Born to Be Wild: Hundreds of Free Nature Activities for Families

Journalist Garlick, also a mother of two, provides simple instructions for hundreds of activities that parents can do with young children outdoors. This chatty guide is meant as a jumping-off point, as Garlick convincingly shows that wild places contain endless opportunities for fun. The photographs—depicting children focusing deeply on feathers, exhibiting plucky happiness as they galumph through a meadow, or sweetly embracing yoga poses—will make readers of all ages antsy to get started. Garlick begins with a basic toolkit, listing helpful ordinary household items (such as scissors, rubber bands, ribbons, and old cardboard scraps) and including general guidelines for “nurturing nature instead of knocking it about.” The activities are organized first by season and then by material. Spring, for example, includes numerous ways to play with grass (build a nest, make a grass crown, etc.), and the autumn season makes use of acorns and pinecones (build an acorn man, make a conker mobile). Some activities are quick fixes (e.g., roll down a hill); others require an afternoon’s time or a day trip to the beach. Nature and imagination are a potent combination, exposing children to all sorts of delights, and this book provides endless remedies to the indoorsiness of urban life. [em](May) [/em]