The Boomer Generation may be the last generation to pass on to our children an attachment to the land – the simple joy of playing outside in nature. That makes it so important to get our grandkids curious about the outside world and become nature explorers. Along the way, we may rediscover our own sense of joy, excitement and mystery outdoors.
The real gift grandparents can give to their grandkids is the gift of time spent together, says Teece Lester, preschool coordinator at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center. Don’t manage experiences when they’re in nature—simply let them explore, touch and smell anything that interests them (as long as they’re safe, of course.)
“Some of my own children and grandchildren’s favorite memories are times spent in nature with their grandparents,” Lester says. “When she was about four years old, my granddaughter said to me, ‘Thank you for never being too busy to take me to the beach. Some people don’t understand. My feet need sand.’ ”
“Take your grandkids beachcombing for shells and beach glass with a small pail and a small shovel,” she recommends. “For older kids, teach them about ‘lucky stones,’ the pearly bone-like otolith from sheepshead fish. They are hard to find and super cool.”
Other ways to get grandkids back to nature:
- Skipping stones on the water is an easy skill to teach grandkids of all ages. You can have a contest to see who has the most skips. Find a creek and discover plenty of surprises when you turn over stones and dig in the mud with a small trowel. Scoop up creek water in a jar and see what living creatures are swimming in it.
- Make a simple, age-appropriate, nature scavenger hunt. Search for a pinecone, green leaf, brown leaf, wildflower, spider web, feather, ant, seed, grass, pine needles, a bird, water, cloud, flying insect, round rock, fallen branch, butterfly, tree bark and so on. You can also look online for scavenger hunt ideas.
- Take a walk around the neighborhood at night with flashlights. Then turn off the flashlights and observe the night sky. If you check in advance for the International Space Station, you might be able to track it across the sky.
- Take a walk after the rain and count worms. Explain that they’re coming up to get air since their air holes are clogged with water.
- Make a homemade rain gauge together using a one-liter water bottle marked with half-inch increments. After a rainstorm, call each other and report which gauge recorded the most rainfall.
- Create landscape art by drawing or writing names with twigs, stones or leaves, and then photograph your designs.
To help grandparents get creative, Lake Erie Nature & Science Center offers Nature-To-Go kits. Each kit is curated by the center’s program staff to include a nature-themed craft or experiment, educational instructions, fun activities, book suggestions and topic information for at-home learning. Nature To-Go Kits must be ordered in advance. Pre-purchased kits are available for contactless curbside pick-up. Visit lensc.org to order.
Read More About the Outdoors
- “Here We Are” by Oliver Jeffers
- “How to Raise a Wild Child” by Scott Sampson
- “Last Child in the Woods” by Richard Louv
- “Nature Anatomy” by Julia Rothman
Margaret Briller is a freelance writer based in Northeast Ohio who has one grandcat, Belle.
