When her second child was born, Nancy Keller of Round Lake Beach, Ill., wondered how she would balance playing outside with both her preschooler and her 5-month-old baby during the warmer months. "I didn't want to stay cooped up inside with the baby and wanted both kids to be able to enjoy being outside with me," says Keller. As she struggled to strike a happy medium, this resourceful mom found that incorporating a few alternatives helps everyone enjoy the great outdoors.

This spring and summer, you can also ensure your baby is not only having fun, but remains safe outside with a few helpful tips.

Use Mother Nature's vibrant and scenic palette to teach Baby about shapes, colors and textures. Susan Chapman, an early childhood development teacher in Kenmore, N.Y., recommends associating items readily found outside with common colors or sizes to create a fun, learning playground for Baby. "It's never too early to teach that leaves are green, clouds are fluffy and white, dandelions are round, etc.," says Chapman.

When working with young children Chapman finds taking advantage of different locations beneficial. "We take children on a field trip to the park, but parents don't have to go much farther than their own yard or a neighbor's yard to expose children to a variety of outdoor elements," she says. Select a few natural objects every day to introduce to Baby. Lounging on a blanket in your yard or while taking a stroll, Baby can feel "grainy" sand, "cold" water, "long, thin" sticks and see the multicolored flowers and shrubs that are blooming.

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