Backyard Adventures
Fun mini-adventures that you can do right in your own backyard — literally. I’ve always been an advocate that anything can be an adventure if you have eyes of wonder. Most people think this is kids’ stuff, but I challenge adults to find an adventure in their everyday life, too, and to have fun while doing it!
Update: I’ve moved most of my kids’ activities to our new website Dreamaplay.com. It’s full of fun resources for parents, teachers and caregivers.
I think butterflies are one of the most amazing animals on Earth. And you can raise them right in your own backyard. Plant milkweed, watch tiny striped caterpillars grow, and witness the miraculous transformation from chrysalis to butterfly. Along the way, you’ll explore big questions about migration, instinct, and nature’s hidden mysteries. You might even find one in yourself.
What happens when you turn a patch of grass into a tiny wild world? In this Backyard Adventure, a simple change invites butterflies, birds, and all kinds of surprising creatures to move in—and shows how even the smallest yard can become its own ecosystem.
Bingo Scavenger Hunt: Backyard Edition. Play at home or with your neighbor. You'll be surprised at everything you discover: plants, animals, bugs, rocks, stars and more.
You can visit Mars right from your own home or backyard in more ways than one. Yes! Seriously.
Here is an easy backyard adventure that I have done 3 times already. You can easily spot the International Space Station flying overhead. It looks a lot like a fast airplane except that's a lot higher and traveling thousands of miles an hour.
Collect your own rainwater with this simple setup. Not only is it free, but rainwater contains its own natural fertilizers.
What better way to have a backyard adventure than to grow a garden? We recommend you start with a potted plant like basil.
Do you stop to smell the flowers and sip the nectar of life? Or do you just flutter past everything and let your wings get caught in the winds of life?
This is a great, life-sized example of just how much stuff we consume. Now multiple this by every school in the country. Wow! That would be about 137,000 plastic elephants.
Your adventure, should you choose to accept it, is to build your own compost bin at home. This is a great way to recycle your scraps and reduce your eco-footprint.
Backyard Adventures. Fun, mini-expeditions helping students and parents see the world with eyes of wonder. First in my series is the Photo Safari.