NATURE WALKS

Nature walks 

We love our nature walks. It’s so refreshing for my child and myself to be out and allowing time us to explore and take in nature. 

Below are some things you can do while on your long walks. 

Dress. 

Ensure your child is dressed in appropriate clothing so they are warm and able to move comfortably in play. Of course Hat and sunscreen should be on And for footwear rain boots are great so your child can walk on/in any surfaces. 

Be prepared. 

Make sure to pack a backpack of snacks, water bottle, extra sunscreen/ bug repellent, wipes and hand sanitiser. Also a little bag or basket to collect nature. 

Go on adventures together. 

Be present and apart of the exploration. Climb on rocks, find sticks and run down hills with your child.

Collect. 

Let your child feel different textures, pick flowers and collect nature.  

There are heaps of activities you can do with the nature you’ve collected once you get home. We love to use gum nuts as paint tools for art, use sticks and rocks in play in our outdoor mud kitchen. We make a collages or Forrest’s new favourite is to lay the leaves and flowers out and laminate them. It looks very pretty. 

Hunt. 

You could also incorporated at scavenger hunt into your nature walk. My son loves this, I just draw up a hunt sheet with things to find like a leaf, a rock, a stick, a bug etc. and he collects them as we walk :) 

Book. 

Another fun thing to incorporate into your walk is to act out a book. For example I sometimes recite ‘ we are going on a bear hunt’ while walk and we can find long wavy grass to walk through or mud. Forrest really enjoys this. 

Environment. 

There are so many location you can do these walks. Down by the River, a lake, down the beach or through a rainforest. Even take a look at the parks around your neighbourhood and you might find some nice nature paths. 

Time. 

Be patient allow your child lots of time to explore and check out the trees. 

Let them stomp in puddles they find. 

Stop and look at the birds and the bees and the butterflies. You will surprise how many creatures you see when you take the time to look around. 

Once you Model appreciation for nature and the outdoors and children will too. 

I think getting your children out and about is so important. Letting them experience the beauty of the outdoors and learning about our environment and how to take care of it.  Even at a young age we can start the conversation about how we as a family can do our part to cut down waste and water use and how to create a more sustainable living so we can enjoy a clean nature walk for years to come. 

Take care 

• Mummy R