Children engaging in unstructured play with nature

BASECAMP

Our Story

We are two sisters who love imagination, creative play, and sharing fun activities for kids.

The photos on our website are our real moments. We hope our most treasured memories inspire you to enjoy the fun, skill-building, and creative play activities for kids based on our adventures.

Integral for child development, imaginative, unstructured play activities foster cognitive growth and cultivate physical, social, and emotional development. Unstructured play nurtures creativity, imagination, problem-solving, social skills – and happiness.

The play ideas are limitless, from the indoors to the outdoors, animal interactions, camping, family activities, STEM, and kid-friendly crafts!

Curiosity and discovery led to our most extraordinary adventures – real or imagined – helping us build confidence and life skills, stimulating our minds, and nurturing our growth into (reasonably) stable adults.

Happy sister children enjoying creative outdoor play activities for kids together

Play is our brain’s favorite way of learning

Diane Ackerman
child outdoor nature activities for kids, smiling at a dragonfly on her shoulder.

The Projects

Play makes kids happy.

You’ll find a wide range of imaginative play ideas on this site for a kids of all ages. Most activities can be simplified or made more challenging.

Play is the highest form of research

Albert Einstein

The Science

Ever notice that the most intelligent creatures on earth play?

Creative play is a spontaneous, unstructured play inspired by a child’s interests, curiosity, and imagination. It’s also vital for a child’s emotional, social, intellectual, and physical development.

The possibilities for play are endless: gardening, cooking, sewing, building, exploring, and more! We hope this website will help spark new adventures for the young and young-at-heart.

After all, playing never grows old.

Young child in red jacket unstructured nature play outdoor nature activity for kids

Imagination is Calling

Scottish Highland Cow Toy for Dogs
This simple and fun highland cow (or "coo") DIY dog …
Snowman & Snow Creations
Building a snowman is a classic winter activity. There are …
Choosing a Kids’ Camera
Is your child always stealing your phone to take photos? …
Puppy Biting: Coping with a Land Shark
Are you dealing with puppy biting? One of those relentless …
How to Hatch Frog & Toad Eggs
A timeless family project that is fun, inexpensive and educational, …
How to Hatch Praying Mantis Egg Cases
Hatch your own voracious garden pest hunters. Every kid seems …
Therapeutic Horseback Riding for Children: Horses For All
"When riding a horse, we borrow freedom." Helen Thomson We …
Growing Plants in Space: Astronaut Gardening at Home
Entice your kids to be curious about gardening with space …
Dog Parent Resources
For new and experienced dog owners: tips, checklists, recipes, references …
Dollhouse Kits for Kids
STEM skills and dollhouses, yes it's true! How can miniatures …
Please note, most of the photos on this website are from our childhood, or captured by us personally. We wanted to share real life experiences with you, but respectfully ask that photos are not downloaded or copied from our website.

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to theplayfulmind.ca with specific direction to the original content. Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase we will earn a small commission. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.