Everyone’s got several perfectly good digital cameras at their disposal these days. They’re in your phone. Instead of selfies and pics of dinner, go out with the children and create photo-taking activities to engage them. Don’t just chase butterflies, try to take photos of them. Observe mountains, rivers, monuments, even trees. Make up a game where the kids need to find flowers of certain colors and take pictures of those flowers. If you’re in a city, challenge the kids to photograph the tallest building they can see, or perhaps take pictures of clouds and then discuss what their shapes resemble.
Not only does photography encourage observation, it builds perception and the ability to evaluate shapes, dimensions, and distance. Plus, digital photography is instant and easy to share with family and friends. And when you go home, you can easily view the photos you all took on your laptop, tablet, TV, or even portable projector thanks to the wonders of casting and USB.