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Looking for something easy to do with your child today that's also great for their development? Why not go for a nature walk?
Getting out in the fresh air is great for your child's language learning. The environment around them provides loads of opportunities for interesting conversations.
Check out the video below to find out how to make the most of your time outdoors and boost language as you go.
It’s always a good idea to wash your child's hands after exploring outside.
Right, we're going to go on a nature trail. Let's go and see what we can find.
What are they?
They're berries!
What does berries begin with?
b.
Well done.
I found four black ones and these ones are red.
Yeah, they are red. Where's the feathers? Keep your eyes open.
Here!
They're tickling your toes. How many have you got?
One, two, three, four.
You're going to have to wash your hands when we get home aren't we?
A baby bumble bee!
Oh, that is a bumble bee. What is he doing?
He eating.Mmmm!
And he's waving.
Is he waving?
Because he's putting his hand up. [Laughs]
Tell me about the flowers.
They're beautiful!
Yes… What one's the biggest one?
This one.
Ahem…This one's even bigger!
That is a big one. Let's see how many colours of leaves we can find. What colour's that leaf?
Green!
Yeah! This one's like a bright yellow.
That is bright yellow.
The yellow and green ones are soft. The brown one's crispy. They're crispy.
Yeah, so that means they're dying.
What colour's that butterfly?
Black.
And…?
Orange.
Good boy.
They have long tongues!
Long tongues, do they?
There's another one up there!
Who's been eating this leaf?
Caterpillar!
So this trail leads to in there, so the caterpillar must live in there!
It must live in the bush.
What's a caterpillar turn into?
A butterfly!
Yes! [Laughs]
What are the benefits of going on a nature walk?
- The natural world is full of colours, sounds, smells and textures for your child to interact with and talk about. Engaging more than one sense can help language learning.
- Asking your child open questions about what they can see around them will encourage them to use longer sentences and give more detail.
- Taking time to notice the simple things in nature provides children with the opportunity to talk about new things and learn about the world around them.
- Playing games like I spy when out and about can help your child with their phonological awareness (ability to recognise the sounds in words).
- Being outside is a great opportunity to practise counting skills. Ask them how many berries, flowers, leaves or feathers they can see.
3 more language boosting nature activities to try with kids
1. Make a mini garden
Collect items from your garden or the park and make a mini garden on a paper plate.
This is a really fun activity to encourage your child to explore their imagination and use descriptive language.
2. Create a nature story
Ask your child about things they have taken an interest in on your walk.
Can they create a fun narrative around these objects?
3. Nature colour walk
When you're out exploring nature, ask your child to find and point out objects that are different colours. Can they find an object for every colour of the rainbow?
Talk about the how the objects look, smell and feel to create a sensory experience.
More information about getting outdoors with kids
Playing outside is fun, exciting and important for children's learning. Our getting outdoors collection gives you loads of tips, advice and inspiration for getting your kids outdoors in nature.
- We spoke to CBeebies presenter Ranger Hamza to get his top tips for outdoor adventures with your little ones.
- Are you a fan of gardening? Find out what children can learn from looking after plants with you.
- If you're struggling to get out of the house at the moment, there are loads of ways to enjoy the outdoors (even if it’s from your balcony or window).
- Check out these 10 fun park activities to help your child’s communication skills.
