I have become an active participant with my children. I am learning with them. I think [Nature Explore] is such a wonderful way for families to enhance their children's outdoor experiences. The first time Nature Explore Club came, my children, Brooke and Brett, were excited when I told them that we were going to go for a walk and look for trees that had interesting shapes. We walked along and I read from the Nature Explore Club activity sheet. We weren't even one house away when Brooke said, “Look—that's a leaf from our tree!” Brett found another leaf and said, “This is a cool leaf.” As we were walking along Brooke started to sing, “We're going on a nature walk, we're going on a nature walk.” We stopped to look at an interesting tree that had a broken branch. Brooke made the shape of the tree with her body and I took a picture. They kept trying to match the leaf shapes that they' d gotten in their mailing with real leaves. Brooke picked up a branch with brown leaves and I asked her about it. “It's old”, she said. “How do you know?” I asked. “Because it's brown, ” she said. Then she picked up a bright green leaf and said, “It's a new leaf because it's green.” Brett added, “It's fresh from the tree.” I love it that the activity really got his brain thinking. I found a tree shaped like a “Y.” I got my camera ready because the kids wanted to make the shape with their bodies. Just then a family walked by and asked what we were doing. When I told them about Nature Explore Club, the dad said he wanted to make a tree shape himself, and I got a great picture of him as he moved his arms into a tree shape. Getting outside to do these activities is a great way to meet neighbors! I just want to say that we had a wonderful experience together. I was amazed what my children wanted to do when they got back home. They had picked up some leaves and other nature items and they had ideas for making things with them. After dinner we picked up some poster board and Brett said he wanted to “make a tree.” He knew he was going to use the branch with the brown leaves as the trunk and put other leaves around it. Brett and Brooke each knew what they wanted to make and spent lots of time doing it. With the help of Nature Explore Club, I know I don't have to worry about my children not getting outside enough. I have the materials supplied to me and all I have to do is commit a little time to my children. It feels great. I feel like I'm being an advocate for my children's learning. Brett is definitely a calmer person when he has been outside using his senses and his observation. I know he was able to focus and want to create a picture of a tree because he had just had a meaningful outdoor experience with our family. This is what I call purposeful learning! These activities from Nature Explore Club are the stepping stones to get kids connected to nature. Think you don't have time? It doesn't take long. Plus, parents need to make it a priority to explore the outdoors with our kids so our children's children will benefit from the rewards of having parents and grandparents who took time to care and make a difference for the future. It really is easy. It's all there for you to do. Just go do one activity and you'll have fun. I will guarantee you—your children will remember these types of activities versus sitting in front of the TV. I urge you to explore the sense of wonder with your children. You'll be glad you did. I know I am! |
