By Rosemary Badger, Naturalist
Summertime fun on a budget. Music to our ears. We live in a location that allows us to explore nature in so many ways, allowing families to have fun, play together, and learn about our beautiful natural surroundings. Set aside an hour (daily or weekly) for your family to spend time together outdoors. (Of course you can do nature “days,” nature “weeks” or nature “all the time”). Make this “nature hour" a new family tradition. Keep a scrapbook and incorporate drawings, photos or souvenirs from each nature excursion.
At the ELC:
- pick up one of several scavenger hunts and explore the campus (we have 2 parts of George’s Trail that you may explore)
- pop in for one of our free guided nature walks each 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month at 9:30am (no reservations necessary, meet our Nature Guide in the Entry Pavilion)
- sign up for one of our inexpensive guided canoe trips each 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month at 9:30am (call 772-589-5050 to make a reservation)
At local beaches:
- early morning visits can lead you to discovering sea turtle tracks (check out a book on sea turtles to learn how to identify the tracks)
- contact the Sebastian Inlet State Park or Barrier Island Coastal Center to register for evening guided turtle walks
- collect shells and seabeans to make necklaces or collages. There are plenty of guide books in ELC’s library, for sale in The Nature Nook gift shop at the ELC, or at your local library to help you identify what you discover.
- bring a beach umbrella, a blanket and a picnic lunch.
- have a contest to see who can find the most trash (make sure kids check with an adult before picking up some items)
- host sand sculpture contests
- watch the sunrise
In your neighborhood:
- set up a tent in your backyard and do some stargazing at night. Check out www.skymaps.com to learn the names of what you are seeing
- plant a garden and watch it grow
- make your own bubbles and have fun catching them (mix 1 cup water, 2 tbsp light karo syrup or glycerin, 4 tbsp dishwashing liquid)
- make your own scavenger hunt for your yard or your neighborhood
Check out the ELC Kids Club section at www.DiscoverELC.org for more activities.
So get out there and see what our Treasure Coast has to offer.