“Point to some lovely flower or gracious tree, not only as a beautiful work, but a beautiful thought of God”
-Charolette Mason
I love the above quote, to think of nature as a beautiful thought of God. And isn’t it true? Roman’s 1:20 states:
“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”
Catch Frogs
Go out and catch frogs, toads and tadpoles. This can be such a fun activity for little ones, and gives them the opportunity to get up-close with wildlife. It also gives you the opportunity to talk about The Gospel of Frogs and Toads
Look for Caterpillars
Look for caterpillars and catch butterflies. Again, another wonderful opportunity for little ones to explore nature and for you to talk about the The Butterfly Gospel.
For more fun, check out this beautiful butterfly wing craft from Bless Nest Learning.
Scavenger Hunts
Scavenger hunts are so versatile. You can learn about so many Bible stories with just a little tweaking. Here is a short list of some of our favorite Bible-based nature hunts from around the web:
– Scripture Scavenger Hunt Cards
Stargazing
Stargazing is one our our family’s favorite activities. We like to lay out blankets on our balcony, and look up at the sky, trying to count all of the stars. It’s impossible for us to count all of the stars, but God knows exactly how many stars there are, and knows them each by name! He also knows our names! How incredible is that? We use stargazing as a time to talk about Creation (Genesis 1), God’s promise to Abraham (Genesis 17), and God’s love for us (Psalm 147).
For some more star-themed nature fun, check out this leaf cutting activity from The Playful Bible.
Rock painting
Who doesn’t love some good ol’ rock painting? Using Quinn’s Promise Rock by Christie Thomas we have learned about God as our Rock. We have also used rocking painting as a way of spreading kindness and love with inspiration fromLight-Filled Home.
Rock Stacking
Rock stacking is just like playing with blocks. You rocks (instead of blocks) when learning about The Tower of Babel, Joshua and the Battle of Jericho, or The Wise and Foolish Builders.
Leaf Play
Just search Pinterest and there are so many, many fun projects using leaves! Go hunting for leaves and talk about trees. Talk about their roots, and leaves. Talk about how water fills them up so that they can stand tall and have green leaves. In the same way, God fills us with good things so that we can share His goodness with others. Here are some of my favorite leaf activities for getting the conversation started:
Fruit Picking
Bouncing off the topic of trees, talk about fruit. God’s goodness fills us, and causes us to yield good fruit. Go pick some fruit! And talk about the fruit of the Spirit that God causes to grow in us. You can also try:
Waterplay
Waterplay is the BEST during the summer months! You can find us at the beach or playing in water bins on our balcony ALL Summer long!
Check out some our favorite ways to use waterplay to explore the Bible:
Waterplay Devotions for Babies and Toddlers
Plant Seeds
“A farmer went out to sow,” reads Matthew 14:3. Could there really be any better way to explore The Parable of the Sower than getting our hands dirty and planting seeds. Find all the elements of the story (rocks, weeds, dirt, seeds, etc), and have fun retelling this story.
Pick Flowers
God cares for the wild flowers, and he cares for us too. Go pick some of God’s creation and be reminded of The Sermon on the Mount.
Bird Watch
Bird watching is one of my toddler’s favorite past times. I know, it sounds crazy, but she absolutely loves it. Grandma even gave her a bird feeder for her birthday so she could watch them from our balcony. Make your own birdfeeder and watch the birds. Talk about how God takes care of the birds, and he takes care of us too!
Snow
Even in the winter months we can still get some good nature play in. Minnesotans like to say, “not bad weather, just bad clothing.” I don’t know if I really believe that, but I do know that there is something magical about playing in the snow. It can also be used to talk about how God makes the snow fall (Job 37:6), and how God washes us “whiter than snow” (Isaiah 1:18). A few of our favorite snow activities are:
-Looking for animal tracks
Baby Devotions 