Disguised in sunshine and peeking through play, backyard-learning activities are a great way to spend the warmer months. Spending time with your kids outdoors allows them the opportunity to embrace the earth around them. Using your backyard to teach, reinforces the joy of learning at home.
The following activities use the great outdoors to reinforce key academic skills.

Learning Objective: Solar Power
Activity: The Power of Sunshine

Supplies:
4 soft leather scraps (cuttings from an old leather purse from a thrift store would work perfectly)
Blocks of wood (these can often be obtained free from Lowes, Home Depot or a lumber yard)
Stapler
Sunscreen (any brand)
Baby oil
Water

1) Staple your leather pieces to the wooden blocks
2) Have your child coat each piece of leather with one of these items: sunscreen, baby oil, or water. Leave the fourth piece of leather natural with nothing on it.
3) Place each piece of leather on wood in the sun for a full day.
4) Bring them inside in the evening and place them outside again every sunny day for at least 3 weeks.
5) Take pictures every week of the leather pieces to record how each piece of leather changes. Discuss and compare how the sun affects each piece differently.

Learning Objective: Observation Skills
Activity: Mico Walk

Supplies:
String
Safe scissors
Short stakes (for gardening or small twigs)
Magnifying glass
Paper and toothpicks (optional)

1) Measure out 20-30 feet of string. Tie each end to a short stake or stick to section off a square of yard.
2) Give each participating child a magnifying glass.
3) Let them slowly crawl in this area exploring inch by inch with the magnifying glass
4) Have the children talk aloud about what they see and record it on a piece of paper

Learning Objective: Rain
Activity: Shelter for a Rainy Day

Supplies:
Cotton balls
Scraps of five different fabrics (request free scraps from your local fabric store)
Stapler
Piece of wood
Staple remover

1) Place each cotton ball on the wood slab
2) Staple one type of fabric sample over each cotton ball to adhere it to the wood. This will keep the wind from blowing your fabric in the rain.
3) Place your wooden slab with the fabric and cotton balls outside in the rain for about 5 minutes
4) Bring the wood and fabric slab back inside
5) Remove the fabric and see which cotton balls stayed dry and which cotton balls are wet
6) Discuss your results. Use the answers to choose which types of clothing items can keep you dry in the rain.

Learning Objective: Motion and Time

Activity: Rock-Roll Rock Experiment

Supplies:

Differently shaped rocks

Hillside or natural slope in the yard (you can build one with a shoe box and book if needed)

Watch with a second hand

Pen and Paper

1)   Have each child pick six rocks of various sizes.  Have some round, oval, or flat. Have the child number each rock
2)   Have each child predict which rock will be fast, slow, not move, ect
3)   Have the child roll each rock and record the time it takes that rock to reach the bottom
4)   Repeat the rock roll with timer for all of the rocks
5)   Compare times to rock shapes by their number to see what shape was fastest, slowest etc.
6)   Discuss any predictions about which rock was fastest or slowest

Learning Objective: Chemical Reactions

Activity: Making Volcanoes

Supplies:
Spoon
Vinegar
Baking Soda

1) Gather a large mound of dirt or sand about 10 inches tall
2) Use a spoon to create a hole in the top
3) Fill the hole with baking soda and then fill with vinegar
4) Discuss what happens next. Have your child draw a picture of what happened
5) Compare observation notes after the whole area has been explored with the magnifying glass.

For More Outdoor Learning Fun Go To:

http://www.familyoutdoorfun.com/

http://www.scholastic.com/resources/article/10-teachable-moments-in-your-backyard

http://fun.familyeducation.com/hobbies-and-interests/childrens-science-activities/32820.html

For Books on Educational Activities in Your Backyard Try:

(all book titles available through amazon.com)

Your Backyard (Discovering Nature) by Sally Hewitt

Backyard Magic: Be a Magician! Use Things You Find in Your Own Backyard by Todd Karr

Fun Ideas for Your Backyard by NLC Staff (Kindle Edition)