How to get kids interested in nature by making an outdoor journal
I bet you remember “back in the day” when kids spent the majority of their time outside. A gal used to eat breakfast, and then head out the door with a sandwich in her backpack. She’d holler for Spot, her dog, and the 2 of them would be outside until mom called them in at suppertime.
It used to be a challenge to get some of those kids back inside. For some moms, like mine, it was a challenge keeping the outside … outside. Frogs, lizard, snakes and other creatures I liked would arrive in coffee cans beside the lunch table. The excitement began when we looked over to see the can empty and my newfound friends missing — somewhere in my mom’s clean living room.
Mia & the Little Gal, at Women’s Outdoor News, is sponsored by Girls With Guns Clothing
So, how do you get your child to embrace the outdoors as much as I did, or maybe even half as much?
Create a love for the outdoors
When LG was a young child, I took her hiking. She would complain about being tired of walking, so I’d carry her as we traversed beautiful landscapes. There came a day when she was too big to carry. She needed to walk to see the things I saw, and to develop an interest in the outdoors. So, we created an outdoor journal to encourage her.
How to make an outdoor journal
What you need:
2 pieces of construction paper
6 to 10 sheets of plain paper
3 – 3 inch pieces of string, ribbon or yarn
Miscellaneous crayons or pencils
Hole punch or stapler
Glue stick (to adhere things to the pages when you return)
Take 2 pieces of construction paper to make the cover. The cover color should be of your child’s choosing, since it is his or her book. Your child can create a design for the front. Insert 12 or so plain sheets of paper between the construction paper. If you use a hole punch and then yarn to tie the pages together, additional pages can be inserted later. If you don’t have a hole punch, or don’t have a lot of time, you can quickly staple the pages together along the edge. Take note, however, staples can poke little fingers. Later, use the glue stick to affix items to the book pages.
What to put in the journal
I assigned LG the task of wr…. [CLICK HERE to read more]
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Mia Anstine is an outdoor writer, licensed outfitter, hunting guide, life coach, keynote speaker, and range safety officer, firearms instructor, and archery instructor. She is the founder of MAC Outdoors and Host of the MAC Outdoors Podcast.
Mia Anstine strives to encourage others to get outside, hunt, fish, shoot, and survive life with others in a positive way.
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Mia Anstine
MAC Outdoors LLC
PO Box 31
Ignacio, CO 81137-0031
