The Best Books To Encourage outDoor Play!

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    One thing that has happened because of this global pandemic is a lot more screen time for everyone, especially kids who have had to participate in school online for what seems like forever.  Then, after they finish school, they want to play video games to relax! Does anyone even know how to play outside anymore?  Believe it or not, BOOKS can help open up the world for you and get everyone outside for a change! 

   The weather in Phoenix is starting to warm up quite a bit.  We had a beautiful Easter Week.  It is the perfect weather for getting outside and enjoying nature and having some outdoor fun!  
     I've noticed that sometimes, video games can become so addictive to kids, (and anyone really), that maybe a little encouragement is needed to get their imaginations flowing.  I've found some great books that can help with just that!  A fun thing to do would be to read them together and if you talk about how much fun it would be to do some of the things that you read about, your kids will hopefully catch onto your enthusiasm.  Be open to their ideas as they come up with them as well.  My SIL told me about a hike that their family went on because their 6 year old son suggested going on a hike and then eating donuts at the end of it.  So, they made it happen!  It was a great day for all, away from the screens!

    As you read some of these books together and your child suggests that something sounds like it would be fun to do, run with it!  It may need to be a variation of the activity suggested, but you can get your children involved in the planning and make it something that you will all remember! It will be an activity much more memorable than playing a video game together in the long run.  Not only that , you will be encouraging creativity, good health and exercise, use of their imagination and an awareness of how the world really is up close and personal! 

     Some of these books are fiction and some are factual activity books.  They cover many ages.  Since I have 3 grandsons coming to spend a month with me in June, I am really looking forward to having some outdoor fun with them and being inspired by some good books! 

• Tiny Explorers Into the Wild:  I love the artwork in this book!  Some of the ideas are simple and genius at the same time.  This book is mainly for parents to use to get ideas for outdoor activities with their kids and how to get them engaged.  It has great reviews.
• America's National Parks:  If you get the chance to go to a National Park this year, this is a great book to preview in advance.  It will help the kids look forward to what they will be seeing and what they can do at the park they will be visiting.  It may also get them excited to visit other parks as well.
• Three Days on a River in a Red Canoe:  This was a Reading Rainbow Book from when my kids were little!  I remember that it always made me want to go canoeing!  
• The Complete Backyard Nature Activity Book:  This book contains fun ways to use recycled materials to make feeders and houses for small creatures.  Good science based information as well! 
• Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt:  This is a storybook about what goes on in the leaves and dirt of the garden.  It may inspire your budding gardeners and teach them a few things as well. 
• Exploring nature Activity Book For Kids:​ This book has 50 activities that cover everything from the night sky to creatures and plants!  This book sounds like a keeper.
•  Kid's Outdoor Adventure Book: 448 Great Things to do in Nature Before You Grow Up!  A bucket list like this one should keep everyone busy outdoors for a long time! 
• Mario and the Aliens:  Mario is a kid who will not leave his computer screen, but when he discovers Aliens in his backyard, he has to teach them about real toys, like bikes and balls.  As he  teaches them, he discovers all of the fun he had been missing out on! 
• Tall, Tall Tree is a nature book dedicated to the Redwoods of Northern California.  It is also a rhyming and counting book with STEAM activities that add to the content. 
• Most Popular Birds in North America: A bird watching guide for kids that will teach them how to spot the birds in their area and how to attract them to your backyard.  Plus, there is a ton of other information. 
• Smithsonian Kids: A Walk in the Forest:  An adorable books to get even your littlest ones excited to be in the outdoors.  It contains a lot of information for a board book! ​
• Sticks and Stones: A Kids Guide to Building and Exploring in the Great Outdoors  This book takes me back to when I was a kid.  We used to build forts for our plastic army guys, create sculptures with mud, construct tiny miniature golf courses to play with marbles and so much more!  There are so many ideas in here to get everyone's imaginations flowing. 

    I hope that we can all spend a lot more time outdoors this year and enjoy our beautiful world, expanding our horizons and healing from the past year.  

    As a grandparent, I love being able to add to the enjoyment of being outdoors with my grandkids!  We came up with a fun Adventure Poster or Book that you can use to get ideas for experiences to enjoy with your grandchildren!  Check out this post and our Etsy shop here!