Southern Belle Magazine Digital #02 August 2013 | Page 40

Crea t ures

of Summer time

Ah, summer time in the South- longer days with lots of outdoor play, that is IF you can pry your kids from their video games! There are so many fun things for kids to do outdoors during the summer, which will also bring back childhood memories for mom and dad. Things like playing a game of yard ball with the neighborhood kids, building a fort or playing under a sprinkler. Another favorite among kids is catching the creatures of summer. Encourage your children to explore the outdoors around them to find roly polies, lady bugs, worms, caterpillars, lightning bugs and butterflies. Supply them with jars and a net to catch and store their finds. Do a little research to see which captured creatures can live a few days in a jar with proper ventilation so the kids will have time to watch and enjoy them. Be sure your child knows the importance of releasing the creatures before they die.

Another fun creature for summer is the hermit crab. Walk into any souvenir gift shop in a beach town during summer and you’ll see a container full of bright and fun painted sea shells. But these aren’t just your normal shells to add to your shell collection, these have a small creature inside called a hermit crab. Hermit cra bs make a fun pet for your children because they are relatively low maintenance, live in a small habitat and can be taken out and handled.

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For more information on how to keep a hermit crab as a pet visit www.nature-gifts.com.