Fun nature activities that children will love. Recreational games.
We’re introducing perfect play activities and recreation games that let children connect with nature.
There’s a wide variety: hands-on activities like insect collecting and fishing, crafts using acorns and pinecones, and “nature games” that let kids experience the natural world.
Playing in nature with all five senses also helps nurture children’s emotional development.
Clothes dirtied by grass, flowers, and soil can be tough to wash, but how about putting them in clothes that can get messy and letting them play to their heart’s content from spring through autumn?
Fun nature activities that kids will love: Recreation games (1–10)
Nature Game “Treasure Hunt”
Nature game “Treasure Hunt.” Make a scavenger list: A) something spiky, B) a large fallen leaf, C) marks where animals or insects have fed, D) a nut or berry, E) a shed skin or shell, F) something that makes a sound, G) something with a smell, H) something interesting.
Then everyone explores the forest while treasure hunting.
It’s a game you can enjoy safely while avoiding close contact even during the COVID era.
Since it lets you gain knowledge through real actions and nurtures intellectual curiosity, it’s a great activity for children.
Nature Game ‘Leaf Window’
This is the nature game “Fallen Leaf Window.” Let’s make stained glass using fallen leaves.
First, draw your favorite design on black cardstock.
Leave the lines intact and cut out the areas you want to color with a craft knife.
Next, collect various kinds of fallen leaves.
Having leaves from maple, ginkgo, burning bush, enkianthus, zelkova, katsura, and others—in reds, yellows, and greens—makes it even more fun.
Once you paste the leaves into the cut-out sections, you’ll have a stained glass artwork made entirely from natural materials.
Let’s try launching the cocklebur.
This is a game using burdock burrs (cockleburs).
Cockleburs have spines and stick to clothing, bags, and the like.
Let’s try them on various things to see what they stick to and what they don’t.
It’s safe and suitable even for small children, so enjoy it in different settings like parks and open fields.
Insect collecting
Let’s try collecting insects like cicadas and butterflies at your local park.
You’ll find many kinds of insects, such as longhorn beetles, swallowtails, praying mantises, grasshoppers, rhinoceros beetles, flower chafers, golden-ringed dragonflies, stag beetles, and stick insects.
Remember to stay alert, as there are sometimes aggressive insects like hornets and horseflies.
There are also various patterns depending on conditions like when tree sap is flowing, humidity, and weather, so paying attention to these aspects and enjoying insect collecting with that in mind can be quite interesting.
a crown of wildflowers
Let’s make a crown from wildflowers.
First, gather white clover, dandelions, fleabane, red clover, cudweed, and shepherd’s purse.
Cross two stems, hold the crossed point in place, then wrap the upper stem around the lower stem and hold it.
Repeat the same process with the third stem and beyond until you reach your desired length.
Mixing in colorful flowers like pink sorrel (oxalis), forget-me-nots, and Chinese violet cress will make the crown even more vibrant.
Add your own personal touches to make it even cuter.
Hopscotch
How to play stone kicking in the woods or a park: First, two or more players each choose a stone to kick.
Next, draw a circle a short distance away.
For small children, set the circle closer to them to make it easier.
Take turns kicking your stones; whoever gets their stone into the circle wins.
If no one gets it into the circle, the player whose stone lands closest to the circle wins.
You can also add local rules to make it more fun—for example, if a stone lands in a puddle, it’s “splash” and out.
stone masonry
In places with lots of stones, like by the water, you stack stones.
You can simply build them as high as possible, aim for interesting shapes, or compete with friends—the way you enjoy it is completely up to you.
In some countries, stacking stones is considered an art, and once you start, you’ll discover how fascinating and profound it can be.
Try making a time-lapse of the stacking process, editing the images, or if you manage to create a cool shape, take photos with your smartphone from various angles and use them as photo or video material—it can be a lot of fun.