Nature’s Adventures: Fun Outdoor Learning for Children

What’s better than fresh air, the great outdoors and your little one galloping in the grass?

Encouraging your children to take part in nature’s learning activities can aid in developing skills such as imagination and enhancing their senses.

Think about it this way, while your child is playing outside, enhancing their creativity by building dens, bird feeders, or listening to the sounds of animals around them, they get the chance to truly enjoy what nature has to offer. (And let’s be honest, they get to escape all the distractions of technology: screens, TV, laptops, tablets etc.)

It has also been proven that listening to birds singing can help get over stress and anxiety, so, spending time outdoors and in touch with nature can be very beneficial for both children and grown-ups.

The Sound of Nature

It is the weekend and your little one is climbing up the walls as if they are Spiderman or Catwoman. As parents, you are looking to find something to do so your child can canalise that energy and hopefully feel relaxed and tired at the end of the day.

A walk in nature could be the idea you are looking for and enjoy having a listen to all the sounds in the forest. Off to the local park, forest, woods, or anything outdoorsy we go!

It is recommended to wear trainers or wellies (avoid flip flops or sandals, or your lovely trip might be cut short due to your little one stepping onto something they should not have) and, depending on the season, waterproof attire might be the way to go if you want to spend the most of your outdoor experience dry.

During your walk, make regular stops to listen to the surroundings: branches cracking, birds chirping, squirrels squeaking. Play a game with your little one to identify all the different sounds you all hear.

Magnifying Glass at The Ready!

Another idea is to go on a mini beast hunt with the children and observe bugs and insects up close. Spring is the perfect season to do this.

There are some things you can take to make your little one’s mini beast hunt experience unique and unforgettable:

• A pen and paper to take notes or draw what they see.
• A magnifying glass to observe in detail insects and bugs.
• A camera to immortalise what you see.
• A bucket and a spade to dig and find even more underground.

Remember to leave nature as you found it!

Once back from your outdoor adventure, your little one can then make a scrapbook out of all the lovely photos and notes taken, and bits and bobs collected during the walk. This is a brilliant way to remember what they explored and be able to share these with family and friends.

Make Wildlife Feel At Home

While on your outdoor experience, you could have the opportunity to help animals – such as birds or squirrels – to enjoy their outside life even more by making things for them.

Help your little one make a bird feeder out of loo roll or kitchen roll. It is simple, all you need is:

• A cardboard tube (loo roll or kitchen roll)
• 2 long sticks or skewers
• Some lard or peanut butter
• Birdseed
• Some string

How to make a bird feeder?

Start by making four holes in one end of your cardboard tube, these must be large enough for your sticks or skewers, but not so large that the sticks slide out.

Make sure the holes opposite each other line up so that you can thread your sticks through.

Next, make two small holes opposite each other at the other end of your tube. Use a butter knife or spatula to cover your roll in lard or peanut butter.

Place the seeds on a plate and roll the tube in birdseed so that they stick to the lard.

Finally, carefully thread the sticks through to make a cross shape, and thread a piece of string through the two top holes. Then you are ready to hang your feeder outside!

Making Nature Bracelets

You might be wondering what this is. To put it very simply, that’s a bracelet made of things collected on your walk (leaves, flowers, acorns etc…).

What do I need and how to make one?

All you will need for this is a piece of duct tape placed on your child’s wrist, sticky side facing out. Now, head off for a walk and get your little one to pick bits and pieces to stick onto the sticky side of the tape on their wrist.

It could be anything your heart desires, small leaves, big leaves cut in small pieces, whole flowers, petals, anything really!
Your child can find anything to add to their nature bracelet!

This is a lovely way for you both to keep memories of your nature walks and a great way to develop your little one’s creativity and imagination.

Feel Like an Investigator?

Take the opportunity, while on a walk, to observe and try to identify animal tracks. Whether you decide to go for a walk in the woods or by the sea, this is a great way to get your children to discover what nature has to offer.

When animals travel, they will leave prints also known as animal tracks. You can find tracks in mud, sand, or snow. Your child can take photos of the tracks or try to draw them, this can be a great way to add to your mysterious collection of animal prints and a chance to get closer to nature and awaken your little one’s interest in the great outdoor world.

You can also help your child find bird nests, usually, these are easier to spot in the winter due to trees having no leaves to obstruct the view. Talk your child through the importance of respecting birds and animals in general and making sure not to disturb or touch their habitats. (Don’t forget to fill the scrapbook with all your memories from this great adventure!)

Why is it important for my child to play outdoors?

There are several benefits to exploring and discovering the outdoors. Parents who encourage their children to wonder and play outdoors see immense improvements in their children’s mood and behaviour. It is also a great way to develop their independence and imagination.

Let’s not forget, by allowing our children to have fun in the sun and explore the outdoors, they will naturally tire themselves out! (Every parent appreciates an early night after a busy day out.) This can help your children have a good night’s rest and be ready to take on new challenges the morning after.

And fear not, if you do not have a garden, that will not make a difference in the slightest. All these activities can be done at your local park, woods or even while walking along the footpath. Nature is everywhere around us and you do not need a garden to take full advantage of what it has to offer!

Find your local park by clicking on this link: Find your local park or Find free local playgrounds, parks and play areas across the UK and get ready to go on an adventure and make great memories with your children.

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