Newsletter January – February 2019: Keep Them Active… Even in Winter

Keep Them Active Even in Winter

Thanks to San Diego County’s relatively mild winters, you and your child can continue to have outdoor fun. With this winter scavenger hunt, you can combine discovery and sensory play with physical activity.

Below is a printable checklist for a neighborhood scavenger hunt. As you stroll around the neighborhood, look for the various items on the list: a soft fluffy textured plant, a plant with thorns, an insect, etc. Some of the items on the list can’t be brought home ─ the things that you hear or feel, for example ─ but, take pictures of those items to review later.

Come In and Warm Up

After the hunt, serve up some healthy, warm hot chocolate.

INGREDIENTS

  • 20 ounces unsweetened almond milk (or unsweetened soy milk, any other unsweetened nut milk or unsweetened coconut milk)
  • 2 ½ tablespoons organic unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon raw honey or maple syrup (plus more to taste if needed)
  • ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Warm the almond milk on the stove over medium heat until hot but not boiling, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk to combine (1-2 minutes).
  2. Heat another 1-2 minutes and serve immediately.

Source: https://www.elizabethrider.com/how-to-make-healthy-hot-chocolate

Now, settle in and review the things that you found.

  • What felt the best?
  • What was your favorite nature discovery?
  • Can you remember why we took the pictures?

Nature’s Day: Discover the World of Wonder on your Doorstep

Nature's Day

Here’s a book that you can read with your child to further the outdoor learning experience. Nature’s Day: Discover the World of Wonder on your Doorstep by Kay Maguire (Author) and Danielle Kroll (Illustrator) is a first book of nature intended to help young learners discover the world of wildlife on their doorstep. Beginning in spring, this book revisits nine different places, including the farm, the back yard and the woods, during each of the four seasons through the year and explores the changing scenery and animal life found there. Informative and fun text teamed with beautiful illustrations make this the perfect book to celebrate the seasons.

Nature Scavenger Hunt for Winter by Backyard Brilliant

Nature Scavenger Hunt for Winter

Source: backyardbrilliant.com