Outdoor Play

Research has discovered that there are many benefits to children playing outdoors, here are just seven of the benefits:

Playing outside helps children to develop their learning abilities. …
Creativity. …
Health. …
Social skills. …
Well-being. …
Independence. …
Explore.

The great thing about outdoor play is, all the play resources you need are right there, and they’re all free. Logs to leap from; sticks to turn into wands or horses; bugs to watch and birds to spot.

Please ensure that your child follows currents follow current government guidance to stay at home, keep 2 metres apart from others when outside for exercise and wash hands often.

We are having some great weather just now, so below you will find 10 outdoor activities you could do safely during the Coronavirus LockDown. Afterwards, an adult could build a fire and toast marshmallows or relax with the paddling pool and BBQ!

1. Document wildlife wonders appearing this spring

This spring, why not get the kids to observe and record all the bees, birds, bugs and other wildlife they can find in the garden or on a walk? Download the iNaturalist app and start observing.

2. James and the Giant Peach activity sheets

Download and print this James and the Giant Peach family activity sheets to encourage a love of the great outdoors! Bursting with exciting facts and games, including:

Make a bug hotel in your garden
Identify and find animal homes
Glow-worm bug file
Night-time animal log

Look high, look low and see what little beasts you can find in the garden and around your neighbourhood. Don’t forget to peek under stones, in the grass, and behind rocks.

3. Paint with water or chalk on the pavement

It’s quick, easy and free and can keep young children entertained for hours

4. Digging for treasure

Collect together a few small objects and bury them in a sandpit or a small box filled with soil. Encourage your toddler to uncover the treasure using different tools such as spoons, spades and a colander for sieving sand.
What treasure will you find? Hide some brightly coloured toys around the garden and ask your little one to see if they can find them – make sure you remember which toys you’ve hidden, and most importantly, where!

5. Bake with Mud

Use old pots, pans and cutlery and cook up some delicious mud cakes using mud, seasoned with flowers, stones, leaves and seeds.

6. Lie on the ground and look for shapes in the clouds

Look up and watch the clouds blowing across the sky – what shapes can you see? What stories can you tell about the shapes in the clouds? Or roll down a hill! Give it a try, it is so much fun.

7. Hide and Seek

Play a traditional game of hide and seek using the natural environment. Take care to let your little one discover new hiding places then use the opportunity to practise counting together before the search begins.

8. Go on a Bear Hunt! I’m not scared!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gyI6ykDwds

Can you Build a Den to hide from the bear? Den-building isn’t just great fun – it also develops children’s creative thinking, builds their confidence and offers plenty of opportunities for learning. Gather sticks together and use them to test our different structures for your den.

9. Hold a nature scavenger hunt

Cut out pictures (or if you’re really good, draw pictures) of things to find in the garden – head outside with your toddler and use the pictures as a scavenger hunt list. Cross them off as you find them and see which is hardest to spot, you could even do some safe Climbing to find things high up!

10. Plant something

Whether you used seeds, cuttings or fully grown plants moved from somewhere else in the garden, this activity will provide enjoying for months to come as you check back to monitor progress if your plants.