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?
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Fun nature activities that kids will love: Recreation games (1–10)
Nature play
Nature Play: “Christmas Tree with Pine Cones.” First, prepare pine cones, nail polish, paint, sequins, paper cups, cotton, and packing material.
Put the pine cones into a bucket filled with boiling water, cover it, and leave for two to three hours to remove any insects.
Next, decorate the pine cones colorfully with paint, nail polish, and sequins.
Once they’re dry, stuff cotton or packing material into a paper cup and place the pine cone on top—done! There are no dangerous steps, so it’s a safe and enjoyable nature activity even for young children.
Making grasshoppers out of pampas grass
Even kids who are interested but scared to touch insects will be fine with this! Here’s an introduction to making a grasshopper folded from a pampas grass leaf.
You’ll need one pampas grass leaf and a pair of scissors.
Although there are several steps, the process is simple: split the leaf along the central vein, then wrap the leaf around the vein as an axis to form the body.
Once the body is done, use the remaining leaf to make the head and antennae, and trim off any excess leaf and the vein with scissors.
Finally, use the leftover vein to form the legs and insert them into the body to finish.
Place it on a leaf and it looks just like a real grasshopper.
It’s amazing!
pine needle sumo
Play Catalog: “Pine Needle Sumo.” First, prepare two pine needles.
Each person takes one, cross them, and on the count of “Ready, go!” both pull at the same time.
The person whose needle breaks loses; the one whose needle doesn’t break wins.
It’s a simple game with little risk, so I think even small children can play it easily.
When you need to decide something between two people—not a group—trying pine needle sumo instead of rock-paper-scissors might make it more fun.
Fun nature activities that kids will love: Recreation games (11–20)
Let’s draw with colors from nature!
Nature “Color Play”: Drawing with colors gifted by nature.
Use fallen leaves, flowers, stems, and roots to make art.
Flowers can give you yellows, pinks, purples, and reds; leaves offer greens; and many berries are also colorful and beautiful.
Some colors will transfer well onto paper, while others may not.
Try using unusually shaped leaves and get creative with different techniques to make your pictures.
Make it a rule to use only what has fallen, and be careful never to take anything from someone’s garden.
Parachute of the four o’clock flower
Let’s make a parachute with marvel-of-Peru (four o’clock) flowers.
First, prepare a flower with the green calyx still attached.
Next, being very careful not to cut the pistil, gently pull out the calyx.
If you manage to have just a single pistil remain attached to the calyx, you’ve succeeded.
If it seems fragile, reinforce it with cellophane tape.
Then climb to a high spot and drop the flower—it will float down through the air like a fluffy little parachute.
river fishing
Let’s try river fishing at the neighborhood river.
Use worms for bait—dig up some nearby soil to catch them.
Prepare a bucket and a rod, tie the line straight to a hook, and attach the bait.
Then just cast and wait for a fish to bite.
You might catch something unexpected.
You don’t need any difficult knowledge or reel operation, so as long as the rig is set up, even small children can do it easily.
However, since there’s a hook, please make sure a guardian is present to watch over them.
fallen leaves pool
A “fallen-leaf pool” is made by setting up a home pool and filling it not with water but with fallen leaves.
Then, just like with a regular pool, play in the leaves.
It’s a very simple activity with little risk, and children can probably play on their own.
However, if any child is uncomfortable with insects, it may be better to have a guardian present just in case.
There are no fixed rules or specific ways to play, so it can be fun to use your imagination freely and try various creative ideas.