Exploring nature is not only a fun activity for kids but also an enriching experience that fosters their connection with the natural environment. From building shelters with wood to embarking on river adventures, there are numerous exciting activities for children aged 7 to 12 in the great outdoors. In this article, we’ll delve into a variety of engaging nature activities tailored to this age group, promoting curiosity, creativity, and appreciation for the natural world. Here are some ideas :
Closer to nature : sensory experiences
Tree Climbing: Teach children safe tree-climbing techniques and supervise them as they explore the canopy of trees. Climbing trees builds physical strength, coordination, and confidence in nature.
Barefoot Walking: Take kids for a walk in a safe natural environment where they can feel different textures under their feet, such as grass, sand, or mud. Walking barefoot can enhance sensory experiences and promote a connection with nature.
River Exploration: Allow children to explore shallow rivers or streams, wading through the water, looking for rocks, observing aquatic life, and feeling the water flow around their legs. This activity promotes curiosity about the natural world and appreciation for water ecosystems.
Teach kids basic survival skills
Building shelters with natural materials can be both educational and exciting. Teach kids basic survival skills while fostering teamwork and creativity.
- Fort Building: Encourage children to work together to build a fort using branches and leaves. They can design their own floor plan and decorate their fort with found objects from nature.
- Leafy Hideouts: Show kids how to create small shelters or hideouts by leaning branches against a tree trunk and covering them with leaves. This activity encourages imaginative play and provides a cozy space for storytelling.
- Outdoor Cooking: Teach kids how to cook simple meals or snacks using a campfire or portable stove. They can roast marshmallows, make s’mores, or cook foil-wrapped vegetables for a delicious outdoor dining experience.
- Basic Navigation: Teach kids how to use a compass and read basic maps to navigate their surroundings. This skill is essential for finding their way back home or to safety if lost.
- Purifying Water: Teach children different methods of purifying water such as boiling or using purification tablets. This ensures they can access safe drinking water in various situations.
- Identifying Dangerous Wildlife: Educate kids about common dangerous wildlife in their area and how to avoid encounters with them. This knowledge can prevent accidents
River and water Activities
Rivers offer a wealth of opportunities for exploration and adventure. Supervised river activities can teach kids about water safety and environmental stewardship:
- Rock Skipping: Teach kids the art of skipping stones across the water. Encourage them to find flat, smooth stones and practice their technique along the riverbank.
- River Scavenger Hunt: Create a list of items commonly found along the river, such as feathers, rocks, and different types of leaves. Challenge kids to find and collect each item, fostering observation skills and appreciation for biodiversity.
- Pond Dipping: Visit a local pond or stream and provide kids with nets and containers to catch and observe aquatic life such as tadpoles, frogs, and insects. Teach them about the importance of freshwater ecosystems and aquatic biodiversity.
- River Raft Building: Construct homemade rafts using natural materials such as logs, branches, and vines. Test the rafts in a shallow river or pond and see how well they float and navigate the water.
- Make an underwater scope and spy on what’s going on underwater ! Fallow the instructions on National Geographic Kids here.
Scavenger Hunt
- Geocaching: Go on a treasure hunt using GPS devices or smartphone apps to locate hidden geocaches (containers) hidden in outdoor locations. Geocaching combines outdoor exploration with navigation skills and problem-solving.
- Nature Scavenger Hunt: Create a list of items for children to find while exploring nature, such as pinecones, acorns, animal tracks, and wildflowers. Make it more challenging by including clues or riddles for each item on the list.
Crafts and Exploration
One of the most versatile elements of nature is wood. Encourage children to collect fallen branches, twigs, and leaves to create their own nature-inspired crafts.
- Twig Sculptures: Challenge kids to construct sculptures using twigs and branches they find. They can create animals, abstract shapes, or even miniature forts.
- Nature Mobiles: Help kids gather small sticks, leaves, and feathers to make nature mobiles. Hang them from a tree branch and watch as they sway in the breeze.
- Wooden Jewelry: Use small pieces of smooth wood to create unique jewelry pieces. Kids can paint or carve designs onto wooden beads to make bracelets, necklaces, or keychains.
- Nature Art: Gather natural materials such as leaves, flowers, and pebbles to create nature-inspired artwork. Kids can make leaf rubbings, flower collages, or rock paintings using non-toxic art supplies.
- Leaf Rubbings: Collect a variety of leaves with different shapes and textures. Place a leaf under a piece of paper and rub over it with crayons or colored pencils to create colorful leaf rubbings.
Stories, music and writing
- Nature Journaling: Encourage kids to observe and document their experiences in nature through drawing, writing, and sketching. Provide them with notebooks and pencils to record their observations of plants, animals, and landscapes.
- Nature Storytelling: Sit in a circle outdoors and take turns telling stories inspired by nature. Encourage creativity and imagination as children invent tales about animals, plants, and magical landscapes.
- Cloud Watching: Lie down on a grassy field and spend time cloud watching, identifying different cloud shapes and imagining stories or animals in the sky. This activity encourages imagination and relaxation while connecting with the vastness of the sky.
- Outdoor Music and Dance: Use natural objects like sticks, stones, and shells to create rhythmic sounds and music. Children can also dance and move freely to the sounds of nature in an outdoor dance party.
Wildlife Watching
Bring binoculars and guidebooks to help children identify the surrounding flora and fauna. Encourage them to observe animal behavior and ask questions about their natural habitats.
- Bird Watching: Set up bird feeders in your backyard or visit a local park with binoculars to observe and identify different bird species. Keep a bird-watching checklist and challenge kids to spot as many birds as they can.
- Outdoor Photography: Equip kids with cameras or smartphones and encourage them to capture the beauty of nature through photography. Teach them basic photography techniques such as framing, composition, and lighting.
- Plant Identification: Take children on a nature walk and teach them how to identify different plant species. Use field guides or mobile apps to help them recognize trees, flowers, and other vegetation in their natural habitat.
Leave No Trace Activities: Teach children the principles of Leave No Trace ethics while enjoying outdoor activities. Encourage them to minimize their impact on the environment by practicing responsible behavior.
Explore more with National Geographic Kids :
Here are some tips to enhance your experience :
> Adjust the activities based on the season, location and always prioritize safety.
> Personalize activities based on children’s interests and abilities to maximize fun and learning outcomes. Start with small goals to achieve rather than overly ambitious goals and recognize the child’s efforts, even if they are very small.
> Listening and conversing with them fosters a deeper connection and strengthens the bond between you.
> When playing with your kid, allow yourself to awaken your inner child, embracing the joy and wonder of the moment together.
and now… HAVE FUN !!! 🙂
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