Keeping Kids Connected to Nature

Today’s world is a very different place from the one in which many people of a certain age grew up in. In the past, it was very common for children to spend most of their free time outdoors, playing games in the backyard, visiting the local park with their families, constructing tree forts with their friends, and so on.

These days, however, studies show that kids are spending more time than ever before sitting indoors, usually in front of a screen. Some reports go as far as suggesting that the average American child spends several hours per day watching screens, and just a few minutes, on average, playing games outside and connecting with nature.

While screen-based activities can have their advantages, video games and TV shows cannot be considered the epitome of entertainment for our children. Kids need to get outside and enjoy a diverse range of activities, and many studies show that connecting with nature is key for a child’s development, so here are some ways you can help to make that happen.

Outdoor Attractions

One of the best ways to get the kids connected to nature and amazed by the world around them is to visit open-air, nature-based attractions, such as zoos, nature trails, national parks, and so on. Depending on where you live, you can find all kinds of great attractions like these nearby.

Perhaps you live near a big city and want to check out the local zoo, for example, where your kids can have an amazing time seeing animals from all over the world. Or maybe you have a great park nearby, in which case you can pack up a picnic and set off together, as a family, to have a lovely day in the sun, enjoying the sights and sounds of nature all around you.

Get Them into Gardening

If you’re lucky enough to have your own backyard space with a vegetable or flower garden, you’ve already got all you need to have a lot of fun with your little ones outdoors. You can buy special, safe gardening tools just for kids and step outside on a warm day, introducing your children to all the wonders of nature.

You’ll be able to show them how plants grow, teaching them the responsibility of caring for other living beings, explaining the science of ecosystems, and so on. Children of all ages can have fun gardening and learn a lot in the process too, and many will especially enjoy the idea of growing and eating their own foods.

Camping and Hiking

Another amazing way to have fun and keep kids of all ages connected to nature is to plan some kind of camping trip or hike through the wilderness near you. Some of the happiest memories of a young person’s life can be made while camping, and it’s an incredible way to get in touch with the natural world and develop a genuine appreciation of the gifts that Mother Nature herself has provided.

Studies from scholarship essay writing service have shown that kids love to camp, and even those who spend a lot of time sitting behind screens can really open up and have a ton of fun enjoying activities like sleeping beneath the stars, roasting marshmallows on an open fire, and walking through the woods in search of wildlife.

Yard Work

It might sound like a chore at first, but yard work can actually be a lot of fun, especially when you take it on as a family. Grab some tools and gardening supplies and set aside a couple of hours on a summer day for you and your children to get outside and have some fun together, while also improving the look of your outdoor spaces.

You can cover the basics, like digging up weeds and clearing away leaves, or you and your child can come up with your very own backyard project, like painting your fence a new color or building an outdoor structure of some kind. Children can have a lot of fun building and creating, especially when they feel like a part of the process, so make sure to ask them for ideas and allow them to choose key aspects like colors and paints.

Get Creative

So far, we’ve looked at just a few ways to keep the kids connected to nature and have a great time in the process, but there are countless other options out there, and you can create many more! It doesn’t matter what your day job happens to be, whether you’re an office worker, an essay writer, an accountant, or something else, you can always use your imagination to create fun, inspiring ideas.

Why not encourage your child to start their own bug collection? Or create your very own ‘Backyard Olympics’ for the whole family to participate in? Or download a treasure hunt app and head out into nature in search of hidden prizes? The options are limitless, and together with your children, you can surely create some wonderful ideas.

Justin Osborne is a essay writer, he loves to share his thoughts and opinions about education, writing and blogging with other people on different blogs and forums. Currently, he is working as a content marketer at scholarship essay writing service.