Nowadays getting children away from their screens and into the yard to play outside can be difficult, but the large number of benefits that nature provides kids’ minds is enough reason to give it a try. Luckily there are lots of ways to make nature as exciting and attractive as the activities they like to do inside.
Here are some activities to try this December:
1. Make short treasure hunts
Make a short, simple list of things for your kids to look outside for—such as “a smooth rock,” or “three different kinds of trees.” The satisfaction of finding these things turns it into challenge and game and will keep them outside until they finish the list.
2. Identify things
Get a book with pictures about birds, leaves, bugs, trees, or flowers in your area, and go outside looking for specific creatures in the book to identify. Matching leaves to pictures and names has turns learning about nature into a fun game. The same goes for bird calls. Psst… why don’t you give the Sappi Bird’s of South Africa book a try for this?
4. Start a collection
You can find small parts of nature like rocks, shells or seeds almost everywhere, and starting a collection adds excitement and gives kids motivation to search and then spend time outdoors.
5. Use technology to your advantage
If your kids are hooked on electronic devices, have them take a camera or phone along to create video or photo journals of various nature trips or collections. They’ll still be close to a phone or camera, but will be using it to focus on the natural world around them. This is also a great way to gather and document family memories and trips.
8. Make art
Some kids might like to rather sit inside instead with some arts and crafts. But, intead of using traditional tools, get them to use items from nature to make art. Let them pick flowers to press onto paper or collect pinecones and rocks to decorate. This is a way to bring nature into the activities they already enjoy.
9. Plant a garden
Plant a small garden with you child from seeds. Tracking the progress and seeing the product of a seed your kds planted, provides them a different, deeper sense of achievement than beating a difficult level in a video game, for example.
10. Teach and inspire them about nature
Briza Publications has some amazing kids books that will get your kids excited about nature – Abygale Aardvark and her wildlife friends and Blinktand van Bosveldparadys.
Abygale Aardvark and her wildlife friends – Beskikbaar in Afrikaans
This book is a beautifully illustrated, fun book for readers of all ages aimed to teach children about the wonderful wildlife of Africa. Let Abygale and the other wildlife creatures in the book teach your kids about them – what they do, what they eat and also how they work together for a better life in the wild.
Please wait while flipbook is loading. For more related info, FAQs and issues please refer to DearFlip WordPress Flipbook Plugin Help documentation.
Blinktand van Bosveldparadys
Blinktand van Bosveldparadys handel oor die avonture van Blinktand, die grootste, sterkste en slimste vlakvark wat ooit in Bosveldparadys geleef het.
Blinktand van Bosveldparadys is ‘n unieke lees- en leerervaring: jy kan dit lees soos ’n gewone storieboek, of met die Briza Klankleser® na die volledige verhaal in die boek luister.
Die boek is ideaal vir selflees of voorlees – tuis of in die klaskamer.
