Backwoods MamaJosée

Why We Need to Be Wild: Book Review and Reflection

Why We Need to Be Wild: Book Review and Reflection

“It’s a fox!” Not a live fox, but a furry orange lump lying on the side of the highway, eagerly (and illegally) rescued from its irreverent roadside grave by a mother on her way home from a primitive skills family camp with her two daughters. This first line and...

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November 2025 Nature Connection Calendar for Families

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...

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Halloween Nature Scavenger Hunt & Bingo (Free Printables!)

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...

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October 2025 Nature Connection Calendar for Families

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...

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Nature Journaling for Kids: How to Start + Supplies

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...

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Land Snorkeling for Kids: A Family Guide to Noticing Nature

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...

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September 2025 Nature Connection Calendar for Families

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...

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DIY Nature Paintbrushes for Kids (Simple Outdoor Art)

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...

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Mud Kitchen Ideas: Setup, Supplies & Year-Round Play

Mud Kitchen Ideas: Setup, Supplies & Year-Round Play

If you’re hunting for mud kitchen ideas, here’s what I learned the hard way. Last year, after we moved, I finally set up a mud kitchen in our new backyard. We couldn’t bring our old one with us, and my kids loved it, so I rushed to recreate the magic. This time...

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August 2025 Nature-Connection Calendar for Families

August 2025 Nature-Connection Calendar for Families

Hello, August! The dog days of summer are here! The air is hot and sultry, drawing my littles and me into every cool lake, pooland water table we can find. Our days are unplanned and slower paced, with micro-adventures that pop up like flowers in our small garden....

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July 2025 Nature-Connection Calendar for Families

July 2025 Nature-Connection Calendar for Families

Hello, July! I’ll be honest, friends, this past school year felt like a marathon. As a mama of five, I’m flat-out burnt out and craving one thing: a throw-back, totally ’90s summer. No overscheduled camps, just grass-stained knees, Popsicle drips, and...

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DIY Bug Hotel for Beneficial Insects: Kid-Friendly Guide

DIY Bug Hotel for Beneficial Insects: Kid-Friendly Guide

Welcome to your ultimate guide on building a DIY bug hotel for beneficial insects! At first glance, this bug hotel may look like a simple wooden block with tubes, but it’s an extraordinary habitat custom-designed to support solitary bees, predatory beetles, and other...

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