Our Nature Play Club is gearing up for our 3rd ramble in June. We're heading to the beach for sandcastles and a sunset.
For those who don't know. We started a small family nature club and had our first event in April. We kicked off the fun by playing and exploring Canyon View Park in Aliso Viejo.
In May, we met at this special spot:
which was new to all four families. We spent less time getting to know each other and more time letting the kids get to know nature. We sent them out ahead to spot birds with their cameras and binoculars.
They took turns taking the lead. The volunteer in the center gave us a great overview of the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary (read about all the birds we saw on that post). We bought an $8 guide to birds of Orange County in the gift shop which helped us with identification along the way. They explored the ponds and took the best photos of each other and the world around them.
We schedule 2 hours for our rambles -- and each time we end up staying for 3 hours or more. No one wants to leave nature once we get there. The kids (ages 3-9) come home calm and thoughtful from our adventures. The wildlife sightings didn't end. As we drove out of the parking lot, we saw this guy walking near the road.
If you want to start your own Nature Club:
- See how we did it - there's lots of links to great resources in the post
- Follow our adventures and see templates for invitations and our annual calendar on NaturePlayClub.com
- If you'd prefer a Nature Playgroup to a Family Nature Club - consider signing up through Active Kids Club
Happy National Get Outdoors Day!
