FAVORITE FAMILY PLAY DATES by April Thompson


better life is available by main- taining a roster of fun, healthy, outdoor activities to call upon. Here, we present a few web- sites that offer creative ideas to jumpstart the imagination and fuel the leap outdoors.


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Join a family nature club: Meet up at ChildrenAndNature.org Richard Louv’s Children & Nature Network has helped launch more than 100 nature clubs across North America and beyond. Member families make indi- vidual and collective play dates in area parks, gardens, hiking trails and other green spaces.


Grow a pizza garden: Learn how at Family-Fun.Kaboose.com Kids are sure to get excited about gardening if there is the promise of pizza at the end of the hoe. Grow the makings of pizza sauce from seed or starter plants—tomato, basil, oregano, onions and bell peppers—and throw a pizza party at harvest time. Then move outdoors for yard games.


Go on a bug safari: Discover the gifts of critters at Blog.PlayOutdoors.com Our yards are crawling with wild critters. Create a “bug box” (a simple clear box with a magnifying glass on the top) and


or any family whose default activity is to turn on the TV or go online, a


Follow a programmed GPS in search of hidden treasures known as geocaches, which feature assorted items at various geo-mapped sites that other visi- tors have left for fellow geocach- ers to enjoy. Be sure to bring an item to replace anything retrieved or moved.


let little ones catch (and release) bugs, observing how they move under the mi- croscope. For a culinary adventure, cook up a few delicacies from other cultures, from cicadas to grasshoppers.


Camp in the backyard: Find ideas at FamilyFun.go.com/playtime/seasonal- games/summer-games The backyard takes on a new mystique the minute kids help pitch a tent and purposely stay out of the house. Build a safe campfire in a portable grill to toast marshmallows for s’mores and make up ghost stories about the spirits that haunt the neighborhood. Pick a moonless night for maximum stargazing.


Go on a high-tech treasure hunt: Take a walkabout at FamilyFitness. About.com/od/waystoplay/tp/outdoor_ activities_kids.htm


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Start a rock band: Make the most of nature’s bounty at Wil- derdom.com/ games/EnvironmentalActivities. html Who needs expensive manmade instruments when you can jam


with nature? Hunt for music-making objects in nature—drumming sticks, clacking rocks and whistling leaves— and hold an impromptu improvisational jam. It’s just one of a trove of group and solo adventures you can undertake.


Take an animal home tour: Start with GreenHour.org Countless animals make their homes in or near our yards, yet they often escape our notice. Help children tune in to the many forms of shelters around them, from birds’ nests and tree hollows to beehives and burrowing holes. Make a green hour a daily highlight.


April Thompson is a freelance writer in Washington, D.C. Connect at AprilWrites.com.


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