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105 Ways to Enjoy Nature With Kids

enjoy nature with kids

Enjoying the natural beauty of the world is something I do every single day.  The more time I spend admiring nature, the more satisfaction and joy I get out of it.  It helps me slow down. It helps me to be present.  And it’s always there. I find myself, not only wanting to spend time outdoors, I have a desire to protect our natural resources too.

I see this happening in my children too.  Kids are educated these days to protect the environment, but I believe unless you really experience the wonder of it, the passion isn’t really there.

Value

It starts by the way we value nature as a family.  At some undefinable point, we decided enjoying nature was important to us as a family.

Enjoy

The more you enjoy nature, the more you want to look after it. They have to go hand in hand.

Educate

One of the ways we place value on nature is by educating ourselves about how to take care of it and then making slow sustainable changes to this effect.

Notice

We notice nature as we live life and get excited about it. “Wow! There’s a bird!” It sounds a bit strange but it really rubs off on the kids and they enjoy sharing what they see around them too. Sharing. I like that.

Live

Like most things, once you start noticing a particular thing, it quickly becomes a natural part of the framework for living and opportunities arise effortlessly as you live life.

105 Ways to Enjoy Nature With Kids

I’ve put together a list of 105 ways our family enjoys nature.  Some are teeny tiny things that take a few second and some full-on activities to emerse yourself in the wonder. I guess the big message here is just to notice nature as you live life, no matter where you are or what you’re doing.  Enjoy it, because it’s there, and it’s wonderful.

  1. Look at the stars.
  2. Go outside and feel the sun on your face for 1 minute.ways to enjoy nature with kids
  3. Go on a bushwalk.
  4. Collect shells, put into a glass and display in the home.
  5. Write on a dark rock with a lighter coloured rock.
  6. Look at the clouds.
  7. Run on the grass.
  8. Go on a picnic.
  9. Throw pebbles into water.
  10. Listen to the birds for 2 minutes.
  11. Swim in the ocean.
  12. Pick up rubbish.
  13. Make a wild flower hair wreath or a daisy chain.
  14. Draw pictures in the dirt with a stick. And guess.
  15. Make a sand castle.
  16. Look for butterflies.
  17. Walk through a shallow stream. Watch the water dance over the rocks.
  18. Watch where the wind moves for 2 minutes.
  19. Visit a flower show.
  20. Take photographs of nature and make them into a photo book.
  21. Go on a road trip.
  22. Bird watching.
  23. Watch water drops slide down a glass window.
  24. Notice the reflection of the sun on water.
  25. Smell flowers.
  26. Look up on the internet or in a book, some of the places or things seen in nature.
  27. Listen to natural running water for 5 minutes. Concentrate on how it sings.
  28. Climb a tree.
  29. Do a nature scavenger hunt. (Use something like an empty egg carton to collect things).
  30. Find a pet rock.
  31. Set toys up outside in a shady spot on a mat.
  32. Eat outside.
  33. Watch a sunset.
  34. Visit an environmental centre.
  35. Walk along the beach at dusk.
  36. Press flowers between a book.
  37. Go camping.
  38. Walk across a fallen log.
  39. Fly a kite or blow a pinwheel.
  40. Play in the backyard.
  41. Lay on the grass for 1 minute.
  42. Chase a rainbow in the car.nature with kdis
  43. Go outside and sketch something with a pencil.
  44. Look outside the window for 5 minutes.
  45. Sit under a big tree and look up into the branches.
  46. Read a book outside.
  47. Visit a national park.
  48. Look at the full moon.
  49. Feel the bark of 5 different trees.
  50. Arrange flowers inside the home.
  51. Take a deep breath. Do it again.
  52. Colour sand and display layers in an empty jam jar.
  53. Create a colour pallet with pencils from items you can see in front of you in nature.
  54. Play in the rain.
  55. Notice how the raindrops look on a flower, leaf or go outside in the early morning and look at dew on grass.
  56. Visit a natural waterfall.
  57. Go Geocaching.
  58. Visit an aquarium.ways to enjoy nature with kids
  59. Watch how a beetle moves for 2 minutes.
  60. When leaving a special destination, look at it like it’s the last time you’ll see it. Drink it in.
  61. Rip a leaf (like a eucalyptus) and smell it.
  62. Go for a walk outside.
  63. Grow herbs in a small pot.
  64. Climb on rocks.
  65. Count birds.
  66. Buy a landscape photography coffee table book.
  67. Rake autumn leaves in a pile and jump in them.
  68. Skim a rock on water.
  69. Write names in the sand of every one in your family.
  70. Go for a drive and to look at the scenery.
  71. Strawberry picking.
  72. Slide down a grassy hill on a cardboard box.
  73. Visit a farm. Milk a cow. Collect eggs from a chicken.enjoying sunset with my kids
  74. Make craft from something you collected from nature.  Stick leaves on a piece of paper, decorate pine cones, create a collage from sticks, add nature items to a drawing.  More ideas here.
  75. Get the kids involved in backyard maintenance and make it a family fun day.
  76. Squeeze your own orange juice. Or make lemonade.
  77. Visit a nature museum.
  78. Browse the internet for pictures of the wonders of the world or current environmental issues. Great dinner conversation.
  79. Collect rocks, gem stones or crystals. Keep in a special tin.
  80. Pan for gold.
  81. Google the oldest tree in the world today.
  82. Watch silk worms.
  83. Borrow books about nature and wildlife from the library.
  84. Go for a walk in the rain with umbrellas.
  85. Visit a planetarium.
  86. Cook on an open fire.
  87. Look for crabs.
  88. Make a nature inspired imaginative play scene.
  89. Watch ants carry food to their nest.
  90. Visit glow worms.
  91. Visit a wildlife sanctuary.
  92. Go for a family night walk with a torch.
  93. Watch a wildlife documentary.enjoy nature with kids
  94. Look for a bird’s nest in spring.
  95. Go for a hay ride.
  96. Visit the snow and make a snowman.
  97. Go fishing.
  98. Listen to nature sounds on a CD.
  99. Bike riding.
  100. Sailing or boating.
  101. Grow your own vegetable garden.
  102. Make an outdoor cubby house with sticks.
  103. Look for animal tracks in the ground.
  104. Snorkel on a reef.
  105. Slow down.

Print the List

Print the list by clicking the picture below.

ways to enjoy nature with kids

enjoying nature with kids

A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.

— Lou Holtz

 

How do you enjoy nature as a family?  Do you have any more to add to the list?

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43 Comments

  • Reply
    Flutterbon
    May 10, 2012 at 5:59 am

    Some great ideas there!!

    • Reply
      Free Tickets from American Airways
      June 9, 2012 at 12:36 am

      It’s the best time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be happy. I’ve read this post and if I could I desire to suggest you some interesting things or suggestions. Perhaps you could write next articles referring to this article. I desire to read even more things about it!

  • Reply
    Nathalie
    May 10, 2012 at 7:12 am

    Brilliant list, we must speak soon and even join some of our lists together. Love it Nx Off to share.

    • Reply
      Kelly
      May 10, 2012 at 7:15 am

      We should!! Talk soon. x

  • Reply
    ellie
    May 10, 2012 at 8:59 am

    Love that list!

  • Reply
    Ang
    May 11, 2012 at 11:00 am

    Great List. I love getting out in nature and enjoying all there is around us. Its so refreshing and energising. I don’t stop often enough to think about how amazing it is. I have 15 month old twins and they love getting outdoors. They love birds at the moment. I look forward to going through this list and doing as many as I can with my kids.
    Thanks for sharing it with us.

  • Reply
    Chantal
    May 11, 2012 at 3:11 pm

    I have been following your page for some time now! You have wonderful ideas and they are so simple, things that are not hard to do with your Children everyday!

  • Reply
    Joy
    May 11, 2012 at 4:29 pm

    I LOVE this post, and I don’t even have kids! Thanks Kelly 🙂

  • Reply
    Sharing Sunday — The Crafty Mummy
    May 13, 2012 at 6:01 am

    […] Kelly at Be A Fun Mum  has made a huge list of ways to enjoy nature with your kids. […]

  • Reply
    Deane Alban
    May 13, 2012 at 9:58 am

    My son’s teacher once asked the kids, “What does your mom say to you most often”. Luckily my son said “Why don’t you go outside and play?”. Unfortunately his best friend said “Get me a beer”. How horrifying! Anyway, my son is grown now and still love the outdoors. So my nagging paid off. As much as kids might moan about this I think they will thank you later.

  • Reply
    Sonia @ Life Love and Hiccups
    May 14, 2012 at 7:14 pm

    I did just print this list as there are so many simple but wonderful ideas on here for things to do. Hope you had a gorgeous Mothers day and thanks so much for this fabulous list of ideas. xx

  • Reply
    Jacquie @ KC Edventures
    May 16, 2012 at 4:24 am

    If folks can’t find something on this list to enjoy, than there’s no hope for them 🙂 My daughter loves to walk with umbrellas too! We also like to count tree rings on trees that were cut down. I pinned you on our ‘Get Outdoors’ pinterest board (hope you don’t mind, but let me know if you do). Thanks for the inspiration!

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  • Reply
    Members Alliance
    August 23, 2012 at 9:04 pm

    This list is really enthralling. I am sure many parents would love to try this out. With the so many gadgets and technology these days, kids needs to be reminded that playing outdoors is still the most fun thing to do as a child.

  • Reply
    Alice
    September 14, 2012 at 9:46 pm

    Hey! Brilliant post. Would be great if we could use some of your stuff or you could write some stuff for our brand new parenting magazine and website @cherubsnet1 Get in touch! 🙂

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  • Reply
    Angela van Gessel
    January 27, 2013 at 12:35 pm

    Great list, so many ways to enjoy nature. Such a beautiful post, my family & I love being outside. Thank you

  • Reply
    Dipalok Barua
    February 1, 2013 at 1:16 am

    Keep your baby safe and healthy
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    Please Take care of your baby…

  • Reply
    https://delicious.com/remodelingtips4u
    February 13, 2013 at 1:02 pm

    Thanks a lot for spending free time to publish “105 Ways to
    Enjoy Nature With Kids”. Many thanks again -Mary

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  • Reply
    Janet Reid
    June 10, 2013 at 8:33 pm

    What an amazing list. I will be printing and putting on the fridge for all of those “there is nothing to do” moments.

  • Reply
    neets
    July 27, 2013 at 8:54 am

    I just love this post. Thanks so much for sharing and have a fabulous weekend x

  • Reply
    Tracy bright
    September 29, 2013 at 8:27 am

    Such a beautiful post!
    Thank you for sharing.
    May I ask you to consider one thing?
    It is better to encourage children to gather shells and NOT take them home
    But rather to leave them on the beach for other families to enjoy 🙂

    • Reply
      Kelly Be A Fun Mum
      September 30, 2013 at 12:27 pm

      Hi Tracy

      It’s a good point, and something I have thought about. We use many things in our world to enrich our lives: We collect sticks and paint them; we pick flowers and put them in a jar of water on the table. Depending on where we are and visit, we collect…or don’t. So my attitude to this is not so much about the action and more about the attitude. It’s about respect. Respect for our environment. Because where do you draw the line then? About what we use and what we don’t?

      In terms of collecting dead shells from the beach, it’s really quite an interesting topic to talk about. There’s an interesting article here by Bas Payne about this exact topic, that is: How much harm does collecting dead shells from beaches do? (http://www.conchsoc.org/MolluscWorld10/7) and a few feedback responses here http://www.conchsoc.org/MolluscWorld11/24

      We all adore nature in our family…and we celebrate it and honour it in many different ways in our lives. And it’s a joy for me to see the kids become more aware and motivated to look after the beauty. Collecting shells on occasions and using them in our home is a beautiful connection to the sea. Collecting sticks and painting them is a beautiful tribute to trees. http://beafunmum.com/2012/06/nature-crafts-painted-sticks/

      So, yes, it’s a good point, and we do often leaves things “just the way we found them” and sometimes we use nature in our home in various ways. All the while with the attitude of connect and respect. Thanks for the comment.

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    Elisha Ross
    March 31, 2014 at 6:35 pm

    What a fantastic article. I have just written something on the same topic on my own blog (yet to publish) after an article I read in gardening australia magazine. I think its so important to create an awareness of nature and just notice all the simple, yet beautiful things nature bestows. Its amazing what you can learn from it too. If its ok with you, I would love to provide the link to this post. In the meantime, another great blog to add to my reading list. Cheers Elisha

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