Easy Ways to help Your Children Connect to Nature

There are so many beautiful ways to help your children connect to nature, and where they can learn to love, respect and cherish it for a lifetime.

When children have time to play in nature they discover more about the world around them. At the same time they develop skills that can benefit them for a lifetime ~ curiosity, dexterity, an understanding of science, creativity and physical wellbeing. Find these following activities you can do with your children on weekends, after school or preschool or during holiday times.

 

 

Go for hikes with the family in the local national park – it’s a perfect bonding exercise and helps children develop independence and strength.

Grab some charcoal, an art sketch book or simply A4 paper and a piece of cardboard to lean on, head off to the local park and spend time together drawing nature.

 

Spend the day at a beach where rockpools abound – even in winter – explore the little creatures and life growing, talk about them, about how the rockpools came about, wonder and breathe deep.

Explore Little French Heart Nature Toys for Nature Play

Visit a garden nursery and together with your children finding a couple of flower plants or vegetables to grow – either in the garden or in pots. Sunflowers are a fantastic flower to plant. They are hardy, don’t need a lot of space and when they pop their flower is sunny and happy for weeks. Once it dies the seeds can be harvested to grown new grow new sunflowers.

 

Take cuttings of flowers that can be dried easily such as nasturtiums, wattle, daisies or lavender. Press the flowers into a  book lined with baking paper, or simply dry them on baking paper and keep as small decorations or crafts.

Find a fruit picking farm such as a strawberry farm and spend the day harvesting and eating the proceeds

Count flowers you see walking home with your child in multiples of two to improve maths at the same time.

Buy a bunch of mixed flowers and together arranging them in the home, create little artworks.

My favourite, making mud pies with flowers, mud and berries (just add water). One for those who don’t mind hosing the kids down afterwards.

There are so many ways to encourage children to love and respect nature, and spend time bonding together.

The best part is that nature gives back to your children for a lifetime.

A big merci to the exquisite photographers Giselle Bergstrom, Jess Farthing and Kaycee for making this article beautiful.