Fun nature activities you can do inside or in the garden

Why is nature important for children?

Spending time in nature is good for children and young people, it helps promote curiosity and exploration integral for their development, as well as having positive impacts on their health and wellbeing. Being in nature also helps us build an appreciation for the natural world and it's wonders, which some evidence suggests makes us more likely to behave in environmentally friendly ways.

Below are some examples of how you and your children can spend time in nature. You could do these over the school holidays to keep children entertained in your own community at low cost, or make these regular weekend activities to embed positive habits.

Stargazing 

With less planes and less light pollution due to the pandemic resulting in clearer skies, it's a great opportunity to stargaze. It’s easy, too. All you have to do is look up at night! What can you see? The moon, planets, constellations, a shooting star? If you’ve got binoculars or a telescope, now’s the time to dust them off. 

The National Trust has some great tips for stargazing.

Bird watching

Watch the birds from your garden or out of a window. Watch them fly and sing to each other. How many can you spot? Can you name the type of bird? Think about keeping a bird watching diary to keep track of the birds you’ve seen, where and when. Try not to not scare them off!

Can you spot the birds on this Wildlife Watch activity sheet? 

Treasure hunt 

Treasure hunts are great fun, inside or out. You just need to use your imagination. Here’s some ideas to get your little ones hunting! 

Try to find:

• Something the same colour as your shoes
• Something for every colour of the rainbow
• Something smooth
• Something a thick as your thumb
• Something that starts with the first letter of your name 

You could also try this Spring nature treasure hunt from Wildlife Watch. 

Go camping

Have a camping adventure by pitching a tent in your garden, or front room. If you’re in your garden, keep an eye out for animals and see if you can hear anything! If you’re camping inside, collect all your soft animal toys, put on a nature documentary and watch it from your tent. 

Go cloud watching

Look to the sky again, but this time in the day, and look for shapes in the clouds. What shapes do you see? Can you tell a story about the shapes of the clouds? This can be done looking out a window, or while lying on your back in the garden. Another good chance to get those binoculars out!

Painting stones

Grab some stones and make them pretty! You can do some fun patterns, turn them into animals, or you could give them faces and names. You don’t need any special paints, just some normal child-friendly paint. 

Nature sketching

Grab some paper and pencil and draw something that interests you. If you’re in the garden, look out for flowers or feathers that you can study up close. If you’re looking out the window, have a go at drawing a tree or a bird. 

Leaf pictures 

Grab some different sized leaves from your garden - or from your nearest green space - and create some pictures out of them. All you need is paper, glue, leaves, and pens for decorating. 

Have a picnic

Roll out the picnic rug (blankets and pillows work just as well!) and enjoy a relaxing picnic as a whole family. You could even try one of these other activities at the same time - like nature sketching. If you’re outside and it’s hot, remember your sun cream. 

Watch a sunset

Find a comfortable spot - in your garden or by a window - and watch the sun slowly set. Watch the colours change from yellow, to orange, to red. Make sure you look up what time it sets in advance, so you’re all ready.