Easy Nature Activities for Kids

Count the tree rings as an easy way to figure out a tree's age. Ever wonder how old a really big tree is? Try this method with a tree that has been cut down, and you'll get an idea of how long trees live -- and how they respond to years of good or bad weather.

What You'll Need:

Step 1: Find a tree that has been cut down.

Step 2: Use sandpaper to sand the surface of the stump until it is very smooth. You'll be able to see the rings.

Step 3: Start at the center of the stump, and count the rings.

Each set of light and dark lines counts as one ring. Each ring stands for one year in the tree's life. How old was the tree?

Notice that some of the rings are wider than others. Wide rings show years when the tree grew a lot. Narrow rings show years when the tree grew less. Can you think of reasons why the tree might have grown more in some years than in others?

Keep reading to find out how you can explore the hidden living world inside a hollow log.

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There's a living world inside a log that's just waiting for your kids to explore. During this easy nature activity for kids, they'll discover the plants and animals -- some tiny and some not so small -- that call the hollow log home.

What You'll Need:

Step 1: Take a walk in the woods and find an old, rotten log.

Step 2: Use a magnifying glass to explore everything that's happening in this rotten -- but lovely -- little world.

You may see mountains of moss, mushroom forests, and many weird little creatures. You might see ants marching along with food. Or you might see insect eggs or larvae.

Can you hear any insect sounds? If you see loose bark, shine a flashlight into the crack between the bark and the log. Is anybody looking back? If the log is hollow, stand back a few feet and shine the light inside, too. Be careful, though. A hollow log might be home to a sleepy raccoon, opossum, or other animal.

Go ahead and turn the log over -- as long as you turn it back when you're finished. And don't take anything. You can come back again at another time of the year to see if anything has changed.

On the next page you'll find out how kids can have fun when they walk like the animals.

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Kids can walk like the animals for a fun race with friends at a park or the beach. They'll need to think about how different animals walk. That's because everybody runs like a certain animal in each race of this easy nature activity for kids.

What You'll Need:

Step 1: Decide on a starting and finishing line.

Step 2: Try the animal races listed here.

Make a fast and easy grass whistle in the activity on the next page.

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A grass whistle is quick for kids to make and fun to blow when you're out on a hike. It's among the easiest nature crafts for kids.

What You'll Need:

Step 1: Put your thumbs together, and hold the blade of grass between them.

Step 2: Blow into the crack between your thumbs, so the air flows over the grass. You should hear a whistling sound.

Step 3: If you don't hear anything, move the blade of grass a little, and try again. You'll soon get the hang of it.

Palm trees might not get sweaty, but other plants do -- keep reading to find out more.

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Collect water vapor from plants to prove that they perspire. This means that plants' leaves give off water vapor. You can't see a plant perspiring, but this experiment shows you how it happens.

What You'll Need:

Step 1: Tape a plastic bag tightly around one stem of a plant.

Step 2: Observe the bag each day for a week. Be sure to water the plant.

What happens? What do you think is the source of the moisture you see in the bag? It comes from the leaves through tiny pores on the undersides of the leaves.

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