Having lived in Manhattan for 20 years, I have accumulated a list of nature-centric activities that can be done when you don’t have outdoor space. Here are my favorites:

• Build a barometer
• Build a worm bin
• Sprout seeds in moisture
• Sprout seeds in shallow soil
• Build a tracking box
• Make a butterfly house
• Create an indoor forest

Many leaves have natural dyes, which when mature, can be extracted in this easy-to-do project.

This is more than a nature project.

It’s a glimpse into how people used these same plants to dye fabric for centuries before the convenience of mass production.