Spending regular time in nature offers a number of important health benefits. You may have noticed that when you get outside and spend time in the natural elements that you simply tend to feel better. It’s no different for your kids. Left to their own devices in natural surroundings you might notice their curiosity expanding and their energy overflowing.
Time in nature allows kids to explore their surroundings, move their bodies and run freely. If they tend to spend a lot of time indoors or on devices, it might take them a while to get into the groove of embracing and enjoying nature-based activities. Give it a little time however and their natural outdoor play instincts and imagination should kick into action. The following ideas can also help to make it extra fun and interesting for them.
Fun with flowers
Save a little bit of beauty from your outdoor adventure with your kids. Get them to collect a few flowers with stems and leaves to take home and press. Place them on a sheet or two of absorbent paper and then cover with another sheet or two. Place a few heavy books on top and leave them to dry. This is also a good exercise for patience as it could take a few weeks for them to dry properly, depending on the type of flower. Once their flowers are dry they can use them for various arts and crafts. While you’re out and about, daisy chain necklaces and headbands can also be fun to make.
Nature journals
Older kids may enjoy keeping a nature journal. There’s no set way to do this – ideally, let them be creative with it. They might want to draw a picture of or write a few sentences about what they saw out and about in nature that day. They could also take a photo to print and add to their journal. By taking an interest in and talking about your child’s nature journal you might also find that it leads on to their desire to research more about something that they’ve seen. This can be a good opportunity for them to learn more about that topic.
Leaves and stones
Collect a few leaves and stones during your nature playtime. There is so much for kids to do with them. If you’re near a lake or river, hunt out flat ones and try skimming them across the water. Take home a few of them and let your kids enjoy a session of stone painting. If it’s fall time, build a big pile of leaves and let your kids jump and play to their heart’s content. You can also take some home to paint, or place them under a piece of paper and draw on the paper with crayon. Your kids can enjoy seeing the intricate patterns of the leaf appear on the paper.
Use all the senses
Nature play is a great way to encourage your kids to listen and learn from their senses. Here are a few ideas:
- Sound: Ask them how many different sounds they can hear and what they think each sound is. Ask them which sounds are loud and which ones are quiet
- Sight: Look for things like insects and worms, or signs of wildlife. Teach them about what sort of signs different types of wildlife might leave behind and turn it into a game by giving them a small list of things to find and tick off. Make it even more fun by giving them a magnifying glass so that they can look closely at the things they find. Your kids might also enjoy playing “I spy” during their nature outing
- Touch: Ask your kids to touch different surfaces and explain how they feel – e.g. soft, hard, rough smooth. Teach them about the things they might need to be careful about touching – e.g. prickly or poisonous plants
- Taste: Educate yourself about the things you could find in nature that are safe to taste and then share this with your kids. This might include things like edible fruits, berries, and flower petals
- Smell: Finally, take time to stop and smell the flowers!
XO
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