A tree in the neighborhood
If you're looking for an interesting activity to do with your kids, here's a suggestion. Find out how many trees grow in your neighborhood.
Make a game out of it. Have your children don their tree detective hat, take their clue recording notebook, and grab their evidence collecting pencil or pen.
Then walk with them through your neighborhood. Decide how many blocks this activity should cover. Choose a number that will let everyone complete the activity without getting tired.
It's best to walk instead of drive, if it's not too cold, because you can spot trees more easily when you're walking. If you live in the country, you may need to drive for safety if there are no sidewalks.
Encourage your kids to spot every tree and record the number in their notebook. An easy way to do this is to make one mark for every tree sighted. Make the marks in groups of five. Then it will be easier to count them when you get back home.
Before you start, have everyone, including adults, make a guess about how many trees you will find. Write down each person's name and beside each name put the number of trees that person guessed. When you get home, see who came closest to the correct number. Give the winner a standing ovation!
Were you surprised by the number of trees you counted? Have a conversation with your kids about why people might decide to plant trees in their yard. If you have trees in your yard, talk about some of the good things about having them there.
This activity will give you several benefits. Not only will you discover how many trees are in one area of your neighborhood, but you will get some exercise. And you will spend time doing something fun and interesting with your family.