There has been a lot of research done on the importance of nature and getting children out into the wild – and at Bush Kidz, we are committed to providing a beautiful, natural, and safe environment for children to explore and play in. We know that today’s digital age is seeing children spending more time inside and behind devices and screens, which is why it’s so important to instil a love of nature and the outdoors!
Research has shown that children spending time outdoors is great for their motor skills, social skills and their psychological development; not to mention that physical health is improved when children spend time in nature.
At Bush Kidz we provide play-based learning in a natural setting where you can be assured of a safe, respectful, and fun environment for your children to play and stay. We wanted to share some of our top tips for helping your children to develop a love of nature.
Make a garden
One of the most rewarding ways to encourage a love of nature in your children is to build a garden in your yard. You can plant fruits and vegetables in your garden and can get children involved in planning what to plant, learning about companion planting (where certain plants deter bugs from other plants), and let children help with digging, fertilising, and harvesting. A garden is a great way to show children where foods come from and encourages a healthy lifestyle as well.
Plant butterfly-attracting plants
Along with your vegetable and fruits growing happily in the backyard, why not plant some trees or shrubs that attract butterflies? If you choose nectar and pollen-rich plants, you will find that butterflies are quick to flock to your yard. The benefit of this is not only will you have beautifully pollinated and flowering plants in your yard, you’ll also enjoy a bounty of beautiful butterflies fluttering around. Your children will love identifying them and watching them dart around in the sunshine.
Make a worm farm
Every family has food waste scraps, so why not turn them into a useful product for use on your garden? A worm farm (or a compost bin) is a great way to convert the energy in that food waste matter into a high-energy and nutrient-rich compost. When composting your food scraps in a worm farm, make sure you don’t put any animal products, onion or garlic in there as the worms will not like that, and it will upset the balance of your worm farm.
Go camping
Children love getting out into the wilderness and sleeping under the stars, so why not organise a camping trip where you get away into the bush for a few nights? If you simply can’t arrange the time to go away for a weekend, consider setting up the tent in the backyard and camping out in the yard instead? You can do some stargazing, look out for meteors and then tuck into your sleeping bags for your sleep out.
Have a picnic
Pack up the sandwiches and the picnic rug and head out for your nearest park. Pick a scenic spot with a walk nearby or try picnicking on a beach foreshore so you can enjoy a salty swim before or after your lunch. Get children involved in choosing the snacks for the picnic and get them to help you pack up the car with all of the comfortable things for sitting on.
Head out on a hike
You could combine this with your picnic if you were feeling up to carrying a backpack with some lunches – and choose a scenic spot for your hike so you can lunch with a view afterwards! There are so many lovely spots for hiking around south east Queensland, so why not choose a destination for your next weekend off?
Identify bird calls
You would be surprised how many different birds are flying in and around your local area, so why not get your children on board with identifying the different calls? Whether it’s a crow, a magpie, a butcher bird or something a little more exotic, children will love listening out for the various calls and then identifying them.
Help out on a beach clean up
With so much plastic and rubbish entering our waterways, it makes sense to take part in a clean-up effort. Whether you take part in one of the Sea Shepherd’s organised clean-ups or if you make one of your own, you’ll be getting your children thinking about their impact on the environment. Make sure you take a large durable bag for rubbish, gloves to protect hands, containers for small pieces and some disposable kitchen tongs for picking up trash.
Get Your Children Into Nature With Bush Kidz
We hope you have enjoyed reading about some of these ways to get children loving nature. At Bush Kidz we are committed to providing a safe, beautiful, and natural space for your children to play and learn. Come and see us in Blacksoil (07) 3201 4231 or in Brassall (07) 3812 0975 to find out more about enrolling your child with us.