Summer neighbourhood nature challenge

Take part in the Summer Neighbourhood Nature Challenge to explore, play, observe and learn about the wonders of nature in your own neighbourhood.

Print out the Summer Nature Challenge card to play as you explore. 

Mindfulness Creative Writing Move

Find a comfortable spot outside. Sit, close your eyes, listen, breathe, and take it all in. How many different sounds can you hear?

 Observe the weather and draw a picture of what you see every day for a week. Describe five things you like about bees.

Pretend that you are a hawk and write a story about your adventures migrating to South America. 
Hug your favourite tree. How does it make you feel? Create and colour your own animal with all the necessary adaptations to survive in its environment Find the name of an animal or plant that starts with each letter in the words summer and biodiversity. What do these plants and animals have in common? Go to your backyard and make a time capsule of things you find there. Why did you put these items in your capsule?
Read a nature-themed book. What did you learn? Create an adventure map! Draw natural landmarks on your page and map out your walk to each landmark. Example: walk five steps south, jump over the log, turn east, take 8 hops, etc.

Learn or make up your own song about nature.

Go on a picnic with family or friends. What will you bring? 
Take a white piece of paper and place it onto the grass. Sit next to it. Wait and watch. What happens? If you could develop a park, what would be in it? Draw and describe your park.

Disconnect from technology & connect with family by playing a game outside or telling a nature story. 

Stop and smell the roses or other flowers outside. What do they smell like? 

Draw a picture of your backyard, a local green space or park.

Do a kind gesture for your neighbour

Find a natural element (ex. fallen leaf, flower, colourful rock, animal footprint) then sketch and label it. How many parts can you identify? 

Go on a shape hunt by finding as many different geometrical shapes as possible in your green space: rectangle, square, circle, oval, triangle… how many more can you think of? 

Draw or write a kind message for your neighbours using sidewalk chalk.

 Pretend that you are a bear (or any local wildlife species) and write a story about how you will prepare for the winter
Create a beautiful temporary art piece using only rocks from outside Act out the life stages of a butterfly or bee (egg, larva, pupa, adult)
Make your own mini fairy garden with natural materials outside.  Go on an imaginary nature adventure in your backyard. Who do you meet on your travels?
Find a plant that attracts a pollinator like a bat, bee or hummingbird. What parts of the plant help attract this pollinator?

Find a puddle and (safely) make a big splash!
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