| January |
| 1. |
Explore as a Naturalist |
| 2. |
Have a Sunrise Breakfast |
| 3. |
Enjoy the Snow Together |
| 4. |
Give Your Children’s Imaginations a Workout |
| 5. |
Reinvent Your Commute |
| 6. |
Keep a Nature Journal |
| 7. |
Improvise a Hockey Game |
| 8. |
Examine the Ice and Then Turn It into a Masterpiece! |
| 9. |
Get to Know a Tree |
| 10. |
Go on a Scavenger Hunt! |
| 11. |
Train a New Generation of Explorers |
| 12. |
Stargaze |
| 13. |
Create With or Count Pinecones |
| 14. |
Encourage Budding Artists |
| 15. |
Have Fun in the Light Snow |
| 16. |
Imagine You’re a Squirrel… |
| 17. |
Measure and Track the Winter Precipitation |
| 18. |
Honor History |
| 19. |
Search for Animal Tracks |
| 20. |
Host an Informal Neighborhood Activity |
| 21. |
Stage a Flashlight Drama Outside |
| 22. |
Go on a Bird Watching Expedition |
| 23. |
Ride the Bus or Train Somewhere |
| 24. |
Visit the Playground after a Snowfall |
| 25. |
Try Some Racing Games |
| 26. |
Have an Art Show of Icicles |
| 27. |
Create the Winter Olympics |
| 28. |
Set Up an Indoor Campsite |
| 29. |
Think Big Thoughts |
| 30. |
Play Follow the Leader and “Investigate” |
| 31. |
Dream About Your Garden |
| |
|
| February |
| 1. |
Create Art and Architecture with Ice |
| 2. |
On Groundhog Day, Watch for Wildlife |
| 3. |
Plan a Monarch Way Station |
| 4. |
Make a Cabin-Fever Prevention Kit |
| 5. |
Get Moving! Yes Sir! Yes Ma’am! |
| 6. |
Heat Up an Outdoor Snack |
| 7. |
Play the Game “What’s Beautiful Today?” |
| 8. |
Brush Off the Layers: Winter Archaeology |
| 9. |
Take a Winter Bike or Scooter Ride |
| 10. |
Have a Shoveling Race |
| 11. |
Play Whatever Outdoor Game Your Child Wants to Play |
| 12. |
Be an Arctic Explorer |
| 13. |
Make a Snowball Votive |
| 14. |
Take a Valentine’s Day Walk Down Memory Lane |
| 15. |
Slide or Roll with a Pool Ring |
| 16. |
Guess the Temperature |
| 17. |
Roll the Biggest Snowball Ever |
| 18. |
Watch the Clouds Race |
| 19. |
Dance Outside! |
| 20. |
Celebrate the Presidents |
| 21. |
“Off-Road” It |
| 22. |
Climb a Tree |
| 23. |
Create a Soccer Training Camp |
| 24. |
Track an Animal |
| 25. |
Cold Indoors? Head Outside and Play Tag |
| 26. |
Play Winter Golf |
| 27. |
Try Some Sunny Science with Newspaper |
| 28. |
Learn a Winter Sport as a Family |
| |
|
| March |
| 1. |
Pick a Favorite Family Spot |
| 2. |
Search for the Signs of Spring |
| 3. |
Make a Bird Feeder |
| 4. |
See What Comes Out at Night |
| 5. |
Visit a Garden |
| 6. |
Make Mud Prints |
| 7. |
Race for a Ball |
| 8. |
Make an Adventure Book |
| 9. |
Play Kick the Can |
| 10. |
Sprout Grass in a Plastic Cup |
| 11. |
Roll Down a Hill |
| 12. |
Get Inspired with a Festival or Museum |
| 13. |
Look for Hawks |
| 14. |
Play Ball Freeze Tag |
| 15. |
Quiz Me Outside |
| 16. |
Plant Peas |
| 17. |
Check Out Mother Nature’s Compost |
| 18. |
Look for Seedlings |
| 19. |
Plant Lettuce |
| 20. |
Create Your Own Pond Skimming |
| 21. |
Go Fishing or Watch Someone Fish |
| 22. |
Support Your Local Farmers and Learn |
| 23. |
Play Frisbee or Frisbee Golf |
| 24. |
Make Something from Nature |
| 25. |
Express Yourself with Sidewalk Chalk |
| 26. |
Race to Spot the Most Critters |
| 27. |
Compare Your Shadows |
| 28. |
Read Garden-Inspired Books |
| 29. |
Fly a Kite |
| 30. |
Watch the Sunset as a Family |
| 31. |
Capture the Feeling of Spring |
| |
|
| April |
| 1. |
Create a Nature Mandala |
| 2. |
Plant a Garden |
| 3. |
Do Some Spring Cleaning |
| 4. |
Ships Ahoy! Sail Juice Box Boats in Puddles |
| 5. |
Outdoor Art Fun! Create Food Coloring Watercolors |
| 6. |
Make a Perennial Garden |
| 7. |
Bounce It! One Ball Three Ways |
| 8. |
Find a Scenic View |
| 9. |
Find a Stick for a Long Jump |
| 10. |
Make a Wish |
| 11. |
Savor a Flowering Tree |
| 12. |
Splash! Rate Your Puddle Jump |
| 13. |
Create a Fort! Build a Bean Tepee |
| 14. |
Notice the Understory |
| 15. |
Rotate Snack Time Outside |
| 16. |
Clues Everywhere! Watch the Birds |
| 17. |
Dig In! Give Your Child a Place to Dig |
| 18. |
Follow the Water |
| 19. |
See Your Reflection |
| 20. |
Look for Tadpoles |
| 21. |
Cross a Creek or Log Together |
| 22. |
Plant for Earth Day, Arbor Day, and Keep America Beautiful Week |
| 23. |
Discover a Natural Obstacle Course |
| 24. |
Look at Moss and Mushrooms |
| 25. |
Determine From Which Tree the Branch Fell |
| 26. |
Compare Rocks |
| 27. |
Play Follow The Leader |
| 28. |
Stop by the Park on Your Way Home |
| 29. |
Write Your ABCs with Sticks |
| 30. |
Climb a “Mountain” |
| |
|
| May |
| 1. |
Throw a Planting Party! |
| 2. |
Invite Birds into Your Garden |
| 3. |
Notice Changes in the Water |
| 4. |
Give the Dog a Bath |
| 5. |
Have Some Beach Ball Fun |
| 6. |
Try Some Wacky Hula-Hoop Games |
| 7. |
Create a Water Bottle Jamboree |
| 8. |
Play President of the Hill |
| 9. |
Pot Flowers for Mother’s Day |
| 10. |
Have a Rain-Soaked Adventure |
| 11. |
Watch Composting in a Clear Bag |
| 12. |
Pick Weeds, Then Flowers |
| 13. |
Attract Butterflies with Plants in Containers |
| 14. |
Check on Your Peas |
| 15. |
Take a Popsicle Break |
| 16. |
Plant Your Summer Vegetables |
| 17. |
Make Sports Easy |
| 18. |
Take a Daily Routine Outside on a Blanket |
| 19. |
Start Planning Your Backyard Campout |
| 20. |
Thank a Bat and a Dragonfly |
| 21. |
Imagine Your Own Town |
| 22. |
Have a Garden or Tea Party |
| 23. |
Ask “What If We Tried…? What Would We Need?” |
| 24. |
Shadow Dance |
| 25. |
Conduct the Birdcalls |
| 26. |
Write a Story Outside |
| 27. |
Learn Some Hand-Clapping Games |
| 28. |
Play Kickball |
| 29. |
Take an Inside Toy Outside |
| 30. |
Check on Your Seedlings |
| 31. |
Find and Watch Some Worms |
| |
|
| June |
| 1. |
Find a Strawberry Festival |
| 2. |
Go to an Outdoor Pool in the Evening |
| 3. |
Draw the Lanes |
| 4. |
Plant and Shade Some Lettuce |
| 5. |
Get Wet! |
| 6. |
Keep Enjoying Nature |
| 7. |
Have a Recess Show-and-Tell |
| 8. |
Gather at the Park |
| 9. |
Jump Rope |
| 10. |
Create a Sack or Relay Race |
| 11. |
Give a Backyard or Garden Tour |
| 12. |
Celebrate National Get Outdoors Day |
| 13. |
Act Out Your Favorite Story |
| 14. |
Build a Log Cabin with Sticks |
| 15. |
Take Your Perspective Up |
| 16. |
Taste Fresh Herbs! |
| 17. |
Play in the Sprinkler and Water the Garden |
| 18. |
Look for Bugs |
| 19. |
Have Some Surprise Outdoor Fun on Father’s Day |
| 20. |
Get a Spray Fan |
| 21. |
Celebrate Summer’s Arrival with the Solstice |
| 22. |
Attract a Hummingbird |
| 23. |
Wash the Car Together |
| 24. |
Swap Toys with a Neighbor |
| 25. |
Dip Your Toes in Some Sand |
| 26. |
Sleep Under the Stars |
| 27. |
Look for an Aerial Battle |
| 28. |
Watch for Wildflowers |
| 29. |
Blast the Ball |
| 30. |
Look into the Water |
| |
|
| July |
| 1. |
Bring Water Play to Your Independence Day |
| 2. |
Grab Some Inflatable Water Toys |
| 3. |
Tend the Hot Summer Garden |
| 4. |
Spruce Up Your Garden, Fourth of July Style |
| 5. |
Make Some Solar S’mores |
| 6. |
Hold a Bee Scavenger Hunt |
| 7. |
Have a Spontaneous Potluck Outside |
| 8. |
Visit a Family-Friendly Campground |
| 9. |
Play Crocodile |
| 10. |
Find a New Place to Swim |
| 11. |
Create Your Own Drive-In |
| 12. |
Race in the Water |
| 13. |
Throw Objects to Retrieve |
| 14. |
Hold onto the Ball |
| 15. |
Ready, Aim, Roll! |
| 16. |
Name Your Top Three Games and Play One |
| 17. |
Find a Short Hike or Bike Ride |
| 18. |
Play Faucet Tag |
| 19. |
Have a Sponge and Bucket Race |
| 20. |
Create Some Ice Cube Art |
| 21. |
Make a Ring Toss Game |
| 22. |
Use Your Bucket of Balls |
| 23. |
Lie Under a Tree and Look Up |
| 24. |
Play Mosquito |
| 25. |
Play Hula-Hoop Ball |
| 26. |
Escape the Heat of the Day |
| 27. |
Invent Productive Uses for Squirt Guns |
| 28. |
Create a Treasure Hunt |
| 29. |
Find an Ear of Corn on the Stalk |
| 30. |
Rate It! |
| 31. |
Ride on the Water |
| |
|
| August |
| 1. |
Set Up a Lemonade Stand |
| 2. |
Build a Volcano! |
| 3. |
Sweep the Stoop |
| 4. |
Grab a Bucket of Water and… |
| 5. |
Play Ice Cube Games |
| 6. |
Have Fun with Water Balloons |
| 7. |
Toss and Spray a Ball |
| 8. |
Color and Make a Fan from Paper |
| 9. |
Create Your Own Waterpark |
| 10. |
Have a Cup Conversation in the Shade |
| 11. |
Drop and Splash |
| 12. |
Color in the Shade |
| 13. |
Have a Litter Pick-Up Race |
| 14. |
Make Homemade Ice Cream |
| 15. |
Make Picture Frames from Shells |
| 16. |
Collect and Compare |
| 17. |
Play Leaf Tic-Tac-Toe |
| 18. |
Sketch the Landscape out the Window |
| 19. |
Climb High and Try Geocaching |
| 20. |
Make a Family Sand Castle |
| 21. |
Play Marco Polo at the Pool or at Home |
| 22. |
Play a Game for a Group: Sharks and Minnows |
| 23. |
Play Picnic Blanket Bocce |
| 24. |
Harvest Your Summer Vegetables |
| 25. |
Host a Collective Beach Toy Extravaganza |
| 26. |
Find a Monarch Caterpillar |
| 27. |
Play Hopscotch in the Shade |
| 28. |
Make an Island |
| 29. |
Make Shade |
| 30. |
Go and Watch What You Want to Learn |
| 31. |
Celebrate! |
| |
|
| September |
| 1. |
Play Four Square |
| 2. |
Plant Cool-Season Vegetables |
| 3. |
Throw a Pot Painting Party! |
| 4. |
Make a Leaf Scrapbook |
| 5. |
Do Homework Outside |
| 6. |
Find a Fall Crop to Harvest |
| 7. |
Schedule Outside Time into Your Routine |
| 8. |
Make a Nature Container |
| 9. |
Find Wonder in a Small Pail |
| 10. |
Plant Butterfly-Attracting Aster |
| 11. |
Visit a Local Nature Center |
| 12. |
Bounce Back to Summer |
| 13. |
Play Four Sticks |
| 14. |
Reciprocate with an Outside Play Date |
| 15. |
Ask What the Kids Want to Do after School |
| 16. |
Find a Local Marina |
| 17. |
See and Learn about the Monarch Migration |
| 18. |
Make Time for Reflection |
| 19. |
Feel the Breeze |
| 20. |
Use the Space in between Your Busy Schedule |
| 21. |
Say Hello to Fall: Put Mums in Containers |
| 22. |
Make Fishing Poles with Your Family |
| 23. |
Climb Some Rocks |
| 24. |
Find an Adventure Playscape |
| 25. |
“Force” Some Family Fun |
| 26. |
Have a Child’s-Eye View |
| 27. |
Sit, Breathe, and Observe |
| 28. |
Create an Outdoor Game Room |
| 29. |
Show Off Your Schoolwork Outside |
| 30. |
Pay Tribute to Your Best Experiences |
| |
|
| October |
| 1. |
Pick Apples and Pumpkins |
| 2. |
Plant a Pattern of Pansies |
| 3. |
Head for the Water |
| 4. |
Listen to a Little Nut Music |
| 5. |
Make Your Own Bubbles |
| 6. |
Spot a Predator |
| 7. |
Create Then Hide Pumpkin Faces |
| 8. |
Have “Batting Practice” |
| 9. |
Make a Fairy Altar |
| 10. |
Watch for Birds Flying South |
| 11. |
Head Back to the Farmer’s Market |
| 12. |
Track the Changes in the Season |
| 13. |
Have a Fall Harvest Celebration |
| 14. |
Hunt for Nuts and Seeds |
| 15. |
Build a Stick Tunnel |
| 16. |
Focus on the Sounds |
| 17. |
Head to the Countryside |
| 18. |
Have Your First S’more of Fall |
| 19. |
Graph the Changing Leaves |
| 20. |
Make ’Em Rake Leaves |
| 21. |
Discover What’s in the Shadows |
| 22. |
Skip Rocks |
| 23. |
Plant Goldenrod |
| 24. |
Check on Your Garden |
| 25. |
Say “Boo!” |
| 26. |
Play Musical Hula-Hoops |
| 27. |
Jump the River |
| 28. |
Hop to It! |
| 29. |
Make Rock Art |
| 30. |
Find a Blizzard of Leaves |
| 31. |
Celebrate Halloween |
| |
|
| November |
| 1. |
Plant Spring-Flowering Bulbs |
| 2. |
Get Ready to Fall Back |
| 3. |
Harvest Your Own Seeds and Store Them for Planting Season |
| 4. |
Learn More about Who Is Getting Ready to Hibernate |
| 5. |
See What’s on Sale |
| 6. |
Watch Airplanes Take Off and Land |
| 7. |
Discover What Is Dormant |
| 8. |
Measure the Leaf Fall |
| 9. |
Create and Mark a Path in the Leaves |
| 10. |
Play Ghost in the Graveyard |
| 11. |
Pretend at the Playground |
| 12. |
Make Your Own Fossil |
| 13. |
Play Pickle |
| 14. |
Give Your Garden Some TLC |
| 15. |
Find Designs in the Stars |
| 16. |
Make a Beaver’s Home |
| 17. |
Make a Bird’s Nest |
| 18. |
Have a Warm Snacks and Charades Party |
| 19. |
See the Colors of Camouflage |
| 20. |
Play a Game on a Walk |
| 21. |
Make a Family Stepping Stone |
| 22. |
Make a Path in the Frost |
| 23. |
Prepare Fun Family Games for Thanksgiving |
| 24. |
“Pretend You’re a…” |
| 25. |
Learn to Play a New Game |
| 26. |
Celebrate Nature at Thanksgiving! |
| 27. |
Take Black Friday Outside |
| 28. |
Wish Upon a Star |
| 29. |
Experiment with Night Vision |
| 30. |
Look Back…and Ahead |
| |
|
| December |
| 1. |
Breathe Easy |
| 2. |
Sing in the Wilderness |
| 3. |
Join in the Christmas Bird Count! |
| 4. |
Share Your Outdoor Holiday Traditions |
| 5. |
Have a Warm Up Contest |
| 6. |
Celebrate St. Nicholas Day, Outdoor-Style |
| 7. |
Disguise a Walk as Something Else |
| 8. |
Say Goodnight to the Moon |
| 9. |
Pay Tribute to the Eight Nights of Hanukkah |
| 10. |
Make a Holiday Treat for a Neighbor’s Doorstep |
| 11. |
Make a Calendar of Outdoor Memories |
| 12. |
Make More Décor from the Outdoors |
| 13. |
Take a Mental Picture |
| 14. |
Map the Changes in the Night Sky |
| 15. |
Go for Ice Cream |
| 16. |
Walk in a Winter Wonderland |
| 17. |
Go on a Sleigh Ride |
| 18. |
Create a Wintry Land of Narnia |
| 19. |
Examine the Clouds |
| 20. |
Tired of Running? Find New Ways to Hop |
| 21. |
Welcome Winter |
| 22. |
Go Ice Skating Outdoors |
| 23. |
Create Your King- or Queendom |
| 24. |
Decorate for the Birds |
| 25. |
Take a Traditional Family Walk |
| 26. |
Learn from Kwanzaa |
| 27. |
Build with Empty Boxes |
| 28. |
Take a Winter Hike |
| 29. |
Visit Two Museums |
| 30. |
See a Festival of Lights |
| 31. |
Dance Outside before Bedtime! |