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 (11–20)
Acorn spinning top making
An introduction to a handmade spinning top made from acorns.
It’s a simple toy—just stick a toothpick into an acorn—but making it together with your child will delight them.
Another appeal is that you can easily make it with tools you already have at home.
The way it spins changes depending on the type and size of the acorn, so it might be fun to collect different acorns and try them out.
Making butterflies with ginkgo leaves
Let’s enjoy nature! Make a butterfly with ginkgo leaves.
First, pick up a ginkgo leaf and fold it in half down the middle.
Fold the stem back to make it firm—this becomes the butterfly’s body.
Split the stem into two to make the antennae.
Carefully cut the leaf down the center without tearing it to form the wings, and your butterfly is complete.
You can also try a fun pulling match: take two ginkgo stems, fold them back, twist them together, then pull at the same time—whoever’s stem breaks loses.
Give it a try!
drainage
When it comes to classic riverside fun, stone skipping takes the crown.
Pick a thin, flat stone, snap your wrist to add spin with your fingers, and throw it toward the water as level as possible.
If you do it right, the stone will skip and glide across the surface.
It’s a timeless river activity that everyone’s tried at some point.
Once you get the hang of it, you can make it travel a long distance.
Check out videos of skilled skippers to learn their form and tips, and give it a try yourself.
Frottage using flowers and plants
Tried frottage using plants and flowers.
Frottage is a technique where you place leaves and blossoms under a sheet of paper and rub over it with a pencil, bringing out the patterns of the plants.
Some shapes show up easily while others don’t, and the result also depends on the hardness of the colored pencil core—making it a surprisingly deep form of expression.
With just paper and pencils, and using only natural materials otherwise, anyone can do it, so it’s a recommended nature activity that people of all ages—from small children to adults—can enjoy together.
Morning glory color water play
A recommended nature activity for kids is making color water from morning glories.
Pick morning glories of various colors and squeeze them to make colored water.
If you collect lots—blue, purple, red, white, pink—you can create beautiful hues.
It’s fun to use the colored water as paint to draw pictures, or to apply it to folded paper to make mysterious, symmetrical patterns like tie-dye.
There are many ways to play depending on your creativity.
Since only natural materials are used, it’s safe for children and highly recommended.
Making acorn and balancing toys (Yajirobe)
Making a balancing toy with acorns.
First, pick up ones that are nicely shaped and free of cracks or splits.
Next, boil the acorns so any insects inside won’t come out later.
If any acorns float at this stage, it means insects have already eaten the insides, so leave those out.
Once the water comes to a boil, continue boiling for about 20 minutes.
Use an awl or similar tool to make a hole in the acorn.
Please have a guardian perform this step.
Insert a bamboo skewer into the hole and glue it in place, then adjust the balance to complete your balancing toy.
Fun nature activities that kids will love: Recreation games (21–30)
7 park games kids can play without equipment
Park games that everyone from small children to adults can enjoy together without any preparation are great because they can be played with whoever happens to be there.
Hopscotch, hand-pushing sumo, number games, playing house, shadow play, and drawing are all familiar activities that don’t require any equipment.
You can also use natural materials like pebbles and sticks, which makes it easy to invent games and come up with original rules with friends.
Let’s make the most of the wide-open space of the park and have fun moving our whole bodies with games that can only be enjoyed in such a setting.
