Credit: A Blade of Grass
A little bit of everything is closer than you think.
With the kids home from school (possibly longer than spring break…), it might be a little difficult to find something constructive for them to do. Luckily, you’ve got a portal to another world right behind your house. Yep, the backyard. To paraphrase a smart kid, the grass conceals a microcosm of fascinating plants, animals, and insects. There’s all sorts of cool things you can show your kids back there, and you don’t even have to leave the house.
Since things are starting to warm up for spring, many birds are gradually returning to the northern United States. Leave some seed out, get a pair of binoculars (or your phone in a pinch, but you want to try to use it as little as possible), and get a close-up look of our feathered friends. If not birds, then your offerings may attract other animals like rabbits or squirrels. Just remember not to place the bait too close to your garden.
Credit: Reddit
Speaking of soil, beneath the dirt is a whole world of bugs. Obviously, some kids aren’t into the idea of playing with bugs, but if you’re an experienced outdoor liver, you can teach them that bugs are nothing to be afraid of. If you like, you can bait a little trap with some sweet nectar and see what kinds of bugs you catch. You might learn something interesting about your neighborhood.
If no one’s in the mood for interacting with wildlife, that’s okay too. Just get a big picnic blanket, lay it out on the grass, and stare up at the clouds. Nothing beats a blanket nap on a warm, sunny day, though if it’s really sunny, remember to put on sunblock.
While it may not be under the best circumstances, consider this an opportunity to bond with your family, at least for an hour or two before everyone’s back in front of their phones.
