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Get Outside with Your Kids
Welcome to the adventure.
Find simple, practical tips for slowing down, raising outdoor-loving kids, and living a life rooted in everyday joy.
November 2025 Nature Connection Calendar for Families
Hello, November! November holds a special place in my heart. It used to be one of my least favorite months, the beauty of early fall fading, the days growing shorter, the landscape turning gray, and winter’s sparkle still far away. Many years ago, my friend Dawn...
Halloween Nature Scavenger Hunt & Bingo (Free Printables!)
Halloween is here, along with all the spooky, magical things happening in nature as fall deepens. Spiders creep into cozy corners, webs glisten across the lawn, leaves turn skeletal, and owls hoot overhead. Who needs gory decorations when the outdoors is full of jump...
Maple Seed Dragonfly Nature Craft (with Samaras/“Helicopters”)
Maple Seed Dragonfly Nature Craft From spring well into fall, maple trees are bejeweled with curious winged seeds. Botanically, they’re called samaras (pronounced suh-MAR-uh), but you might know them as helicopters, whirlybirds, maple keys, or simply maple seeds. And...
Lastest from the Blog
November 2025 Nature Connection Calendar for Families
Hello, November! November holds a special place in my heart. It used to be one of my least favorite months, the beauty of early fall fading, the days growing shorter, the landscape turning gray, and winter’s sparkle still far away. Many years ago, my friend Dawn Suzette Smith began a…
Halloween Nature Scavenger Hunt & Bingo (Free Printables!)
Halloween is here, along with all the spooky, magical things happening in nature as fall deepens. Spiders creep into cozy corners, webs glisten across the lawn, leaves turn skeletal, and owls hoot overhead. Who needs gory decorations when the outdoors is full of jump scares just waiting to be discovered?…
Maple Seed Dragonfly Nature Craft (with Samaras/“Helicopters”)
Maple Seed Dragonfly Nature Craft From spring well into fall, maple trees are bejeweled with curious winged seeds. Botanically, they’re called samaras (pronounced suh-MAR-uh), but you might know them as helicopters, whirlybirds, maple keys, or simply maple seeds. And they make the most enchanting wings for maple seed dragonfly craft!…
October 2025 Nature Connection Calendar for Families
Hello, October! The light turns honey-gold, leaves crunch underfoot, and the air smells like rain and woodsmoke. October invites us to lean into cozy routines while staying curious outdoors—listening for migrating geese, spotting fungi after fall showers, and savoring all things pumpkin. We’ll be crafting leaf lanterns, dabbling in mud-kitchen…
Nature Journaling for Kids: How to Start + Supplies
If you’ve ever watched your child pause to admire a beetle or a feather, you already know the magic of slowing down outside. Nature journaling for kids turns those small moments into lasting memories and gentle learning by capturing the beauty of the natural world on paper. This article is…
Rosehip Necklace Craft for Preschoolers: Easy Threading Activity
Towards the end of summer and throughout fall, rose plants are bejeweled with rosehips—the bright red seed pods of the rose. In minutes, those little beauties can become beads and be threaded into beautiful, biodegradable bracelets and necklaces—a perfect, low-prep fine-motor activity for preschoolers and an easy rosehip necklace craft…
Air-Dry Clay Leaf Bowls: A Simple Fall Craft for Kids and Families
Preserving Autumn Magic with Air Dry Leaf Bowls Slowly, nature nudges toward an incredible seasonal shift. The weather cools, nights grow longer, and deciduous trees know the time has finally come. My children notice the first signs of turning—a singed edge here, a yellow leaf there, or a rogue red…
Land Snorkeling for Kids: A Family Guide to Noticing Nature
Snorkelling is magical, isn’t it? Seeing what’s happening just beneath the water\'s surface—delicate corals, swaying seaweed, and colorful fish darting about—has captivated humans for ages. I still remember the first time my children and I went snorkelling together in Oaxaca, Mexico. We floated through the salty water, pointing out curious…
September 2025 Nature Connection Calendar for Families
Hello, September! Back-to-school season is here, but September isn’t just about sharpened pencils and packed lunches — it’s also an invitation to reconnect with the rhythms of nature. This month September nature connection calendar holds a special kind of beauty, with the final golden weeks of summer melting into the…
DIY Nature Paintbrushes for Kids (Simple Outdoor Art)
It might seem silly to be sharing a tutorial on making nature paintbrushes for kids. After all, paintbrush have been made from natural materials for thousands of years! According to Britannica, paintbrushes are one of human\'s earliest art supplies and were used as early as the Paleolithic Period. Back then paintbrushes…
NEW BOOKBeyond the Front DoorLaunching February 24, 2026
Beyond the Front Door helps you build a happier and healthier family through simple, seasonal ways to reconnect with nature, everyday moments, easy outdoor habits, and micro-adventures that actually fit your life.
Join the Launch List and Unlock VIP content including:
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Exclusive seasonal downloads and printables
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A FREE eBook Companion to Beyond the Front Door
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VIP access to the online book launch
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First invitations to future events and workshops
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Future discounts on digital resources
Nature-Inspired Living for Modern Families
Discover practical ways to slow down, step outside, and reconnect with what matters most. From raising outdoor-loving kids to living seasonally and bringing the harvest home, you’ll find ideas that fit real life—rooted in nature, family, and everyday joy.

Raising Outdoor Kids
Practical ideas and parenting inspiration for raising outdoor kids—featuring nature-based play ideas, book lists, and tips for building family connections through time outside.

Seasonal Crafts & Activities
Family-friendly ideas for every season—featuring easy crafts, printables, seasonal guides, outdoor activities, and tasty treats that make nature part of everyday life.

Harvest & Home
Everyday inspiration for bringing the harvest home—featuring recipes, canning and preserving ideas, and simple ways to live more connected to nature wherever you are.
About Josée BergeronThe Original Backwoods Mama
Hello! Bonjour! Taanishi! My name is Josée Bergeron, and I am a French Canadian Métis mama of five children.
I founded Backwoods Mama in 2009, a year after my eldest was born. From the start, I have shared my love for nature along with the many adventures and misadventures of getting outside with five kids – no easy feat! I quickly noticed that I wasn’t the only one wanting to raise outdoors kids, and struggling to do so. That’s when my blog transformed into a space of encouragement that’s packed with resources for parents, caregivers and educators looking to get outside and connect with nature with their kids.
Stay wild!
As Seen On
eBooks, Guides & Fun Printables
You’ll find plenty of free resources here, plus a few paid goodies at budget-friendly prices. Every purchase helps me keep creating tools that make getting outside with kids easier and more fun.
✔️ Before you download or buy, please read my FAQs and Instructions for Digital Product
$9
Fall Outside - 30 Nature-Connection Prompts for Exploring Autumn with Children
$7
Nature Advent Calendar For Kids - 24 Days of Nature Connection
$2
Valentine Flower Seed Packets - A Nature-inspired Valentine Craft for Kids to Make & Share
$15
"My Nature Adventure Journal" - A Fall Nature Journal for Kids
$15
"My Nature Adventure Journal" - A Winter Nature Journal for Kids
$15
"My Nature Adventure Journal" - A Spring Nature Journal for Kids




