Enjoy Nature: Great Outdoor Fall Activities

Fall is a wonderful time to get out with your kids and enjoy the outdoors. Your child will marvel at the beautiful changing leaves and the cool, crisp weather. There is no excuse not to get outside. If your kids are tired of jumping in a big leaf pile this fall season, here are a few activities that are fun, easy and educational.

Grow a Mystery Plant:
Do you know what could be growing in your own backyard? Your yard is full of wonderful little growing plants that you may not even know is there. At this time of year, birds and squirrels are busy at work and may drop seeds in your yard. Find out what is back there by growing a mystery plant. Dig up a little bit of soil from your yard-soil around the bottom of a large tree or soil from a woodland area works really well. Plant the soil in a pot and bring it indoors. Water it and provide it with light and see what grows in your mystery pot. Can you identify what is growing?

Collect a bird nest:
The fall is a perfect time for finding birds' nests that have been abandoned. You may be lucky enough to find some in your own trees. When the leaves have fallen, grab a pair of binoculars and look in the high branches of nearby shrubs and trees. Birds often place their nest up very high, but you might find one that is closer to the ground. If you do find a nest that you can reach, be careful before pulling it down. Wear gloves and make sure no other critters (such as mice) have taken up residence. If this is the case, do not disturb the nest. However, if you find that no one is living there, you can place the empty nest in a sealed plastic container or bag with some mothballs. Leave it for a few days, as this will ensure that little unwanted bugs will crawl out and die. Try to identify what kind of nest you have found. Smaller birds, such as wrens tend to build their nests more like a funnel with a very small opening. Larger birds will build an open nest.

Watch for birds:
Depending on where you live, you will still see some birds in your area. Crows are easy to find in the fall. They generally do not migrate. In addition, you can often spot (and hear) large groups of crows hanging around fields and empty land during the fall. Can you identify the difference between a crow and a raven? Both look very similar, but ravens are larger and more afraid of people. Crows are the ones that made a loud, piercing caw.

Plant an evergreen:
Fall is a great time for planting an evergreen in your yard. Have you ever considered planting your very own Christmas tree in your backyard to enjoy year after year? Check your local nursery or garden supply store for small evergreens that you can plant during this time of the year. Evergreens grow relatively fast and after a couple of years, you will have an outside tree that you can decorate.

Keep a nature journal:
Keeping a journal or a diary is fun. If you had a nature journal, you could keep track of the wonderful sights and smells on your outdoor excursions. When you go for a walk or a hike, take an empty notebook and a pencil along. Write about the changes in the land and trees. Note how the leaves look (maybe even collect a few bright colored leaves that have fallen to the ground) and draw pictures of your finds. If you start now, you can keep up with your journal throughout the year and you will certainly notice the changes around you.

The fall is a good time to get out of the house and explore the world around you. Enjoy the weather before the cold winter comes. You can have fun and learn a lot, too.