Nature play has to be one of the most wonderful ways to connect with your child. Not only does it give opportunities to have lots of fun, get a little bit messy and to get outdoors, but it also lets you be creative together!
Here is a list of all the ways we love to play in nature!
Create a mud kitchen – Grab a few bowls, spoons, jugs, saucepans – anything in the kitchen that you don’t really need and add dirt and water. Instant mud kitchen! Grab some nature items so that your mud pies look amazing!
Get creative with clay or playdough – Set up your dough with flowers, herbs, shells, seed pods and pinecones for some amazing playdough or clay play!
Paint with nature – Add your favourite nature odds and ends to the painting table. We love painting on rocks and putting them around our garden.
Draw with Nature – Same idea as above, but use pastels, crayons, or chalks (less mess too!)
Pinecone Weaving – Collect pinecones and add string or wool, for a fun weaving experience.
Start a Nature Collection – Starting a collection is fun! It gives you something to look out for when you visit parks\beaches and forests, and you can end up finding amazing things! My daughter loves to collect pretty pieces of driftwood.
Make flower potions – Either buy or grow some flowers and add them to your mud kitchen. Give your child some water and containers and they’ll have a blast creating pretty flower mixtures!
Make a muddy puddle – Find a spot in your backyard that you don’t mind getting messed up and add water. If your backyard is not muddy puddle friendly, go to the local park while it’s raining and dress for splashing!
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Ever wanted to set up an amazing outdoor space for your kids? Well with a bit of creativity, imagination and maybe a touch of elbow grease you can create a space that is guaranteed to keep the kids busy for hours!Think outside the box! Our backyard is a treasure trove of odds and ends that we have found in op shops, tip shops, industrial areas and garage sales! Items like pallets (untreated) tyres, wooden planks, cable reels, old bike wheels, gutters and pipes all give children a wide range of resources to play and create with. Some items will need rough edges sanded off, or a quick coat of paint before they can be used by children. Have “Messy” Areas I know, I know, the last thing we all need is any more mess to clean up. But bear with me for a minute! Having an area especially set up for messy play can really benefit children. Being given opportunities to get a bit mucky and dirty and to experiment and play with lots of different materials is fantastic for sensory development, sense of self and immune systems! Even if just a little painting or playdough table for your child…
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Green Monkeys is a volunteer run Community Play Café where, for a gold coin donation, you can bring your pre-school age kids along to play on their awesome 2 storey, indoor, netted playground. Open Mondays and Thursdays during the school term from 9:30am - 11:30am, the Green Monkeys program operates similarly to a playgroup. They love to support parents in our community by making a safe place to hang out and drink some delicious coffee while your kids play. Designed to suit children under the age of 6, the playground features two slides, a tunnel, a helicopter cockpit, spinners, punching bags, a swing and more. A toddler play mat and toys are also available for younger kids. Parents do need to bring socks for their children to utilise the play equipment, however they have some available for purchase if needed. Barista made coffee and light snacks are also available for purchase in the cafe at very reasonable prices. To find out more, please visit their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/greenmonkeysseaview Or online here: Green Monkeys Web Page Mondays & Thursday, 9:30am - 11:30am79 Seacombe Road, Seacombe GardensGold coin donation appreciated.
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Looking for fun and easy sensory play ideas to keep your little ones engaged at home? Sensory play is not only exciting and fun for kids but also helps with brain development, fine motor skills, and creativity. Whether you’re using household items, simple DIY setups, or store-bought sensory toys, these activities will keep your child entertained while stimulating their senses. From mess-free options to hands-on fun, here are our favourite sensory play ideas you can try at home.
