Color Walks with Kids and a Camera

Color walks are soooooo easy. They are perfect for any age. When my children were younger, finding colors provided a great opportunity for learning identification. Now they are pointing out different shades and patterns in the colors!

Color walks are not a new idea. I first read it in Fun Outdoor Activities (a guest blog on our site by Play Outdoors) from back in June 2009. We did our own version after a marathon painting session in the backyard (see the end of the slideshow for pix).  Then Debi from Go Explore Nature joined in, except she had her little explorer make a color chart with crayons before heading out.

Yesterday we didn’t have time for any planning. We were running between appointments and errands – but the day was too beautiful not to get outside. We hopped out of the car at a local park and botanical preserve. The playground was packed with day campers. I had my little camera and my son and daughter had their eyes on the trails behind the playground.

Off we went! Look at all the pretty colors:

A little searching reveals a few other ideas using colors from The Artful Parent and Jojoebi (pointed out on this Montessori website). Both involve collecting items with colors, but I prefer collecting only the photos. Maybe I can put it in a rainbow photo book someday to remind the kids of our adventures?

We talked about the textures of furry leaves and the smells of jasmine and honeysuckle. We talked about a patch of cattails and wondered what it was telling us? (Water nearby.) We saw water collecting on aloe and fallen leaves.

So much beauty all around! These rambles make me happy. Choosing trails and making discoveries makes the kids happy!  And so does rolling down the hill a few times: