April showers are almost gone, which means May flowers are right around the corner. With all this desirable weather on the horizon, what better time to get outside with your favorite toddler for a nature hunt! It’s not that busy parents need an excuse to explore the great outdoors, but a cute pair of DIY binoculars and an easy-to-read Nature Seek & Find card are great motivation for a toddler to burn off some of that extra energy in a positive way.
Materials: free printable Nature Seek & Find card, crayon, 3 toilet paper rolls, ribbon, hot glue, scissors (decorative tape and clipboard are optional)
To assemble the toilet paper roll binoculars, begin by hot gluing two tubes together, side-by-side, to create the “lenses.”
Cut a length of ribbon about 27″ long. Hot glue the ends of the ribbon to opposite sides of the rolls as a neck strap.
Cut the third roll in half lengthwise.
Slide it over the other two rolls (and ribbon ends) and secure with hot glue.
We chose to fancy up our binoculars with a few strips of colorful washi tape, but your child could paint, color or cover them in stickers as well!
Now that you have the proper exploratory equipment, print this free Nature Seek & Find card on a letter-sized sheet of paper and trim it to 5″ x 7″. The simple illustrations are easy for toddler-aged children to understand.
I’m not sure about your child, but mine always likes to be in charge of his things. These mini clipboards (found at Walmart for a dollar each) are the perfect way for little hands to carry their own card, and it makes the hunt feel mighty official.
Avoid bringing pencils or pens as they are running hazards. Instead grab a crayon, sling those binos around your child’s neck and get outside!
If your child is able, have him fill in, check off or “X” the circles as he discovers each nature item.
Enjoy the sunshine and happy hunting!
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