Back Pocket Ideas for Outdoor Family Fun

Thanks to Emma at Wild Things Family Forest School for this fabulous blog. 

We are lucky to have so many lovely places to explore and visit in and around North Leeds.  Here are some ideas for things to do while you are out and about this summer.

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Back Garden – having outdoor family fun can start right where you live. Do you have a back yard or garden? If so, why not try:

Mud kitchen – most children love playing in mud (and it’s been proven that it’s good for them – releases happy chemicals in the brain and can help to build up their immune system to list a couple!). To get you started all you need is some bowls, pans, spoons, water and mud!

Fairy doors – make a fairy door and invite a fairy to move in – try making one out of lollipop sticks and add a splash of paint. Write a note from the fairy and leave near the door for your child to find – and see the wonder and excitement on their faces…

Guttering – children love rolling objects down guttering – try cars, wind-blown apples, stones, conkers….

Wild flowers – to encourage more insects into your garden sprinkle some wildflower seeds in a pot or an area in your garden. Your child can help with sowing seeds, watering and watching them grow.

Growing fruit and vegetables – you don’t need much space to grow fruit and vegetables – we are growing potatoes in sacks, strawberries in pots and a small raised bed for the beans. It might encourage your child to try new food and learn where food comes from, the parts of a plant and what plants need to grow.

Make a bug hotel – support minibeasts by creating a new home for them. Try recycling old materials to make a habitat for insects using straw, bark, sticks and pine cones. Start with a basic one – all you need is a plastic bottle and lots of sticks.

Woodlands & Parks: here’s a confession, before I trained to be a forest school leader I rarely took my children to woodlands. I didn’t really know what to do with them. Here are some ideas:

Den building – make a den using sticks, leaves and fallen tree trunks. Some woods (such as Knavesmire Woods) have dens that have been started by others and you can add to these or start from scratch. If you want to start small, make a mini den for your child’s favourite toy.

Climbing – let the children climb on fallen tree trunks, tree stumps and have a go at climbing trees. By tackling tricky obstacles will help them to learn how to manage risk, problem solve and make decisions.

Play games – hide and seek is a favourite with most children.

Minibeast hunt – carefully look under logs and see what minibeasts are lurking underneath. Look at the bark on trees – can you find any spiders and insects hiding in the bark? Check nettles for insects such as ladybirds and butterflies.

Our forest school rule: if we collect a minibeast to put in our pot for a closer look we return it to the same place. We also encourage the use of a spoon and a clean paintbrush to gently sweep the bug onto the spoon and into the pot. Try and show the children how to do this, this helps to avoid bugs getting squashed!

Scavenger hunts – the Woodland Trust has some brilliant free resources you can download and use – you can go on a colour hunt, or texture hunt, bird hunt, insects…. Scavenger sheets help to encourage your child to look for things, become more aware of their surroundings and gives them confidence to explore.

Link to stories – retell stories as you go for a walk. For example, choose a stick to be Stickman, or Go on a Bear Hunt, find a Very Hungry Caterpillar or go on a Gruffalo hunt.

Puddle jumping – embrace the mud! Get the wellies and waterproofs on and go and find puddles to jump in.

Take a bag – Many children love to collect what I like to call ‘natural treasures’ – feathers, sticks, pine cones, leaves. Pack a small bag so they have somewhere to put their treasures. This encourages them to be more observant of their environment and connect with nature. You can talk about what they have found and where it’s from. You might not have all the answers but check in a nature book, look on the internet or ask a knowledgeable friend or member of your family.

Explorer rucksack – Put some explorer tools in a rucksack for your child to use while you are out and about, for example a pair of binoculars, a magnifying glass and bug collecting pot.

For more ideas:
• Follow me on Pinterest: Wild Things Pinterest
• Visit www.nationalinsectweek.co.uk for ideas and facts
• Ideas from RSPB
• Download the Wildlife Trust’s 30 Days Wild App

I hope you have been inspired with these ideas. I am a forest school leader and run Wild Things Family Forest School in York.

Emma Hill – Wild Things Forest School, York
T: 07968 060182
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