Go Fly a Kite - or something...

The Nature of Play: A Handbook of Nature-Based Activities for all Seasons

by Delfina Aguilar & Clare Aitken; illus. by Sabrina Arnault 

180 pages; ages 8+

Greystone Kids, 2026 (will be released May 19)

Put down the phone.

Turn off the screens.

Let’s go outside and play!

I grew up when phones were attached to walls and we spent most of our free time playing. We made up games in the back yard, chalked squares on the sidewalk for a game of hopscotch, and stitched up doll clothes from fabric scraps. Play allowed us to observe our world, contemplate nature, and experiment. It provided a place for our imaginations to run wild – and for us to become pirates, knights, or dragons!

The current move to reduce screen time opens opportunities for rediscovering the fun and wonder of play. And this book provides a source of ideas for things to explore, from star watching to making seed bombs. 

I like how it begins with a list of things to collect, and a list of things to know. For example, if you want to sleep outside but don’t want to get wet, a rope, a tarp, and a bit of knot knowledge can go a long way. Or if you want to draw some of the flowers or birds you find, knowing some basic shapes helps.

For each season, there are suggested things to do, things to eat, and things to observe. Activities include getting to know a tree, sending secret messages, building a kite, and making a camera. There are suggestions for books to read, tips on leaf identification, and games to play with friends.

If The Nature of Play had book buddies, they would be The Observologist and Be a Nature Explorer!

Here’s what we had in our “nature play” cupboard:

• magnifying glass or hand lens
• compass
• old prescription bottles for collecting samples 
• heavy cardboard and rubber bands for making a flower  press
• notebooks and sketch books
• pencils, crayons, markers
• chalk and sidewalk chalk
• paints and brushes
• scissors, tape, glue
• a box of shells and rocks
• a tin of beads and feathers
• ribbons, string, yarn
• fabric scraps
• needles and thread
• interesting papers, old cards, pictures from magazines
• and a couple bins to store all these in!

Thanks for dropping by today. On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Explore Outdoors ~ Spring Bingo

 

 

 

Here's a few links to get you started:

How to measure a raindrop 

Follow a bumble bee 

listen to bird songs 

Peek under a log

 

 

Play Like an Animal!

Play Like an Animal!: Why Critters Splash, Race, Twirl, and Chase 
by Maria Gianferrari; illus. by Mia Powell
32 pages; ages 5 - 9
Millbrook Press, 2020

theme: animal behavior, play

Dash! Hide! Splash! Ride! 

Do you like to play? Animals do, too. When animals play, they might be practicing how to hunt, how to fight, or how to escape from predators. Or – they might just be having fun. From mud-splashing peccaries to a wolf pup tug-of-war, Marie Gianferrari shows thirteen different animals at play.

What I like love about this book: I love the VERBS! These animals plonk, chase, slide and glide. They dunk and punch, bound and wrestle. So much action happens on these pages that you just want to get up and move!

And I love the Back Matter! This is where we learn whether animals play by the rules and why play is so important to animals – and humans. And there are plenty of fun facts about each of the animals featured in the book.

I caught up with Maria by email to ask her One Question ~

Archimedes: Do you think it's important for grown-ups to play?

Maria: I don't play enough, but I'm about to start another jigsaw puzzle. They're so meditative! And play is the perfect stress reliever, so my motto is #playeveryday, for both kids and adults. I hope that staying at home is leading to playing at home!

Beyond the Books:

Find out more about the games animals play. You can read an article here, and watch some wolf pups playing here.

Modify your favorite games to play indoors. We played sock-hockey in the kitchen, using rolled newspapers as hockey sticks. How about balloon volleyball? Tape mazes? Duck-duck-goose or hide-and-seek? Here are some ideas for active indoor play – and here’s more.

Make up some active games to play when you are stuck inside your house for a month. And share your list with your friends.

Write a list of VERBS that describe the ways you play. Do you squirm? Chase? Tumble? Race?

Maria is a member of #STEAMTeam2020. You can find out more about her at her website.

Today we're joining Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by the publisher.