Fall: My favorite season of all!

I've always loved Fall. Leaves falling from trees, cool breezes, and of course Halloween! Aside from all that good stuff, it's the perfect opportunity to take Brandon out on an adventurer. The summer months in San Antonio are way to hot to go exploring, so when fall comes around it's a pretty big deal to us. I'm a firm believer in introducing kids to nature. Sure, they will get dirty, but that's what baths are for! For those parents out there that want something more than just a trip to the playground, I came up with a few cool ideas for helping your kids do some fall exploring.

1. Nature basket.

Find an old Easter basket around the house, or something similar and head out to a nice nature park for a walk. For my good friends in San Antonio I recommend parks like Olmos Basin, Tom Slick, Or Walker Ranch but any ole' park should do. Encourage the kids to collect items in their baskets while on your walk. These items can be simple things like rocks, twigs, and leaves. After they gather to their hearts desire, sit down with them and talk about how each item "feels" and what purpose it holds in the wild. It's a fun way to learn, and enjoy nature!

2. Keepsake jar

Find an old jar with a lid laying around the house. (Ex. empty tomato sauce jar) Or you could buy some mason jars from your local H.E.B. Then simply let the kids go outside and fill the jar with layers of nature. For example, for the first layer have the child put a inch amount of dirt. For the next layer perhaps he/she will decide to put rocks or grass. Let your kids get creative, even if it means everything gets all mixed up in the process. Don't forget to praise them on how creative they are!

3. Bug Search

This last one is simple, all you need is a magnifying glass, your kid, and some nature. Encourage your child to search for bugs! They will get a kick out of using the magnifying glass and making the bugs look bigger. See how many different kinds of bugs you can find. To make it even more interesting for older kids, bring along a jar to catch some of their favorites for observation.




I hope you have a blast trying this with your kids. I know i will. Happy fall days to yall!