HEN Family

Healthy, Eco-Friendly and Natural Family Living

Healthy, Eco-Friendly Living for Everyone
  • Eco Home
    • Green Home
    • Natural Remedies/Recipes
    • Gardening
    • Green Beauty
    • Green Gift Guides
    • Eco Product Reviews
  • Motherhood
    • Pregnancy
    • Parenting
    • Raising Kids
    • Mental Health
  • Natural Kids
  • Healthy Eats
  • Travel
  • Work with Me
  • Shop

How to Teach Kids to Love Nature

April 1, 2015 By Megan 16 Comments

Teaching children to love and connect with nature

Children, by nature, love nature! Allowed to run free and explore, I don’t know any child that doesn’t automatically connect with the natural world. It’s the perfect environment in which to learn, explore, inspire creativity and just let kids be kids. And the best part is that the great outdoors is free! Although some activities, like camping or outdoor sports, do come at a small cost, there are many activities you can do which are free or cost very little. Just being outside and getting fresh air is wonderful, and there are a million things you can do to encourage your kids to connect with and love the natural world. Below are some tips on how to teach kids to love nature.

  • Take a Hike – Get outside and just have fun exploring your local forest. This is our favourite thing to do in the spring and fall especially, when the forest is starting to re-grow in the spring after winter, and then again in the fall when leaves are changing colour and starting to fall off. If you live in a more mild climate, you’ll have wonderful hiking weather all through the year – lucky you! We often collect items on our hikes, like K’s personal favourite, sticks, as well as any cool branches we see for craft projects and items to add to out nature table, like pinecones, fallen feathers and cool leaves and rocks. Look out for local birds and other creatures like deer, squirrels, caterpillars and butterflies.
  • Ride Your Bikes – I still remember meeting up with friends in the neighbourhood on a warm summer’s day and riding our bikes around. K has a cool little Strider bike that he just loves and he can zip around pretty quickly on it, keeping up with us. We also have a carrier that he can sit in (it fits 2 kids too) and is perfect for longer bike rides. Just being out in the fresh air and being able to get to your destination on a bike instead of having to pile into the car is so refreshing.
  • Go Camping – There’s nothing like spending 24/7 in the elements. Pack up the tent and hit your favourite camping spot. Most kids love the novelty of cooking over an open campfire, wandering through the forest, swimming at the local lake or ocean (if the site is near a body of water), and sleeping outside in a tent. There is so much to learn from living more simply this way and even if it is only temporarily, it really helps you get more connected to Mother Nature.
  • Spend a Day at the Beach – One of our all-time favourite things to do is pack up a cooler of healthy drinks, snacks and lunch, grab a few beach toys and other necessities and hit the beach for the day. Building sand castles, splashing in the water, lying in the sand, taking walks on the beach, collecting shells and other beach goodies….there is so much to do! I don’t know any kid that doesn’t love the beach and spending a day here will teach kids to love nature and help connect them with the natural element of water.

Teaching children to love and connect with nature

  • Garden Together – Teach children all about where our food comes from by getting them started early in the garden. Start seeds inside together if necessary and then let kids help dig the holes and plant the seeds or seedlings. If you have space, give your child a small plot of their own to grow whatever they would like in it and tend to it themselves. It’s so rewarding growing your own food and showing children the evolutionary process of a seed to a full vegetable or fruit is pretty amazing. This will definitely get them to appreciate nature.
  • Take up Seasonal Outdoor Activities – To get the most out of each season, try to find activities or sports that each child loves and enjoys doing. Winter activities include skiing, skating and hockey, as well as fun things like tobogganing. There’s swimming in the summer, as well as soccer and baseball as soon as the weather warms up, and of course, bike riding. K started playing soccer last year and is super excited to play again this year. It’s totally just for fun but that’s the way it should be at his age and the little ones love it.
  • Go Fruit Picking – Picking local fruit is one of our favourite things to do all season long, beginning with strawberries. We pick as many as we can so that we can freeze bags and enjoy them throughout the year in smoothies and baked goods. Kids can be a big help once they’re old enough to pick as well, and you can even wear the littlest ones. Fruit picking gets you outside and shows children where the fruit they eat comes from and how it’s grown. Bonus: you can snack while you pick!

Teaching children to love and connect with nature

  • Respect the Earth and Creatures – Teach children to respect nature and all its creatures. Learning about the animals and what they eat, where they hibernate and where they live gives children a better understanding of the animals’ place in the world. Trees are also a thing of awe and beauty since they provide us with oxygen, shade and food. Just by naturally pointing out what each element does really helps kids appreciate the natural world. I realized this recently when we drove by a bunch of trees that had just been cut down to expand a roadway and K pointed them out, saying “Those trees are so sad to be cut down. We should plant new ones.”
  • Bring the Outside In – Start a nature table or use small baskets to hold natural elements from outside. We have a small table that we use to welcome each season and we place little items their each season such as pinecones, beach shells, and handmade items like eggs in a basket for Easter or beeswax candles for winter. Since K is big into collecting items from outside (like many kids are), we also have some baskets in our play area specifically for smaller sticks, rocks and stones, and other fun items. We have a big stick collection at the front door as well as he likes to pick up a new walking stick on each hike. You can also use items you find to make nature crafts. Check out my Eco and Nature crafts Pinterest board for some good ideas.
  • Spend as Much Time Outside as You Can – Whenever you can, just get outside. I’ll be the first to admit that I am a summer person, but trying to enjoy every season for what it offers (snow covered trees in a forest are absolutely beautiful as well) can help ensure you get outside as much as possible, even if it’s for a quick walk on those cold winter days. Try to walk or bike to your destinations as much as possible. Schedule playdates at local parks or ask friends to meet up for an outdoor hike or walk with the little ones instead of sitting inside. Enjoy that fresh air and oxygen and children will naturally learn to love and connect with nature.

Teaching Children to love and connect with nature

Teaching Children to love and connect with nature

 

Enter your name and email and get our fun newsletter filled with free natural living tips, recipes, DIY ideas and more.
Join the HEN Family community to keep up to date on everything.
Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.

Related Posts

  • Natural Gardening Tips and ActivitiesNatural Gardening Tips and Activities
  • Natural Pest Remedies for the GardenNatural Pest Remedies for the Garden
  • Visiting Steed & Company Lavender FarmVisiting Steed & Company Lavender Farm
  • 15 Refreshing Cucumber Drinks15 Refreshing Cucumber Drinks
  • Eco-friendly Crib MattressesEco-friendly Crib Mattresses
  • De-cluttering with VarageSaleDe-cluttering with VarageSale

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Yummly (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on StumbleUpon (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Learning Naturally, Raising Kids

Comments

  1. Nell says

    April 5, 2015 at 2:54 pm

    These are great tips… love every single one of them 🙂

    Reply
    • Megan says

      April 9, 2015 at 12:45 am

      Thanks Nell:)

      Reply
  2. Linda says

    April 8, 2015 at 10:08 pm

    So many good ideas – I try to do most of them with my kids. Sharing:o)

    Reply
    • Megan says

      April 9, 2015 at 12:45 am

      Thanks Linda!

      Reply
  3. kimberly says

    April 12, 2015 at 4:53 pm

    Love this post!!! 🙂 Sharing on Natural Beach Living for This Bird Told Me Wednesday Linky Party.

    Reply
    • Megan says

      April 13, 2015 at 1:10 pm

      Thank you Kimberly!:)

      Reply
  4. brightskymom says

    April 14, 2015 at 3:02 pm

    I love everyone of your ideas — and hope to someday take my kids camping! I just did a post about nature being like the library, which fits in with the idea of respect: http://wp.me/p3RU95-6X
    ~Lee

    Reply
    • Megan says

      April 14, 2015 at 3:26 pm

      Neat, I will check it out!

      Reply
  5. sugie says

    July 26, 2015 at 5:30 am

    Nice tips

    Reply
  6. sugie says

    August 7, 2015 at 6:46 am

    Nice article.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. How to Teach Kids to Love Nature | Canyon Lake Nature Academy says:
    April 12, 2015 at 5:58 pm

    […] post How to Teach Kids to Love Nature appeared first on HEN Family. Source: Hen […]

    Reply
  2. Simple Ways to Enjoy Nature with Kids (Linky 14) - Natural Beach Living says:
    April 15, 2015 at 3:58 am

    […] Hen Family shares How to Teach Kids to Love Nature. […]

    Reply
  3. Earth Day 2015 Events in Metro Vancouver Plus a Roundup of Anywhere Earth Day Activities - This West Coast Mommy says:
    April 18, 2015 at 10:47 am

    […] How to Teach Kids to Love Nature from Hen Family […]

    Reply
  4. 12+ Books about Botany for Kids ⋆ Study at Home Mama says:
    April 22, 2015 at 11:01 am

    […] Megan from Hen Family chose If You Hold a Seed by Elly MacKay and Compost Stew by Mary McKenna Siddals, and she has this great post about how to teach kids to love nature. […]

    Reply
  5. Three Ways Kids Can Help Butterflies says:
    April 24, 2015 at 4:03 am

    […] at the last Outdoor Play Party and it was hard to pick just one favorite, but I really loved How to Teach Kids to Love Nature by HEN Family. It’s a subject near and dear to my heart, and Megan included a lot of great […]

    Reply
  6. Outdoor Play Party – Chasing Shadows and Hunting SlugsMud Mud Marvellous Mud | Mud Mud Marvellous Mud says:
    April 24, 2015 at 5:07 am

    […] time for the Outdoor Play Party and last fortnight I really enjoyed Hen Family’s guide How to Teach Kids to Love Nature. There are some great tips in here and all of them are really easy […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Let’s Connect!

About HEN Family

HEN Family is a resource for healthy, eco-friendly and natural living, to help families embrace a greener lifestyle. Here you will find everything from tips on choosing the healthiest options and products for babies and kids, to everyday sustainable living, nutritious eats, and DIY projects and crafts.

More about Megan >>

Join our Mailing List

Fields marked with a * are required




Join the HEN Family community

Join the HEN Family community




Follow on Pinterest







HEN Family Accolades

Bonbon Break
SheBlogs Media

Recent Posts

  • Making Time for Mom May 9, 2019
  • Eco-friendly Easter Baskets for Children March 18, 2019
  • Eco-Friendly Canadian Companies Part II July 23, 2018
  • My Favourite Eco-Friendly Canadian Companies February 15, 2018
  • Painted Heart Tea Light Holders February 5, 2018

RSS HEN Family

  • Making Time for Mom
  • Eco-friendly Easter Baskets for Children
  • Eco-Friendly Canadian Companies Part II

Featured Posts

Making Time for Mom

Making Time for Mom

Alone time. What’s that? If you’re a mom, you’re quite possible in the same boat as me. Some days, okay, most days, I feel like my needs come last in the whole scheme of things. From the second our eyes open in the morning, it’s all about the kids. Getting everyone changed and fed, answering 800… [Read More]

Categories

Let’s Connect!

© 2023 · Hen Family · Designed by Sarah McVean

Enter your name and email and get our fun newsletter filled with free natural living tips, recipes, DIY ideas and more.
Join the HEN Family community to keep up to date on everything.
Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.