There is still time to enjoy the great outdoors before summer ends. Even when the seasons change you can still spend time with your family in nature. If you are looking for a little guidance on playing with your kids outdoors, the Literacy and Learning Collection can help. (Descriptions from the publishers)

Finding ecohappiness : fun nature activities to help your kids feel happier and calmer by Sandi Schwartz – Raise calmer, happier, healthier children with these fun, hands-on nature activities for parents and kids to enjoy together. What we all suspected intuitively for generations, science has now confirmed: spending time connecting to nature is a safe, effective tool to help improve our health and happiness. In Finding Ecohappiness, author Sandi Schwartz guides families in building regular habits of experiencing nature to reduce stress and boost mood. She explores key positive psychology tools from a nature-loving perspective. You will learn some simple, practical tips for incorporating these tools — awe and gratitude, mindfulness, creative arts, outdoor play and adventure, volunteering, food, and animals — into your daily routine to help your children thrive and live a happy, balanced life.

Young adventurers : outdoor activities in nature by Susie Rae – Outdoor activities are fun, exciting, and can be found right around the corner! Get outside and ride a bike, climb a mountain, or spot wildlife and go camping. Whether in the local park, your backyard, or amongst the trees in a nature preserve — the great outdoors is the place to be! Young Adventurers energizes children to get out of the house and enjoy the outdoors, engage with their surroundings, find new friends and gain confidence through important experiences, while learning to appreciate the wonders of nature.

Balanced and barefoot by Angela J. Hanscom –Today’s kids have adopted sedentary lifestyles filled with television, video games, and computer screens. But more and more, studies show that children need “rough and tumble” outdoor play in order to develop their sensory, motor, and executive functions. In this important book, a pediatric occupational therapist explains why unrestrained movement and outdoor play are vital for children’s cognitive development, and offers fun, engaging activities to help ensure that kids grow into healthy, balanced, and resilient adults. Available in print or as audio book on CD.

Play the Forest School Way by Peter Houghton and A Year of Forest School by Jane Worroll – The rise of the Forest School movement in recent years is part of a groundswell of concern about the wellbeing of our children, with many media scare stories about child obesity, ‘nature deficit disorder’ and lack of exposure to risk. These books bring the activities and ‘learning through nature’ ethos of Forest School to the parents of nursery and primary school-age children. Both are packed full of ideas and celebrate the Forest School philosophy of encouraging self-esteem, confidence and social skills through engagement with nature.