Nature Activities Your Children Will Love
Nature activities are a perfect way to spend time together as a family and help your children appreciate the natural world. Getting outside is also essential for social, emotional, and cognitive development. So making outdoor time a priority no matter where you live is key to healthy development for kids of all ages.
What is a nature activity?
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Simply put, a nature activity is any activity for kids that you do outside. It can be as basic as eating a meal in your back yard or as complex as creating science experiments, a nature scavenger hunt, or starting a nature journal. The most important thing is that you are outside–breathing in the fresh air, getting a healthy dose of vitamin D, and taking in the beauty of nature.
Why is nature play important in early childhood?
Nature play is vital in early childhood because it fosters independence and curiosity to explore their world. This type of play also helps develop social skills, creativity, and hand-eye coordination. Not only does this encourage children to stay active, but it also provides them with the opportunity for self-expression while developing cognitive skills such as problem-solving and language development at the same time.
Here are a few benefits of outdoor play for kids.
Benefits of Nature Play
The benefits of playing outdoors have been studied extensively over the past few decades. Research shows that spending time outdoors positively affects physical health, mental wellbeing, and overall happiness.
Here are some examples of how these benefits apply specifically to young children:
Encourages exercise – Studies show that exercise increases heart health, builds strength, flexibility, balance, endurance, and gross motor skills.
Increases vitamin D – Spending time outdoors increases exposure to sunlight, giving us nutrients like calcium, magnesium, zinc, potassium, and B vitamins. But it's not just about sunshine; even being exposed to indirect light from trees or plants will increase our body's production of vitamin D.
Problem Solving: When children spend more time exploring outside, they tend to become better problem solvers. When we get lost exploring, we start asking questions like, “Where am I going? How should I go there? What if I don't know what direction to take?” These types of questions require critical thinking skills and give children practice using logic and reasoning. They also allow them to work collaboratively with others which is an important life skill!
Self Control: Children who engage in activities outside often develop greater control over their emotions than those who don't. Engaging in an activity requires focus and concentration, both of which require energy. The result? A calmer mind and less negative feelings.
Why nature is the best sensory activity
When children are outside, they are being given input to all of their senses. Children get to smell different smells like fresh-cut grass or wet leaves. See all the different types of trees and colorful wildflowers. They can also feel the wind, sun, or rain on their face. These are natural sensory experiences, and they are better than any sensory bin you can find on Pinterest!
3 Easy Nature Activities for Kids
You do NOT necessarily need to travel far to get a daily dose of nature. Getting in those outdoor hours can be as simple as going outside in your backyard or walking to a local park. There are so many outdoor adventures are within reach if you challenge yourself to think outside the box! Here are some fun ideas to keep your kids busy outdoors.
1. Play in your backyard. There are many things to observe right in your backyard. Install a bird feeder and learn to identify different species of birds and their habits. Use a rainy day to teach your children about the water cycle or do a fun activity like puddle stomping. Start a rock collection, pick up pine cones or other natural items for future art projects, or do a simple nature craft.
2. Get to know your neighborhood. Learn to identify all the different types of trees and observe seasonal changes. Going on a neighborhood walk is an excellent way for kids to use the five senses and an excellent way for you to re-connect with your kids after a long day.
6. Sign up for a FREE Tinkergarten class. Tinkergarten is an incredible outdoor learning class. They offer a free trial and have classes all over the U.S. If you have the means and opportunity, the summer is prime time for your little one to learn new things and make new friends.
Exploring Science through Nature
The best thing about getting kids involved in nature is that it teaches them how important it is to protect our environment. When we spend more time exploring nature, we become less dependent upon technology and increase our awareness of what's around us. Time in nature leads to a greater appreciation of life and encourages us to be more eco-friendly.
3 ways to Explore Science through Nature
Start a garden. Kids love growing plants and seeing them grow from seedlings to full-grown vegetables. There are endless learning opportunities about food chains, health, soil, weather, and more.
Plant native flowers. Native plants help support pollinators such as bees and butterflies. These insects play a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems by helping produce fruits and veggies for humans to eat.
Create a rain barrel system. Collecting rain is a fun way to reuse water (for play and plants) and opens the door to conversations about the weather cycles, climate change, water, and more.
Make compost. Composting turns kitchen waste into rich soil. In addition to being environmentally friendly, composting can give you a chance to learn about biology and decomposition processes.
Exploring Science through Nature
The best thing about getting kids involved in nature is that it teaches them how important it is to protect our environment. When we spend more time exploring nature, we become less dependent upon technology and increase our awareness of what's around us. Spending time outdoors leads to a greater appreciation of life and encourages us to be more eco-friendly.
4 ways to Explore Science through Nature
Start a garden. Kids love growing plants and seeing them grow from seedlings to full-grown vegetables. There are endless learning opportunities about food chains, health, soil, weather, and more.
Plant native flowers. Native plants help support pollinators such as bees and butterflies. These insects play a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems by helping produce fruits and veggies for humans to eat.
Create a rain barrel system. Collecting rain is not only a fun way to reuse water (for play and plants) but also opens the door to conversations about the weather cycles, climate change, water, and more.
Make compost. Composting turns kitchen waste into rich soil. In addition to being environmentally friendly, composting can give you a chance to learn about biology and decomposition processes.
Exploring Art through Nature
Art has been used throughout history to express feelings, ideas, thoughts, emotions, memories, etc. It allows people to share their experiences and connect with others. The beauty of creating art out in nature is that it gives kids a sense of freedom and independence while still exploring their creativity.
5 Ways To Get Creative With Outdoor Art Projects
Use recycled materials. Recycling old objects helps reduce pollution and saves money. Old paintbrushes, cardboard boxes, plastic bottles, paper bags, wood scraps, metal cans, glass jars, and you can repurpose rocks into beautiful artwork.
Make collages. Collage involves using different types of papers, fabrics, photographs, stickers, buttons, ribbons, feathers, leaves, sticks, stones, shells, seeds, twigs, dried grasses, etc., to create unique art pieces.
Paint outside. Painting outdoors provides many benefits, including fresh air and natural light. You don't need any special equipment other than some paints, brushes, and paper.
Draw pictures. Drawing is another excellent activity that requires no tools at all! Just grab a piece of paper and start drawing whatever comes to mind if you want a little guidance to check out MySketchVenture.
Explore new textures. Experiment with unconventional materials like clay, mud, dirt, moss, pebbles, sand, string, or yarn. Using various materials will allow children to experiment with different textures, colors, shapes, sizes, patterns, and designs.
