Spring Chickens: How to encourage your kids to enjoy the outdoors

If you think back on your childhood, you’ll probably have loads of fond memories playing outdoors. However, as our little one’s world gets more digital, their spare time is more likely to become screen-time. To make sure that nature gets the love it deserves, here are our tips to encourage your kids to enjoy the great outdoors!


Allow them to get messy


Put simply, kids love getting messy - so, why not let them get messy outdoors! Exploring by touch is actually a really important learning technique for your little one and it’s also a real hands-on way to teach them about the wonders of nature. To avoid putting a big hole in your wallet (made by mud-ridden or grass-stained clothes) invest in a couple of ‘messy outfits’ that you don’t mind them ruining!

 

 


Use your imagination 


When there’s a world of magical characters and storylines at the click of a TV or laptop button, it’s no wonder that an ‘ordinary’ forest is less than impressive for your little one. Well, it’s time for that to change - the next time you’re out for a walk with your kids, tell them to listen out for the trees talking to each other, make sure they spot the forest pixies and tell the story of the forest princess. Use your imagination and nature will come to life in your little one’s eyes!


Go back garden camping


Encourage your little ones to enjoy the outdoors from your doorstep by back garden camping! Wait for a good-weather-day and throw yourselves into it - you can play plenty of garden games during the day, have a picnic for lunch and a barbecue for dinner, then roast marshmallows over a little fire before snuggling up in the tent together for midnight stories!


Enjoy outdoors every day 


You can park the car a little bit away from school to have a walk before they start their day. You can organise outdoor playdates with friends throughout the spring and summer season. You can feed a hedgehog in the back garden. The best way to encourage enjoyment of the outdoors is to make it part of your little one’s daily lives. 


Enjoying the outdoors is a wonderful part of growing up and it’s important that children make the most of it. Try out some of our ways to encourage them to go nutty for nature and we’re sure they’ll put down the tablet and be reaching for the wellies in no time!

Back to blog

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.