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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- Play ideas kids can enjoy from 1st to 6th grade [indoors & outdoors]
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- Collection of indoor play ideas for September! Autumn recreational activities that will captivate children
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.
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.