Get kids to explore the outdoors

Mad about technology and lacking outdoor play? Here are some tips to get your kids outside and appreciating nature.

Being in nature is important for keeping stress levels at a minimum. Green space is good for your mind and your body! It is crucial kids develop an appreciation of nature so that it becomes habit for them, so the key is to show them things that make them fall in love with it.

It needs to be fun and adventurous

The outdoors has probably lost a bit of its wonder and appeal for most kids – because all many have really been exposed to is the ever-shrinking urban backyard and some sanitised, super safe playgrounds.
And no wonder they're staying indoors. A recent Melbourne study of 300 children aged four to eight years found that two-thirds of kids were banned from playing outside their garden gate, with kids citing reasons such as abduction and death.
At the same time, many experts in play will say that kids need to be exposed to a little manageable risky play and excitement, away from the cotton-woolling of mum and dad, to learn how to survive in the big wide world and make sensible decisions.

Add to that the studies piling up showing how important outdoor play is to mental and physical health, self esteem and general learning, and it's vital we drag our kids away from their screens and make the effort to reinvigorate the idea of communing with nature.

Four ways to get kids to explore the outdoors

For tweens: Invest in some wheels. Whether it's a trike for littlies, a trick scooter, a skateboard or a bike, there's nothing more exciting and possibly daring for kids than a set of wheels. And they're all the rage, particularly skating and scootering, so when the kids aren't trying new tricks, they're fiddling around with their "wheels and trucks". 



For teens: the speedy world of parkour. The aim of this fast-moving sport is to move with speed and efficiency through any environment, overcoming all physical and mental obstacles in your path by using your body and mind to run, climb, jump and vault. There are clubs, classes and training offered all around the country.


For all ages: create a veggie garden. Kids love planting stuff. They get to dig holes in dirt and play with water. Then there is the added bonus of them caring and nurturing for those plants then reaping the gastronomic benefits. Kids are much more likely to eat a sprout, tomato or carrot they grew rather than one that comes from the supermarket.

For the whole family: Pick a hiking trail, buy a compass, download a topographical map of the area and start walking. For an added activity for the geography-minded kids, get them to plot your path on the map.

body and soul