5 DIY Activities to Get Your Children Into Nature
Written By: Jennifer Cryder from opeyouremuted.com
Spring break is just around the corner and for those of us not going on vacation, we are planning how to keep our children entertained at home throughout the break. When schedules are disrupted, the weather changes, and our babies are with us more, they get a little more rambunctious and energetic with excitement. I love the energy, I even miss it when the break is over, but sometimes it can be overwhelming if there isn’t a plan.
My piece of advice is do not turn to screens; it doesn’t help keep your kids engaged, doesn’t foster relationships with you, and it’s a band aid to the real problem … breaks from school! Honestly the biggest issue I encounter is not feeling prepared to have my little one engaged/entertained and Netflix always is.
There are so many low cost or free options to keep our children busy and engaged over break. For the nature lovers out there here is a screen free no cost list to engage children outside of the house and in nature! Check my article 4 Steps to Parenting a Toddler Who Thrives for other ways you can engage your little one.
Every big box hardware store (or mom and pop shop!) that sells paint, has free color pallet samples! Swing by and grab a variety of colors for each child. Have each child try to find something in nature that matches the varying shades of the rainbow. For example, if they have a pallet with different shades of green, have them point out grass, trees, leaves, moss, or anything that matches one of the shades of green. This can help them be more mindful of their surroundings, learn about the amazing world in nature that is around them and have them feel more connected to the earth (check out my post with 6 DIY Earth Day Activities to help foster their appreciation for our world even further).
*Remind your littles to not disrupt the nature they are viewing because we always want to leave nature just as beautiful as we found it for the next child to enjoy during their exploration.
Another fun way to get your little one outside is by creating nature sculptures.
Nature sculptures can be made with any type of natural resources and materials. Encourage your child to create a masterpiece that means something to them. Explain how this beautiful piece of art they create will then become one with the earth again as if it was never there. Part of the beautiful world we live in, beauty just keeps recycling and being recreated. This exercise not only gets their creative minds engaged, fosters pride in their work, and keeps them engaged for longer periods of time, it encourages mindfulness and helps them understand their place in the big world around them.
If you live near a forest, sticks, mud, pinecones and rocks work for making sculptures of people. If you live in an area with a rocky soil, have your child see how many rocks they can balance on each other and add garnishing of flowers, leaves or sticks to make their creations even more beautiful. Live near the beach? Sandcastles are always a hit! Add shells, seaweed and driftwood to make the castle even more elaborate. Remind your littles there is no right or wrong way to create these masterpieces aside from giving your best and being proud of yourself!
This one can be scary! I mean, mud kitchen… that sounds like the opposite of what we want our little ones playing with. But I promise if you plan ahead, not only is this an activity that keeps children engaged for a long period of time, it teaches them how to responsibly clean up a big mess.
For a mud kitchen you don’t have to have a full picture perfect Pinterest kitchen set-up outdoors. You can use any pots and pans that you don’t mind getting beat up and dirty, or if your children have their own play pots and pans use those. Muffin tins, baking sheets, mixing bowls and utensils are always a fun add in but not necessary. If your child is unsure how to get started, encourage them to start with a mud pie and then what other items or food dishes in the kitchen they could create the muddy version of. Another important step for this fun activity is setting up a cleaning station! I like to have a scrubbing brush near the hose. Have your child clean the items they have used and place them somewhere to dry. We set up our dishes drying rack on the patio next to the hose. Final part of clean up prep is to have a clean set of clothes to change into right by the door… or carry them right to the bath for a good scrubbing! We love mud in this house just as much as bath time!
Prompting our littles to create “fairy gardens”, fosters a new and exciting inspiration for building in nature! It doesn’t have to be for fairies, you can create a tiny house for, insert their favorite tiny being… a bug, a mouse ect create a connection to the project. Explain to your toddler we want their tiny friends to have the most beautiful house with so many rooms and amenities! The sky’s the limit with design and architecture. If your child is interested in fairies or magical moments then encourage them to build a house for a fairy. If they are not interested in mythical things then choose another tiny tenant that they would love to build a residence for.
Similar to the natural sculptures explain how these beautiful creations will become one with their surroundings again. Encourage this understanding and connection to their world and the beautiful cycles it goes through. Remind your littles there is no right or wrong way to build these houses aside from trying your best and being proud of yourself!
A nature scavenger hunt is a fun and inviting way to incorporate additional physical activity to our day. Your nature scavenger hunt can be a collecting mission and bring pieces back to use in other ways… like as ingredients in the mud kitchen, their fairy garden, their sculptures or to match with the color swatches you brought home for them (if it is safe and not disrupting the environment around the item being moved)! Upcycle this activity to make the others even more successful.
For a nature scavenger hunt you will need to keep a list and check items off as your child finds them. If your child cannot read then add images to the list to help them see their progress. If they can read then make the list as simple as possible! Depending on where you live the lists can be different for your nature scavenger hunt. You can create a list from within the yard, the park, the nature preserve or all of the above! Get out there in nature, get your steps in and be mindful of the beautiful world around you.
As always safety needs to be the first priority for any activity. In my house we love to create a yes space. This means setting up an activity to need minimal to zero redirections. All items and choices in the space are free for the using… in any way our toddler stays fit. Prepared activities keep the days organized and entertaining for everyone. Enjoy these moments to the best of your ability and try to not stress about the mess. A messy house means happy hearts (sometimes!) and I love to embrace this in activities and encourage helping with the clean up!
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