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Your yard and neighborhood provide many wonderful opportunities for kids to both play and learn.  Physical activities like riding a bike are wonderful, but your child can also use your backyard for science projects. If you are interested in helping them achieve this, you may want to familiarize yourself with some popular backyard activities, especially those that have a focus on nature and science.

Exploring the outdoors is not only a fun activity, but it can also provide a chance to try a science project. Whether you live in a rural, suburban, or even urban area, there are a tremendous number of living things – plants and animals – to be found in your yard and neighborhood. Most children love exploring nature, especially with your encouragement and help. This is particularly true with toddlers and elementary school aged children. Since young children will need your assistance, you will want to pick outdoor activities that you also enjoy.

One of the many ways that you can incorporate science is by studying the plants that can be found in your backyard and neighborhood. If you look closely, most backyards have many different kinds of plants and flowers. The most interesting environments may be found in wooded, bushy and unmowed areas.

There are many different animal habitats to be found in your yard and your neighborhood. Try to identify as many different kinds as you can. Be patient and quietly observe them for awhile. What do they eat? Can you see where they live? Many people find bird watching fun and educational. If your child really enjoys it, they may ask for a new pet.

You can also find many different kinds of insects in your yard. Children may find observing bugs even more interesting than studying the plants and flowers. It is both fun and educational to study the types of insects that are in your yard.

Encourage your child to study the impact of the weather on the environment for the plants and animals in your yard. Changes in the weather will change the conditions in your yard. By examining your backyard after a rainy day, your child may find that many of the plants, flowers, and bugs have either changed or retreated to safer grounds. Examining the effect the weather has on the things in your backyard is not only fun, but educational.

Providing your child with some basic scientific supplies can reinforce their learning experience. These supplies may include, but should not be limited to containers, butterfly catching nets, magnifying glasses, picture books, and resource guides. If your child is planning on capturing a few insects, a small cage or breathable container may be just what they need. Many of the supplies you need can be bought at local toy, department or home improvement stores. Or find what you need by searching online.

To keep your exploration focused on education, science books and nature resource guides may be a nice addition to your child’s science collection. Many books and guides have a specific focus on insects, birds, plants, or flowers. Use the pictures and information in the books to identify the plant and animal species you find. You can find a large choice of science and nature books at local book stores, or at online retailers.

Encourage your child to document the animals, birds, insects and plants they discover. You can easily do this with a camera or a notebook. By taking pictures, your child will always be able to remember their exploration adventures. You can use the pictures for other science projects and crafts. You can turn the photos into memories by using them in a scrapbook or collage project.

It doesn’t matter whether the backyard exploration in planned or spontaneous, your child is sure to find something interesting. Backyard science provides a unique opportunity for adventure and sharing nature. And it just may be the start of a life-long interest in science.