Stuck for activities to do during half term? Here are our top eight things to do outdoors in the garden or woodland with your children.
With the sun finally making an appearance this week it’s time to get kids up off of the sofa and out into the great outdoors.
1. Natural Art
Get creative with natural art materials in the garden. Collect leaves, petals, stones, sticks and other natural art materials to make a picture or sculpture.
Use paper as your base for the picture. You could even use leaves underneath the paper with crayons to create leaf rubbing pictures.
2. Scavenger Hunt
Ready to explore? This is a fun idea for children of all ages. You can keep this activity simple by looking out for different colours or textures in nature.
Egg boxes make great treasure chests. Use an egg box to collect finds on their scavenger hunt. For older children, challenge them with a list of things to find in the garden with a set time.
3. Bird Feeder
Your children will love this hands-on activity! Have fun making easy cookie cutter bird feeders at home. Simply hang them up in a tree once finished and watch out for various birds in the garden.
Simply mix lard and birdseed before spooning the mixture into cookie cutters. Leave overnight before adding string and hanging up.
4. Minibeast Hunt
Let’s all go on a bug hunt! Explore the garden and look for exciting wildlife. Get your children to draw and write down what they see. How many can they spot?
- Bumble Bee
- Lady Bird
- Snail
- Slug
- Butterfly
- Spider
- Worm
- Millipede
5. Twig Rafts
Build a raft with the children using twigs and sticks! Use twigs, grass, fallen petals and leaves to build your raft in the garden.
Try the raft out on a puddle or pond. Does it float? You can add pebbles to the raft and see how many it can carry before it sinks. If you don’t have a puddle or pond, use a small paddling pool or washing up bowl.
6. Mud Pie
Why don’t you… take a small bowl out on their adventure. Look around for fallen flowers, twigs, leaves and other tiny treasures in the garden.
Add a splash of water and soil before finding a special stick for stirring. Your children could even throw a tea party for elves and fairies in the garden using the mud pie and other natural objects.
7. Mud Creatures
Magic up some muddy creatures! Grab a handful of mud and mould into marvellous muddy creatures. If you do not have mud to hand, use water and soil instead. What will they add to their creature?
- Wings
- Legs
- Tentacles
- Claws
- Feathers
- Teeth
- Eyes
8. Magic Fairy Doors
Invite fairies to visit the garden! Make magical fairy doors out of natural items, lolly sticks, buttons and beads. Once they have made a magic door, they can build a fairy garden for them to play in.
Line up lolly sticks in a door shape and use glue to stick two lolly sticks diagonally across the back of the door to hold it together. Make a letterbox or knocker from old beads or buttons. Place the door against a tree trunk or wall for fairies to visit.
