It's no secret that water play–pouring, scooping, splashing–is a great way to engage young children, and the perfect way to stay cool on a hot day. But exploring moving water can add a whole new dimension to this play. If you are lucky enough to have access to a creek or stream (or even the side of …
family fun
Family Fun Connections: A Bird Checklist for Young Birders
Just in time for summer vacation, we've added a new resource to our Birding in Maine page: The Maine Birds Checklist for Young Birders (pdf). This photographic checklist features forty common species and includes extra information about each bird's behavior and diet, making it a useful tool both as …
Family Fun Connections: Shapes and Symmetry
Nature provides so many great ways to explore math concepts, and shapes and symmetry are a perfect place to start. After all, complex forms and patterns have been present in nature much longer than people have been around to describe them! Watch this week's video for a symmetrical butterfly art …
Family Fun Connections: Exploring Color
Nature is colorful year-round, if you know where and how to look. But there's something about the deepening shades of green in late spring, plus the pops of color from each new blooming tree, flower, or shrub, that make this a particularly nice time to explore color. Let's dig …
Family Fun Connections: Neighborhood Trees
As we've gotten better acquainted with the trees we pass on our daily walks around the neighborhood, I love that they're starting to stand out as individuals. In the past I've talked about spotting differences as a precursor to identifying species, but those same skills are what have led to noticing …
Family Fun Connections: Exploring Texture
If you've ever been in a store, public bathroom, or museum with a young child, you know their urge to touch everything is strong. The good news is that, barring exceptions like poison ivy, nature is full of opportunities for truly hands-on exploration! Touching and manipulating the natural world …
Family Fun Connections: Listening to Birds
Have you been hearing more birds lately? Each spring, as resident songbirds begin to sing and new migrants join in by the day, I vow anew to become better at identifying birds by ear. If your child has already mastered barnyard animal sounds (or even if they haven't!), why not try learning some bird …
Family Fun Connections: Earth Day
As you could probably guess, I'm a big believer in acting like it's Earth Day everyday. I try to be mindful of my impact on outdoor spaces I visit, use resources with care, and do what I can to create habitat all year, not just on April 22nd. But what to do when Earth Day rolls around, and the 50th …
Family Fun Connections: Guess the mystery animal
Maine Audubon's mission is to conserve Maine's wildlife and wildlife habitat by engaging people in education, conservation, and action. Today, that mission seems more important than ever. Our educators, scientists, advocates, and naturalists are committed to keeping you connected to the natural …