There are so many adventures to be had in the great outdoors and playing outside is the best way to introduce your toddlers to nature and the wonderful world around them. Plus there are so many benefits to spending more time outside with your little explorers – and all that fresh air may even help them get a good night’s sleep too!
We’ve put together a few activities for toddlers to spark a love of the outdoors, plus they don’t cost a penny! With the chillier days, make sure you protect young explorers from tumbling temperatures with warm base layers and cosy waterproof coats before you embark on your adventures.
1) Bring their toys
Ask your little explorers to bring some of their favourite toys with them for an adventure in the great outdoors! Toy cars are great for driving over bumpy tracks made from rocks, sticks and mud. It’s a more tactile experience and they will love speeding the cars off down some hills or having a race along a wall.
2) Acorn sensory bin
A lovely activity for teaching your toddler about nature and the life cycle of trees. Collect acorns on your autumn family walks then pop them into a plastic container or wooden box. You can ask your toddler to sort them by size and colour, find which ones have their ‘hats’ on and which ones have lost them. You can add scoops and cups to the sensory bin so the children can have fun pouring and scooping the acorns.
3) Spot the alphabet
This is a great way to teach your children the alphabet and is super fun at the same time. Ask your toddlers to find things in the garden or on a walk that start with the letter a, b, c etc and see what you can find along the way together. The game also works just as well with colours.
4) Make your own music
Look for items on a walk such as sticks, stones and acorns then seal them in storage boxes and shake to hear the different sounds they make. See if you can fill a few different boxes and before you know it, you will have your own nature inspired orchestra!
5) Autumn leaves nature crown
Autumn leaves are so beautiful with so many different seasonal shades of greens, yellows and reds. Step outside with your little adventurers and ask them to collect as many different coloured and shaped leaves as they can find. They can also pick up some flowers and other small nature items. Once you have your items, lay them out flat and prepare the base for the nature crown. Take a piece of craft paper folded into a band shape and add some double-sided tape on one side. Stick all your leaves and items on top of each other to decorate your crown and use the tape to secure and fasten.
