Sticks and Stones: A Kid's Guide to Building and Exploring in the Great Outdoors

Discover a treasure trove of exciting nature-based building, engineering, and artistic ideas for children in Sticks and Stones. This comprehensive guide features tools, toys, and games kids can create right outside their door.

Kids will love building cabins, bridges, dams rock gardens, and more. They’ll discover that creating art is more fun outdoors as they learn to make making stone pendants, ochre paint, and weaving. A variety of large and small-scale activities boost engineering, creative, and problem-solving skills, all while promoting fun. With simple tools and materials a branch becomes a fishing pole, and logs turn into a simple seesaw.

Opportunities and materials for productive play exist everywhere in nature. Author Melissa Lennig (of the blog Fireflies and Mud Pies) introduces today’s screen-overloaded kids to a world of exploring and adventure. Whether camping in the woods or hanging out in the back yard, children will marvel at the wonderful, useful tools and playthings they can create with natural objects. They’ll also learn about STEAM principles, campfire chemistry, why building with blocks is so powerful, and how mindfulness techniques can reduce stress.

The book also includes:

• Ideas for taking activities further, with fun variations and ideas
• Safety tips for kids and adults
• Design challenges that can be done solo or in groups
• Step-by-step instructions and helpful photos

Sticks and Stones was named to the longlist for the 2020 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books in the Hands-On Science Book category. The prize honors outstanding science writing and illustration for children and young adults. This book is an essential resource for every junior outdoor adventurer.
 

Melissa Lennig is an accomplished family lifestyle blogger and photographer. She holds degrees in Elementary Education, English, and Counselor Education, and shares her passions for crafts, nature, family, and food on her blog Fireflies and Mud Pies. Her work has been featured in magazines and on hundreds of websites, including Humpty Dumpty, Jack and Jill, Better Homes and Gardens, Country Living, Today, and Newsday.