While your child will be enjoying a lot of activities indoors, there are a lot of benefits to outdoor learning. Trying out activities outside with your child can give your child greater awareness of the world, learn to be more resilient, and improve their self-esteem. The great outdoors is also a huge learning ground that parents should take advantage of.
Here in this guide from a private school in Oxford, we take a look at 5 activities you can try with your child to give them greater awareness of the outdoors while having fun at the same time.
1. Hiking trips
Something bound to heal the soul is going on a hiking trip and exploring a new area that may even be local to your home. It’s an inviting way to see how your child experiences the walk through nature and feel calmer after a long time walking. Take some snacks and water for the journey and take regular breaks so your child doesn’t become too tired.
2. Scavenger hunts
Place loads of treasures and items around your garden or a small area of forest and have your child try to find them. Not only will this keep your child on their toes, but you can see how your child can handle quick thinking decisions and navigate through the clues you’ve placed around the area.
3. Playing team-based sports
A fun-filled activity is playing football or rounders with all of your family. Your child will love feeling exhilarated from having fun with their friends and/or family where they have to work as a team. Make it a relaxing experience so that your child doesn’t feel overwhelmed about the end goal, or make the environment too competitive.
4. Shadow art
If it’s a bright and sunny day, take advantage by getting your child’s favourite toys and asking them to follow the shadow and make unique pieces of art. It teaches your child about how a shadow can move depending on what time of day it is and gives them the chance to unwind through drawing, colouring and painting.
5. Gardening
Get a set of simple plants or vegetables and ask your child to get involved in the process. You can start simply with watercress and carrots – crops that are easy to manage and achieve great results. Get your child stuck in with the entire process, which includes getting them to hold the trowel and adding the seeds in themselves. You can then go back and keep an eye on its growth each week.
This is a collaborative post.