Time outdoors is essential for overall health. With the continuing Covid-19 Pandemic, it is important to find time to safely spend time outdoors.
As we head into the Winter holiday season, spending time outdoors and in nature with family is a wonderful way to celebrate the season. We all have to practice social distancing of at least 6 feet to protect ourselves and others everywhere all the time. Don’t forget your mask!
During this extraordinary COVID Pandemic you have created a schedule for your family. It includes outdoor time, but what can you actually do? Nature exploration!
Wednesday, November 11th and Friday, November 27th are free days at Washington State Parks! Living in Washington, we are lucky to have an abundance of natural areas to visit, including 125 state parks and 15 national park areas. OptOutside this coming Friday (today and everyday) with Project Nature. Read on for a few quick ideas on spending time outside over the coming weeks.
Take a Walk. Head out on a walk around your neighborhood during the early morning to find urban wildlife. Hit the streets before the hustle and bustle of the day to find birds, raccoons, squirrels, rats, bugs and maybe even a coyote.
A nature scavenger hunt with neighbors
Collect pinecones to decorate a mantle or tabletop
Use all 5 senses to explore the weather – How does the rain/sun/wind feel on your skin? How does the rain/sun/wind smell? What kind of sounds does the weather make? Does the weather have a taste?
Go on a Leaf Hunt. Take a stroll and collect fallen leaves from around your neighborhood. Bring them home to see if you can identify what tree they belong to. Sites like iNaturalist can help with identification. Create a journal with leaf etchings to record your findings. Consider decorating the holiday dinner table with the leaves you find.
Watch the birds. Count how many birds you can spot and talk about what makes each one different.
Looking for more inspiration? Don’t forget to visit Project Nature’s Pinterest pages for lots of great ideas.