Your New Year’s Resolution To Get Outside More – 26 Ideas from A-Z

Here’s a resolution that can help you lose weight, connect more with your kids or grandkids, and feel more at peace. You can do this – just get outside for a new activity every two weeks.

It’s the perfect way to enjoy your National Wildlife Federation certified wildlife-friendly garden this year.  (Your garden isn’t certified yet?  Start the year off right by certifying it now.)

A – Animal Homes

How many different animals have created a home in your Certified Wildlife Habitat? Our worksheets can prompt your family to look a little closer.

B – Bugs at Night

Set up a lamp outside near a white sheet, and see who comes to visit. How many different species of insects frequent your Certified Wildlife Habitat? How does it change as the seasons change?

C – Camera Scavenger Hunt

Make a list of items in your Certified Wildlife Habitat. For smaller children who can’t read yet, you might need to draw little sketches of these items. Then let them have a camera and ask them to find everything with their camera.

D – Dig for Dino Bones

Create an archeological dig in your Certified Wildlife Habitat with pretend dinosaur bones.

E – Explore Sand, Silt and Clay

Try this experiment to learn about the different kinds of soil in your Certified Wildlife Habitat.

F – Freeze Frosty Ornaments

If you mix vegetation with some yummy treats for wildlife, you might see a squirrel nibbling on your ornament.

G – Garden for a Birthday

For someone’s birthday, plant a mini-garden with seasonally appropriate colorful blooms. Make a sign to celebrate their birthday.

H – Homework Outside

Create a homework station outside to help students get some green time while studying.

I – Ice Cube Games

Make multi-colored ice cubes with juice crystals or food coloring and play these games to cool off on a hot day.

J – Journal the Moon

Spend time in your Certified Wildlife Habitat at night. You more likely to see wildlife, and you can also watch the phases of the moon. Imagine a family tradition where you step outside at night once a month for the full moon.

K – Kite Flying

You might need to venture beyond your Certified Wildlife Habitat if you have a smaller area. Flying a kite at an ocean beach can be great for beginners due to the consistent wind off the waves.

L – Leaf Boats

Learn how to fold a leaf into a boat shape and you have an instant outdoor-friendly toy for your water feature.

M – Mystery Bag Nature Game

Find items in your Certified Wildlife Habitat and put them in a fabric bag. Then take turns reaching into the bag to guess what is inside.

N – Nature Notebook

Make a simple notebook and draw items in your Certified Wildlife Habitat. You could draw the same plant through the seasons to see how it changes.

O – One Yard Grid

Mark out a one yard square in your Certified Wildlife Habitat and count what you find.

P – Pitfall Trap

Make this simple “trap” for a few nights in your Certified Wildlife Habitat to see which creatures live along the soil.

Q – Quest for Conifers

Twist-ties hold sprigs of conifer on this handy-dandy chart that you can use to show which conifers are in your Certified Wildlife Habitat.

R – Race Sticks

On a hot day, you would be surprised how much fun you can get from racing some sticks in a stream. Decorate them with bright colors so they stand out as they float along.

S – Sit-Upon from Recycled Packaging

To sit peacefully in your Certified Wildlife Habitat, you could make this cute “sit-upon” from dried fruit or juice pouches. It keeps your seat dry and is light enough to carry around as you explore.

T – Tracking Skills

With some orange peels, making a simple tracking game in your Certified Wildlife Habitat.

U – Unusual Trees

As a family, keep a list of any unusual trees in your Certified Wildlife Habitat or in your neighborhood. My family has given these trees names and personalities.

V – Vacation Photos Decorated

Enhance a photo frame with twigs or other small items from your Certified Wildlife Habitat.

W – Window Sun Catchers

Take petals from flowers in your Certified Wildlife Habitat and put them up as sun-catchers in your windows. It’s a great way to warn birds away from hitting windows as well.

X – X Marks the Spot in our Rock Tic Tac Toe Game

Gather some flat rocks from your Certified Wildlife Habitat and make a tic tac toe or checkers game with paint.

Y – Yellow Paper Daffodil Wind Sock

Make a pretty craft in the spring while learning about spring breezes.

Z – Zap Away Rainy Day Blues by Racing Corks

Find a slight hill on a paved surface near your Certified Wildlife Habitat and set up a race for wine corks.

Bonus: Garden for Wildlife

Become a Wildlife Gardener with National Wildlife Federation. It’s free and you’ll get great wildlife gardening tips and learn how to certify your garden as an official habitat.