PBS Kids Nature Cat Encourages Kids to Explore the Great Outdoors

PBS KIDS debuted a one-hour special of NATURE CAT last Monday but the special will repeat throughout the week of January 18 and will be available for free on both the series site and on the PBS KIDS Video App, which is accessible on a variety of mobile devices and on platforms such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Xbox One and Chromecast.

This one-hour special will feature four all-new 11-minute stories featuring the beloved characters from the network’s newest series. Related games, clips and full episodes will also be available on PBS KIDS digital platforms throughout the month.  Be sure to check it out in case you missed this fun and silly cat. We really love the Looney Tunes type vibe of Nature Cat – from the humor to animation, it is a show that parents can enjoy alongside their kids.

In celebration of the great outdoors, we have a couple fun activities you can enjoy with the kids. You can find more nature activities and DIY projects on Nature Cat’s site here.

Plant a Sunny-Side UP Garden:

You will need:

empty egg carton

popsicle sticks cut in half

pencil

6 packages of flowers

soil

________

Directions:

1. Cut off top of the egg carton at the “hinge” and place underneath the bottom section to act as a tray that will absorb any extra water.
2. Place about 1 tablespoon or more in the bottom of each of the 12 compartments.
3. Divide each packet of seed between the growing compartments and plant.  Cover the seeds lightly with soil.  Water daily but be careful not to over water.
4. Use you pencil to write the plant names on the popsicle sticks.
5. Watch as your plants grow.  You can make a Growing Journal sheet. Label the top section with the flowers you used, and on the side list Day 1 – Day 21 and have a section where they can mark how tall the plants are growing.

This is a fun way for the kids to get their hands dirty and watch seeds grow into little flowers.  It was fun for my daughter and I to see what the seeds looked like.  We planted:

Rainbow Zinnias

Pink & White Cosmos

Red & Orange Nasturtiums

Dwarf Yellow Sunflowers

Lilliput Zinnias

Blue Bachelor’s Buttons

Once your seedlings are about 3-4 inches tall (or 3 weeks old), move to a sunny location in the garden or large container.  If it is not warm enough (70 degrees F/21 degrees C) to move outside then plant to a larger pot and place in a sunny window until the weather gets warmer.

Plants need space!  Be sure to thin your seedlings to 3 or 4 plants per growing compartment.  Choose the biggest, strongest and healthiest plants. Clip the remaining seedlings at the dirt level using a pair of scissors. (Source: Backyard Safari Company).

I Love Dirt by Jennifer Ward offers 52 activities to help you and your kids discover the wonder of nature.  Some of her ideas include:

Mother Nature offers rainbows of colors: Take a walk with your children around your home, in a park, nature trail or even a sidewalk and look for colors of nature. Do the flowers have pollinators?  What is a pollinator and why are they important to plants.  Take notice of petal shapes. Are all the flowers shaped the same?  Search for different types of flowers and gently count the number of petals each has.

This activity stimulates awareness of one’s surroundings and concentration.

On a Treasure Hunt for Green:

This would be fun to do around St. Patrick’s Day!  Take a walk outside with your child.  Explain that you are on a treasure hunt for the color green.  Put on a green shirt or socks, or even green flip flops (if weather permits) or a green baseball hat. Search for all the different shade of green: deep green, pale green, bright green, dull green.  Count the number of hues you discover.  Try to find a four-leaf clover in a patch of clover.  Show them how to gently separate the clovers to locate a four-leave one.

This is a great activity that stimulates observation skills and awareness of the environment.

Nature Cat’s One Hour Special: Check local listings!

Four all-new 11-minute stories are packed into a super special hour:

“Hal’s Day Off” – After a silly mishap leaves Hal alone in the big city (well, he does have his chew-toy Mr. Chewinsky with him), it’s up to Nature Cat, Squeeks and Daisy to make their way to the city and find Hal. Tally ho! Even though Hal is having so much fun sightseeing, he will need to get home somehow. When Nature Cat, Squeeks and Daisy can’t locate Hal, they turn to animals that they never even knew lived in the city for help.

“Stream and Shout” – Nature Cat goes to his Nature Curiosity List for inspiration, and finds number 73: “Where do streams begin?” This seemingly simple question leads the gang on an action-packed adventure, as they follow the stream uphill, exploring new environments and meeting all sorts of friendly critters. When they finally find out where the stream begins they are whoa-ho-ho amazed!

“Travelin’ Seeds” – When Daisy finds a beautiful flower in her garden that she didn’t plant, it’s up to Nature Cat and his pals to find out where the flower came from. Their investigation leads them through the park and into the woods where the clues show them that seeds can actually travel far distances and grow where they land.

“Tally Ho! A Rainbow” – After a rainstorm (Nature Cat is sure glad it’s over!) Daisy wants to capture a picture of a rainbow for her Granny Bunny who just loves rainbows. But finding a rainbow is easier said than done, as the four friends trek all over in search of it.

PBS Kids offers a ton of activities and games featuring your favorite characters.  We had fun playing Nature Cat Racing Rapids!