As a school psychologist and homeschool mom, I know how important it is for children to spend time outdoors learning about the natural world in an active, hands-on manner. Finding time to research and plan outdoor activities that are both fun and educational can be a challenge.

Today, I’m sharing a fantastic new science book that does all of the work for you. I am certain this will be a go-to resource for homeschoolers and parents who value nature and experiential learning… and it’s coming out just in time for spring and summer learning!

Have a Blast This Spring With 100 Backyard Activities!

100 Backyard Activities That Are the Dirtiest, Coolest, Creepy-Crawliest Ever! is the latest book written by Colleen Kessler. Colleen is an award-winning educator, author, speaker, homeschool mom to four gifted and 2e children, and founder of Raising Lifelong Learners. She is also a dear friend of mine (Colleen and I co-founded Raising Poppies, an online community for parents of gifted and twice-exceptional children).

Let’s just say that I rely heavily on Colleen, not only as a friend but also as a fellow educator. I love to pick her brain when it comes to science. She is a whiz at coming up with fantastically engaging and unbelievably fun science activities. I’ve been anxiously awaiting the release of her latest book because I just knew my nature loving kiddos would fall head over heels… and they have!

Before I launch into the content, I just have to tell you that this book is visually stunning. The colors, the photos, the layout… this is a book that you just want to pick up and hold in your hands. You can’t help but turn the pages and get sucked into a world of creativity, science, and fun.

100 Backyard Activities That Are the Dirtiest, Coolest, Creepy-Crawliest Ever! is jam-packed with experiments and nature activities that children can do with–or without–their parents. In addition, the book includes fun facts and jokes that will have your children quizzing their grandparents (ask me how I know!).

I love when I find a book that is easy to use, engaging, and educational. 100 Backyard Activities That Are the Dirtiest, Coolest, Creepy-Crawliest Ever! is one of those books, and it will teach your children how to find the answers to oodles of questions, including:

Can a worm smell different foods?
How much weight can a super-strong bess beetle carry?
Are crickets happier alone or with a buddy?
Would you touch a spider or–gasp!–keep one for a pet?

100 Backyard Activities That Are the Dirtiest, Coolest, Creepy-Crawliest Ever! shows kids that they don’t need a museum or science text to have fun with science… all they need is their backyard! With this book, your children will become experts on insects, reptiles, birds, and plants by getting to know them up close and personal.

The best part? This book will have your children spending more time outdoors this spring and summer, and who doesn’t want that?

100 Backyard Activities That Are the Dirtiest, Coolest, Creepy-Crawliest Ever! includes the following chapters:

Backyard Biology: Things That Creep, Crawl, Fly, and Grow
Backyard Entomology: Beetles, Bugs and More
Backyard Herpetology: Salamanders, Snakes, Lizards, Toads, Oh My!
Backyard Ornithology: Birds, Birds, and More Birds
Backyard Botany: Flowers, Mosses, Ferns, and Fun
Backyard Ecology: How it All Comes Together
Citizen Science at Home: What Can You Do?

100 Backyard Activities That Are the Dirtiest, Coolest, Creepy-Crawliest Ever! will be released on May 2, 2017 and is available for pre-order now. We plan to use the as our spring science homeschool curriculum. As soon as that white stuff melts, we are going to get our backyard science on!