Learning With Nature: 7 Activity Ideas

Nature allows your child to explore his environment and make many discoveries! Here are activities that will allow him to have fun outside and learn from nature to inspire you. Also read: The Soft Roots

1. Play Music

Go as a family in search of elements of nature that will allow you to play Music or create an imaginary musical instrument. For example, you can improvise a xylophone with pieces of wood or maracas with pebbles. It's a great way to stimulate your child's curiosity, imagination, and creativity. (From 18 months)

2. Make nature-art

Why not create a work of art during an outing using elements of nature? Leaves, pebbles, branches, mosses, pine cones (pots), and bird feathers can become a sun, a cat, or a mandala. This activity helps your toddler develop an emotional connection with nature and their creativity and imagination. Creating a collective work also develops the ability to share, collaborate and help each other. (from 2 years old).

3. Contemplate the clouds

Fib on your back to watch the shadows. Discuss as a family what you see: a face, an elephant, a flower, a castle. Makeup stories with passing clouds. Talking with your child helps him develop his language. He learns new words. You can also ask him to blow on the clouds to make them travel faster. When he breathes deeply and focuses on one thing, your little one feels calmer. (from 2 years old)

4. Observe nature with binoculars

Suggest that your child observe trees, plants, birds, insects, or the sky with binoculars. If you don't have one, you can make fake ones out of toilet paper rolls. This activity will motivate your toddler to walk in the forest and strengthen his sense of observation and his capacity for wonder. (from 3 years old)

5. Go on a treasure hunt

Each member of the family brings a bag or a small box and searches for treasures in nature. Your child can pick up what attracts him or start a collection (pots, rocks, etc.). Then, lay your finds on the ground to look at them and name them. The treasure hunt will stimulate your child's curiosity and promote the discovery of his environment. Do not hesitate to name things with him to enrich his knowledge and his vocabulary. (From 18 months)

6. Play in the mud

Put on some old clothes and have some family fun in the puddles and mud. Let your child get their hands in the mud and experiment by making constructions or works of art. His senses, his curiosity, and his imagination will be stimulated. He develops his autonomy and self-confidence when you let him take the initiative. (From 18 months)

7. Go in search of animal tracks.

Winter and spring are good times to search for animal tracks (squirrels, birds, dogs, raccoons, hares, deer). Follow the footprints to try to find the animal. Ask your child to guess who made the tracks. In addition to motivating him to walk, this activity stimulates his imagination and sharpens his sense of observation.

Other ideas for activities in nature

• Near your eyesight and listen to the sounds of nature.
• Play guessing games with elements of nature.
• Build a hiding place with tree branches.
• Find the most beautiful branch to make a walking stick.
• Observe the work of ants.