We love playing outside in the rain. Provided there is no lightening or any torrential downpours to threaten our safety, we welcome the chance to jump in puddles, play in mud and enjoy the wet weather.

During one particular downpour this winter, we decided to try something new: Rain art. The idea is simple: Sprinkle a few drops of food coloring on a paper plate, then gear up and head outside with plates in hand.

As the raindrops hit the plate, colors mix and swirl and a one-of-a-kind creation is born.

My oldest son (6-½) was enthralled with this one, making some 10+ different designs. He hunkered down alongside the edge of our garage by the birdbath where a steady stream of raindrops were easily accessible.

Then he began his own lesson in color mixing.

My youngest (2-½) was less enthusiastic about making rain art, but was more than willing to keep us company. After all, there were plenty of puddles nearby just calling his name.

Take-Home Tips

• Set up for success. I laid out a large towel on the floor just inside the back door so the kids could remove their wet clothes and shoes once we were done. I had extra towels handy to help them dry off and warm up.

• Frame your creations. What better way to remember how fun it is to play in the rain?

Happy exploring!

I’ve been remiss in reporting back on our family nature club adventures since our first in July. Truth is, although our outings have been very enjoyable, our group has been fairly inconsistent in size – and on some occasions ours and one other family were the only to come out.

Regardless of the size of our group, our adventures have all been fun. This summer, we:

• played around the lake at Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area, watching ducks, convincing a fisherman to show us his catch and even spotting a grasshopper!
• went on a bug hunt at Franklin Canyon Park.
• dipped our toes in the water at Mother’s Beach.
• spied beautiful butterflies at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
• saw deer on a hike in Solstice Canyon.
• went bird watching and played in the sand at Malibu Lagoon.

Now that school has started, we’re meeting once a month instead of once a week. In September, we went tidepooling at Point Fermin State Marine Park.


Unfortunately, October’s scheduled outing to the Kid’s Adventure Garden was a fail, thanks to the rain. (The garden was closed, we all still wanted to go!)
 
I’m excited about the events we have planned for November and December, though: An urban nature walk through the Venice Canals and a nighttime visit to a local holiday lights display (still choosing between a boat show or a local neighborhood display).
 
If you’d like to be added to the family nature club email list so you can receive information about upcoming events, send me an email at tdj2004 [at] gmail.com. I’d love to see you outside!

Making fairy houses is pretty simple stuff. So simple that I thought I’d give it a try while vacationing in Yosemite National Park recently with family and friends, including twin girls the same age as the big explorer.

I gave each of the kids a bucket and told them to gather up some items from nature that they could use to build a house for the forest fairies. In Yosemite, our backyard is a basically a forest and meadow, so there was plenty to choose from.

Of course, the big explorer (not yet believing in forest fairies) wasn’t the least bit interested. He filled his bucket up quickly and returned first.

When all the kids were ready, they got to work. Each picked their own workspace and began creating independently of one another.

The big explorer built his house on a bench. He didn’t spend much time or devote much effort to it. Here’s the result.

When describing his creation, he made sure to point out the bed he made using a leaf and a pinecone pillow.

Once he was done, he was curious to see what his friends had come up with. One built this lovely little house that also came complete with a bedroom.

The second was having a tough time figuring out just where to go with the space she had. The big explorer was eager to pitch in and start suggesting some ideas. The kids worked for quite a while together, discussing ideas and heading off once in a while to gather new supplies.

The result? A group effort!

I was thrilled to see the kids pull together to problem solve and create a place they thought the fairies would love, complete with bridges from one tree stump to the next.

TAKE-HOME TIPS
This one is all about discovering, building and playing with different items from nature. For best results:

• Foster imaginative play. We gathered up some flowers and placed a small bouquet next to each of their fairy houses while the kids slept. This tiny action got the big explorer thinking that fairies might actually exist.

• Ask questions. We parents stayed in the background while the kids gathered their materials and built their houses. When they were ready to show off their creations, we asked them a ton of questions. It was fun to hear their ideas about what a fairy house needed (always a bed and pillow, sometimes a garage).

I’m happy to report that our inaugural family nature club meeting was much more than I’d hoped for. In fact, the  5 ½ year old (aka "the big explorer") informed me that the kids had so much fun, they didn’t want to leave! I consider that a success.

We kicked things off with a summer nature scavenger hunt, which gave the kids a chance to get to know one of my favorite spots in Los Angeles to explore nature, Temescal Gateway Park.

Instead of searching separately, the kids decided to hunt together for the items on the list. We found some cool things, like a tree with a hole in its trunk.

One of the kids had a great eye and discovered a salamander, which definitely counted as something brown.

There were things to listen for, too. Like the birds chirping and the breeze rustling the grass. I was amazed at how quickly the kids would quiet down when one of us parents asked them to listen for something.

The kids didn’t need the list for long. Soon they started adding their own finds, like goldfish in the creek. And once they reached the creek, they took off adventuring.

They started by following the creek in one direction, then another. They grabbed sticks and pretended to fish in the water, too.

Then they found this bridge across the creek, complete with a very large chain alongside, the perfect castle drawbridge.

After trying unsuccessfully to get the bridge to budge, they sat down and played in the dirt instead.

The only thing that got them up from here was the lure of the water. Each of the kids spent at least some time in it before we parted ways.

When all was said and done, the kids were filthy. And having the time of their lives.

I couldn’t have asked for a better first outing. If you're in the area, I hope you'll join us on one of our future adventures!