Your yard and neighborhood provide many wonderful opportunities for kids to both play and learn.  In addition to swimming and other outdoor sports, your child can also use your backyard for science projects. If you are interested in helping them achieve this, you may want to familiarize yourself with some popular backyard activities, especially those that have a focus on nature and science.

Exploring the outdoors is not only a fun activity, but it can also provide many educational science experiments.Whether you live in a rural, suburban, or even urban area, there are a surprisingly large number of different plants and animals to be found in you yard.Encourage your child's natural curiosity about nature, and they will love exploring their environment. This is especially true for kids in pre-school and elementary school. Choose activities that you enjoy, because your kids will require your help.

One of the many ways that you can incorporate science is by studying the plants that can be found in your backyard and neighborhood. If you look closely, most backyards have many different kinds of plants and flowers. The most interesting environments may be found in wooded, bushy and unmowed areas.

There are many different animal habitats to be found in your yard and your neighborhood. See how many different species you can identify. Be patient and quietly observe them for awhile. What do they eat? Can you find where they live? Bird watching is a popular hobby, and even amateur bird watchers often contribute to real science projects. Don't be surprised if you child decides they would like a new pet bird.

You can also find many different kinds of insects in your yard. Kids are often fascinated with bugs, and want to examine them more closely. It is both fun and educational to study the types of insects that are in your yard.

In addition to the living things that can be found in your backyard, you and your child may also want to examine the weather and the impact it has on the yard and everything living there. Backyard conditions change as the weather changes. By examining your backyard after a rainy day, your child may find that many of the plants, flowers, and bugs have either changed or retreated to safer grounds. Examining the effect the weather has on the things in your backyard is not only fun, but educational.

Some simple science supplies can enhance your child's experience. Consider purchasing science and nature books, butterfly nets, magnifying glasses, containers or insect cages, and so on. Many kids like to catch insects to observe them more closely, so poke some air holes in a jar or get a small cage. Many of the supplies you need can be bought at local toy, department or home improvement stores. Or search online to find what you need.

To keep your exploration focused on education, science books and nature resource guides may be a nice addition to your child's science collection. Many books and guides have a specific focus on insects, birds, plants, or flowers.The pictures and information found in these resources can help you identify the animals and plants living in your yard. For a large selection of science and nature books, you are encouraged to shop online or visit your local book store.

Encourage your child to document the animals, birds, insects and plants they discover.You can easily do this with a camera or a notebook. Have your child record their exploration and findings by taking pictures.You can use the pictures for other science projects and crafts. Scrapbooks and collages are a great way to turn traditional photographs into something much more.

Whether you plan the activity or it simply happens, your child will certainly find something to interest them. Teaching kids science in your own backyard is just one of the many adventures that you and your child can share outdoors. And it just may be the start of a life-long interest in science.