Back to basics
Exploring nature is an important part of childhood: Walking barefoot in the grass, feeling the breeze on your neck, catching raindrops on your tongue, and more.
Spending time outdoors is also critical for emotional and physical well-being — whether you’re two years old or ninety-two. So take some time and get outside! Your toddler can benefit from exploring whichever safe, natural areas you have access to, whether it’s a local park or trail, community garden, or your own backyard.
Here are a few simple ways to explore the natural world with your child…
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7 Nature-Inspired Activities Your Toddler Will Love
1 | Paint with water
For this activity, you’ll need a bucket of water and a large paintbrush (or paint roller). Next, head outside and find something to paint: A tree stump, fence, or even the sidewalk. This activity helps build motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
Painting with water is also a fascinating experience for little ones. They love watching a surface change color as they add more and more water — and as the water dries, too.
2 | Make stone soup
Take a bucket (or other container) outdoors and help your child gather “ingredients” for the soup: Stones, grass, mud, pinecones, flower petals, and so on. Then, find a large stick to help you stir everything together. Remember to slow down, follow your child’s lead, and have fun!
For a simple learning extension, try reading the folk tale that introduced the world to stone soup before making your own version together.
3 | Stack stones
If your child loves building with blocks, this activity is a great natural extension. Search for stones of all shapes and sizes and stack them as high as you can. Which kinds of stones are easiest to stack with? Experiment and find out! This activity helps build spatial reasoning, fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, problem-solving skills, and more.
(Can’t get enough? Give Tumi Ishi balancing blocks a try!)
4 | Go on a wind hunt
Make a simple DIY flag by tying a piece of old fabric — or several ribbons — to a long stick. Then, on a breezy day, take your flag outdoors and “hunt” for wind.
This is a fun way for children to observe the effects of weather in a concrete way. How does the flag move during a big gust of wind? A gentle breeze? When the air is still?
5 | Collect natural treasures
An egg carton makes a great container for interesting treasures like stones, leaves, or feathers. Take a walk outdoors and encourage your child to collect whatever (safe) objects they’d like. You may want to start by collecting your own treasures to help spark your child’s interest.
Once you’re done, bring your collection home — you can even create a discovery basket to explore later on.
6 | Make DIY paint
Mixing up homemade paint outdoors is a fun way to get creative. First, collect a few colorful materials — berries, mud, spices, etc. — from your kitchen or backyard. Then, encourage your child to squish and mix the materials together in a durable container.
Once your toddler is satisfied with their DIY paint, invite them to test it out. You can finger paint or use a paintbrush, but you’ll definitely want to have sturdy paper (like cardstock) on hand. If your little one loves messy sensory play, this is a great activity to try!
7 | Collect sticks
For many toddlers, gathering sticks is a favorite outdoor activity. It can be fun to collect sticks of various lengths, weights, and textures.
It’s educational too: Playing with sticks helps children develop spatial reasoning, creativity, and motor skills. Picking up sticks and carrying them around can even help your little one explore the transporting schema.
For an easy math activity, try lining up sticks from shortest to longest. This helps children practice making size comparisons and using basic math vocabulary.
Now, get out there and have fun!
♥ Meg
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