10 Fun Ways to Spend Time Outside

Published on September 21, 2015October 4, 2018 by Kariane

As summer comes to an end and we move into fall, blistering hot afternoons are being replaced by cooler weather. This makes it the perfect time of year to spend afternoons outdoors (especially if you live in a place that gets really cold during the winter!).

Here are some of the things we do to get my boys and I enjoy playing outside:

Drawing Chalk Mandalas (see HERE)

Playing Outside with Water (see HERE — We’ve still got a little bit of time before it gets too cold to do this.)… Continue reading

Finding a Huge Caterpillar: Another Adventure in Homeschooling

Published on September 17, 2015October 2, 2018 by Kariane

The other day as I was cooking dinner, I heard my 6-year-old call, “Mama, you have to come out here right now. We found the biggest worm EVER, and we need to save it.”

That is a call that cannot go unanswered, so I turned off the stove and headed outside. I saw both of my boys leaning over the strip of cement that runs along our retaining wall.… Continue reading

Chalk Mandalas

Published on September 10, 2015October 2, 2018 by Kariane

Though summer is starting to fade, we still spend a lot of time outdoors every day. Now that the heat is no longer blistering in the afternoon, it’s a wonderful time to work on outdoor art projects.

One of our favorite outdoor art activities is covering our patio with chalk drawings.

Chalk drawing in this setting allows for big pictures or small pictures.… Continue reading

Get Moving: Play with Water Outside

Published on August 27, 2015September 29, 2018 by Kariane

We’ve definitely had hot summertime weather for the last few weeks. We don’t have an air conditioner in our house, so in the afternoons things can get pretty warm. When the temperature creeps up, we frequently head outside for some water play.

Sometimes my boys pull out the hose and it hook up to a sprinkler. Often we fill water squirters with water and spray them into the air to make our own rain showers.… Continue reading

Citizen Science: Keeping a Bee Box

Published on July 27, 2015September 26, 2018 by Kariane

For the second year in a row, we’ve decided to participate in a local Citizen Science project. Scientists at our local university are running a project called The Bees Needs. In this study, they’re examining the native bees and wasps in the greater Boulder, Colorado area.

Participating has been a fun way for us to learn more our local pollinators, as well as to teach my boys some of the basic principles of conducting a scientific experiment.… Continue reading

Get Moving: Go to the Park

Published on July 23, 2015September 23, 2018 by Kariane

After a couple of days of rain, my boys and I were ready to get outside and get our bodies moving. When I asked them what they wanted to do, they both exclaimed that they wanted to go to the park. So we grabbed our water bottles (see HERE) and some snacks, and we headed off to their favorite park.… Continue reading

Homemade All-Natural Insect Deterrent

Published on July 16, 2015September 23, 2018 by Kariane

In Northern Michigan, where we’re headed soon on a road trip, there are lots and lots of little biting bugs. And when evening comes, these little biting bugs all seem to all love to feast on me.

I won’t put DEET on myself or on my family, so I’ve tried a number of natural insect repellants over the years. I found one that worked decently that utilizes various essential oils, which we’ve bought and used for the last few years.… Continue reading

Get Moving: Go Fly a Kite

Published on July 2, 2015September 22, 2018 by Kariane

We’ve been trying for weeks to go kite flying. We’ve had our kite ready to go. We’ve had several afternoon playdates scheduled with friends at an open park that would be great for kite flying. We’ve even practiced running the kite around our yard (though not too much – we have far too many trees to be a good yard for flying a kite).… Continue reading

Working in the Garden: Planting Irises

Published on June 22, 2015June 14, 2015 by Kariane

We’re slowly working on reclaiming the garden spaces around our home that have been awash in weeds since the big Boulder flood came through our yard and home in 2013. Last year we pulled all of the weeds in one bed and planted a bunch of strawberries. While they haven’t spread as much as I thought they would, we’re thrilled that they came back again this year (I love perennials) and seem to be doing well.… Continue reading

Get Moving: Play in the Rain

Published on May 25, 2015September 9, 2018 by Kariane

We’ve had a very wet spring here in the Colorado Rockies. It’s rained and rained and snowed and rained. My boys love to be outside, no matter the weather. But when it’s hovering in the 40s and wet, it feels really cold to me, and even my two boys get chilled more quickly than usual.

That said, things go more smoothly in our house if everyone gets outside every day.… Continue reading

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