Out Your Back Door
Getting kids outside, as opposed to staying indoors with devices and gadgets, may seem like an impossible mission. However, there are many things you can do to get your kids genuinely excited about nature — and these resources can help you get started!
- Get their pulses racing by teaching your children how to spot storms!
- Remember how much fun it was to find animal shapes in clouds when you were a kid?
- Build a backyard playground — one your kids will actually use!
- What kid doesn’t love butterflies? Plant a special garden to attract those colourful wings!
- And here are a few more tips to make your outdoor area more inviting to all ages.
Regular outdoor play is important for the healthy development of your children. Time spent in nature has numerous benefits for kids, from building better physical health to increasing attention spans and boosting happiness. Spending time outside also supports emotional development and contributes to strong cooperation and organizational skills.
Unfortunately, in many densely-populated metro areas access to green space is at a premium. This lack of available green space can lead to children spending much more time indoors than outdoors which causes a disconnect with nature, or what some call Nature-Deficit Disorder. Kids who aren’t able to spend time outside may be missing out on all of the great benefits nature has to offer.
Here at The Creation Station, we have put together a list of ways you can get your kids outside, even if you live in a highly populated area.
Nature-Based Indoor Fun
If the weather isn’t cooperating, don’t worry! There are still plenty of ways that you and your child can enjoy nature indoors!
- Here are plenty of fun, nature-based activities you can do indoors!
- Being comfortable with nature and filling your house with plants and flowers makes it easier to foster wellness at home – perhaps through meditation!
- There are also lots of opportunities for classes to help expand your child’s appreciation for the natural world!
Exploring the Outdoor World
One exceptional way to get children interested in nature is to show them how amazing the natural world can be. If you’re at a loss as to where you should begin, the resources we’ve included below can give you a gentle push in the right direction.
- Teach your children about the different seasons.
- Enrich the earth — and your children’s minds — through gardening.
- Rain? No problem! There are still great outdoor activities for kids.
- Don’t let the summer heat get you down.
- Backyard full of snow? Then maybe it’s time for some winter activities!
Encourage Creative Play
One of the best things about playing outdoors is that you have a bit more freedom to express yourself creatively. The following resources allow your kids to flex their creative muscles and combine their imagination with nature.
- Understand the importance and ten benefits of creative play
- Help your kids make a recycled kite and take it out for a fly
- From crafts from recycled card to painting pebbles, follow our Facebook and Insta of our Make Monday top tips.
- Join in local creative classes
About Nature-Deficit Disorder
It’s important to note that while taking steps to help children develop an admiration for the natural world, Nature-Deficit Disorder isn’t listed as a diagnosis in the DSM-5 or ICD-10. Rather, it’s a term coined by author Richard Louv in his book Last Child in the Woods. Still, nature has many benefits for people of all ages, ranging from physical and emotional health to academic success. By encouraging your children to spend more time outdoors, you’re opening them up to a plethora of wellness benefits for themselves and the planet!
If you want to raise happy, healthy kids, encourage them to get outside as often as possible. Set up fun activities you can do together, like watching the clouds or identifying the trees in your backyard. Other times, give your kids the freedom to use their imagination and come up with creative outdoor activities on their own. The more time they spend outside, the better!
The Creation Station is here to help make a positive difference, to inspire imagination and nurture creativity. If you would like help with local classes, clubs, parties events and contact us, [email protected] we’re here to help.
Big thanks to Daniel Sherwin for this insightful and helpful article: www.dadsolo.com
