The sense of wonder that nature provides is exactly the curiosity you want your child to bring to a book.
Even if you are limited to exploring your backyard or the local park, there are many simple ways to spend enjoyable times reading and learning together in the great outdoors.
Go on a booknic
Make room in the picnic basket for books! Choose a theme(opens in a new window) around family food and reading preferences and pack accordingly. Try:
- Honey grahams with Winnie-the-Pooh(opens in a new window) in the Hundred Acre Wood
- Bread and jam with Bread and Jam for Frances(opens in a new window) by Russell Hoban and Lillian Hoban
- Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z(opens in a new window) by Lois Ehlert with a taste of fruits and vegetables from around the world
- Soybeans along with Auntie Yang’s Great Soybean Picnic(opens in a new window) by Ginnie Lo
Flashlight reading
For younger kids with earlier bedtimes, the excitement of getting to go outside at night will make a bedtime story mighty memorable. Get your flashlight, blankets or a sleeping bag and enjoy a story about stars under the stars. Try:
- Her Seven Brothers(opens in a new window) by Paul Goble
- Stars(opens in a new window) by Mary Lyn Ray
- The Sky Is Full of Stars(opens in a new window) by Franklyn Branley
- Find the Constellations (opens in a new window)by H.A. Rey
- How Many Stars in the Sky?(opens in a new window) by Lenny Hort
Outdoor cooking
You can also pair your booknic and flashing reading with another element: outdoor cooking! With a fire pit or grill, treat your child to a little campfire cooking. Try:
- Toasting marshmallows along with Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems(opens in a new window) by Kristine O’Connell George
- Roasting hot dogs and Quite Enough Hot Dogs and Other Silly Stories(opens in a new window) (Scholastic)
- Roasting corn on the cob and Gimme Cracked Corn and I Will Share(opens in a new window) by Kevin O’Malley
What are you waiting for? It’s a beautiful day! Head outside with books and activate all your kids’ senses.
About the Author
Publication Date
July 5, 2017