Page 29 - AK Parent Sum20

Build and fly a kite.
Create a wind chime made from driftwood, rocks and shells found on local beaches.
Teach
your kids the most popular card games. Keep a weekly tournament going throughout the summer.
Turn the backyard into a water park. Fill up spray bottles and plastic bowls with water balloons and get squirtin’ and splashin’ away. Make your own slip ’n slide with plastic sheeting, hose it down and start sliding. (Get a DIY Slip ‘N Slide Tutorial here: fatherly.com/play/make-insane-diy-slip-n-slide)
Go disc golfing. If you’d rather fling than swing, disc golf might be your game. Hilltop Ski Area (hilltopskiarea.org/discgolf) has a 9-hole course intended for kids as well as a full 18-hole course. For a list of Alaska courses, visit discgolfscene.com/courses/alaska.
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summer 2020 alaska parent 29
Craft a homemade bird feeder, then categorize and count the birds you see visit it.
Bee kind to your local pollinators
Pollinators play an important role in our ecosystem. Most flowering plants depend on pollinators, such as bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. These hard workers help spread pollen grains, making a garden healthier, more productive and more beautiful. In Alaska, our pollinators include at least 95 bee species and 75 butterfly species, according to the US Fish & Wildlife Service. Here are some summertime activities to help them out!
1. Provide pollinators a space in your backyard where they can stop and rest awhile – or even enjoy a new home! Build a “bee condo” that encourages solitary bees to take up residence and pollinate your garden. Get the instructions here: fs.fed.us/wildflowers/kids/activities/ beebox.shtm
2. When planning your summer garden, consider adding pollinator-friendly plants like daisies, nasturtiums, fireweed, fuchsia, honeysuckle, bee
balm and sage. Find more information on building a pollinator-friendly garden at: alaskahomemag.com/_pages/outdoor/ pollinator_garden
3. Become a pollinator scientist! Observe
a flowering plant in your backyard or neighborhood and count the pollinators that visit. Collect your data on a tally chart (type of insect, description, picture and number counted). Which ones visited the most? And the least?
4. Kids will have fun learning about Alaska’s pollinators with these coloring and activity books:
a. Soldotna teenager Anna DeVolld created a pollinator project and is helping to educate students and community members about the importance of pollinators. Download her fun and educational Pollinator Activity Book here: alaskaparent.com/pdfs/ PollinatorActivityBook.pdf
Read more about Anna on page 18.
b. Download the US Fish & Wildlife’s Pollinators of Alaska Coloring Book at: nps.gov/dena/learn/nature/upload/ DENA-pollinator-coloring-pages.pdf