Nature Play Idea
Are you looking for something fun to do with your little one? Are you looking for some play ideas which provide time to reconnect with your child, and nature, as well as engaging developmental milestones of your little one? Here’s a nature play idea for you and your child that doesn’t cost a dime.
I always see a flurry of messages that come through Facebook’s Mum’s groups asking for activities to do with their children and toddlers on days they have available together. I have noticed that there’s always well meaning replies that suggest zoo’s, indoor play centres, shopping centres with cafes and playgrounds or theme parks… though what about nature play? Nature Play seems to not always frequent these online feeds, despite the great growth opportunities for children and their parents.
Here’s an activity that cost me nothing (aside from the precious goods that came inside the delivery box), got us both outside, engaged my toddler in a creative way, and also challenged his dexterity and fine motor skills.
You need:
Cardboard
Pen / Marker
Knife
Access to flowers or leaves
Step one:
Get your cardboard ready, I cut off some clear sections from a delivery box. Once you have your cardboard section, think of a design you might like to draw. I chose vases and pots, as we had access to lots of pretty flowers. Draw your design on the cardboard.
Step two:
Now it is time to puncture some small holes into the cardboard. These holes will be where you and your child feed flower stems and/or leaves through. This is definitely a parent only step. A good tip to follow here is to allow the holes to be big enough to easily feed stems through, especially if your child is younger and their coordination isn’t as great. Just make sure that you pick flowers or leaves with longer stems to slide through so that they don’t fall out easily.
Step three:
Now it is time to pick the flowers or leaves!! This is a really fun activity for your child to get involved in! You can ask questions like - Can you pick some yellow flowers? Can you find some red leaves? Gather up your materials, and place them on a picnic rug, and once you have enough, it’s time to thread them through the cardboard.
Step four:
It’s time to sit down and admire all your work! Do note that children of a certain age will find immense joy in pulling out all of the flowers that you have both just put into your cardboard, and that’s okay.
