

Little explorers: helping your children learn about nature
05 April, 2024 • Par Laurence Morency-Guay
What is most significant for children's cognitive development are concrete experiences. When a child can be immersed in a tangible situation, the learning they will make will trace neural connections that will be useful to them throughout their lives! And what could be more concrete than nature? Here are some ideas for activities related to the outdoors, flowers and nature, according to the child's developmental periods .
2 years and under
Toddlers learn through their senses, so we want to focus on activities that will be sensory rich.
Nature bin : Simply place soil or sand, leaves, flower petals, pebbles and accessories (shovels, bowls, etc.) to let children manipulate as they wish and learn about natural textures!
Seek and Find Walk : Go for a walk outdoors and ask your little one to identify a green, leafy, living item, etc.
Natural Painting : Use stones, leaves and flowers to paint on leaves and create various patterns and prints.
3 to 5 years
Young children enjoy symbolic play, just as they will enjoy practicing the new cognitive skills they have (including the ability to classify, categorize, and associate).
Nature Scavenger Hunt : Design a list of objects or natural elements for children to find, such as leaves, rocks of different shapes, insects or flowers.
Birdwatching Mission : Become birdwatchers for a mission. Bring binoculars and a bird identification guide to observe and identify different species of birds. Children can even keep a small notebook to record their discoveries.
The nature cabin : Children must collect branches and leaves of all kinds to build a cabin for themselves or for their toys.
6 to 12 years old
School-age children will enjoy project-type activities where they can take charge of different steps and bring an idea to fruition.
Outdoor picnic : Children must prepare a small meal to enjoy outdoors. They organize the outing, prepare a menu and make it if they are old enough.
Gardening : Children identify plants or vegetables to grow, prepare materials, and monitor progress from the moment the seeds are planted.
Backyard Camping : Children organize a nature outing (which can be in the backyard): they prepare the equipment and activities for the evening, then carry them out.
Looking for turnkey activities? Download our little tips for easy outdoor activities to do with children!
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