Inspiring nature-based activities for children

Nature never fails to awe, entertain and inspire bright, curious minds. At Nature’s Point, we believe that children need regular nature time as an essential part of a rich childhood. From this belief stems our popular nature walk programme, but extends to many activities beyond just a walk.

In this blog we share some simple, yet powerful nature activities can help us create lifelong bonds between our children and the great outdoors. From the thrill of nature collecting to the serenity of nature sit spotting, from the excitement of scavenger hunts to the enriching learning with field guides, each activity holds its own unique magic.

• Nature scavenger hunt: Create a list of items commonly found in nature, such as different types of leaves, rocks, flowers or insects. Provide children with the list and let them explore the outdoor area to find and check off each item.
• Nature art: Encourage children to use natural materials like leaves, flowers, sticks and rocks to create art. They can make leaf rubbings, create mandalas with flower petals, or build sculptures using sticks and stones. Often from our walks we return with treasures that find themselves into our kids’ art.
• Outdoor story time: Choose a spot outdoors and read nature-themed books to the children. We often make our neighbouring Kirks Bush our venue for mat some time and our children love it! You can also encourage them to act out stories or create their own nature-inspired tales – nothing quite like theatre in the lap of nature.
• Planting seeds: Teach children about plant growth by letting them plant seeds in small pots or a garden bed. They can learn about caring for plants and observe the stages of growth over time.
• Nature journaling: Provide children with notebooks and pencils and encourage them to observe and record their findings in nature. They can draw pictures, write descriptions, or even press leaves and flowers into their journals.
• Bird watching: Set up bird feeders and bird baths in your outdoor space to attract birds. Provide binoculars and bird identification guides and encourage children to observe and learn about the different bird species that visit.
• Sensory nature walks: Take children on guided nature walks and encourage them to use their senses to explore their surroundings. They can listen for bird calls, feel different textures, smell flowers and even taste edible plants (with supervision).
• Nature photography: Provide children with cameras or smartphones (with supervision) and encourage them to take photos of interesting natural scenes or objects. They can then create a nature photography display or collage.
• Nature building: Let children use natural materials like sticks, rocks and mud to build structures such as forts, fairy houses or miniature bridges. This fosters creativity and problem-solving skills while connecting them to the environment.
• Outdoor science experiments: Conduct simple science experiments outdoors, such as observing how water flows through different types of soil, testing the buoyancy of natural objects in water, or studying the life cycle of insects found in the area.

To conclude

These activities not only provide children with opportunities for outdoor exploration and physical activity but also promote curiosity, creativity and a deeper connection to the natural world.