If you are wondering how to nurture a strong bond between kids and nature, this article is for you.
“Our challenge isn’t so much to teach children about the natural world, but to find ways to sustain the instinctive connections they already have” – Terry Krautwurst
Another day dawned upon us and the moment I opened my eyes I knew It was not JUST another day. The sweet chirping sound of rainbow lorikeets, ducks quacking in the nearby pond which rhythmically creates music of its own with the gentle babbling sound of a small creek, crept into our ears through French windows left ajar.
These mystic sounds reached our holiday destination located right in the middle of “HEAVEN”. It was our 3 day get away in an idyllic corner of a farmland far away from the hustle and bustle of metropolitan life.
Around 100 km or so away from Melbourne CBD, We reached Mt Egerton, with eyes full of hope and hearts beaming with joy.
Because for our little family, nothing can beat the calming and invigorating feeling you get when you are surrounded by endless treasures of beauty, nature has to offer.
The kids drink their milk and jump into the front porch still in their PJs to absorb the morning view. They were outdone by kangaroos and horses who were already up bright and early enjoying the golden sunshine and the crisp morning breeze. We were astounded to see our little cottage ambushed by what looked like a countless number of kangaroos. What else could make you happier in life than this picturesque view?
It was the spring, the queen of all seasons when it comes to beauty. No wonder we were surrounded by delightful woodlands, far-flung green meadows, sweet-smelling flowers which are a treat to our mind and soul.
We had never seen kids happier before. No material thing we had ever bought for them, had brought this glow to their eyes. I particularly noticed my girl, Amelia was flushed (with pinkish cheeks) throughout our stay. I guess that’s how excitement, relaxation and infinite joy shows on your face.
Right after breakfast, kids sprang to their feet and ran towards meadows to feed horses with a bucket full of apples and carrots.
(Kids and nature – Kids belong to Nature, their natural instinct to merge and be in harmony with Nature only needs tiny bit of stimulus)
It was the moment for me to sit back and enjoy the panoramic view. I liked to see the clouds drifting away to the far away mountain ranges. “Majestic!”, I thought looking at the mountains standing tall with dignity and pride, keeping up with the lush vegetation displayed around her.
Our little cottage was warm and cosy thanks to the great old-fashioned fireplace. The orange colour flames inside were hopping and bopping with no care for outside world. A bucket full of wooden logs laying next to me gave a sweet earthy smell. “Is that birch wood?”, I wonder.
The cottage was decorated with vintage landscape paintings of unknown lands and different types of knick knacks. There were vintage tobacco tins and tea tins with some rust on them.(One that says Ceylon Tea warms my heart and brings a smile to my lips) Even after so many decades of long life, they still had their strong aroma inside. Wonder how life would have been in this cottage in the 40s and 50s.
The creaking sound of the door woke me up from my reverie. The kids are back! Their boots covered with mud smelling like horse poo, their mouths stained scarlet red with wild raspberry juice, hair dishevelled, hands full of dirt, but faces beaming with indescribable satisfaction.
Later, when the breakfast was laid, everyone was excited about the fact that most of the food were from our farm itself. Feta cheese, eggs, blueberry pie, sweet orange marmalade and even milk tasted heavenly and we felt thankful because it was the work of sunshine, fresh air, clean water and luscious pastures around us.
If you’ve read up to here, rest assured you are a nature lover who can feel the miraculous calming and healing power of nature.
Interested to know how I made sure the kids absorbed these beauties to the very core making memories that will last a life time??
Here we go!!
I made sure this wonderful getaway is appealing to their all faculties sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch.
Help Kids And Nature Find Their Chemistry
Sight
We gazed at the breath-taking view with so much awe. Talked about the mountain range, blue sky, luscious pastures ,glassy surface of the creek ,farm animals and wild life around us.
Hearing
Encouraged them to pay attention to chattering of birds, neighing of horses, rustling leaves and murmuring of creek nearby.
Touch
Let their skin feel the cold wooden floor, cold breeze,
horses feeling warm(kids loved to pat them)
Walking on dewy grass and pebbled footpath
Soft and warm kangaroos
Feeding animals off their palm and their warm tongues tickling their hands.
Smell
Air scented with wild flowers
Smell of mud mixed with horse and kangaroo poo.
Musty smell coming from ancient cupboard drawers
Strong aroma of tobacco from antique cigarette tins.
Sweet aroma from wooden logs
Earthy smell from muddy puddles
Taste
Tasty wild berries – (especially Riberries and wild raspberries)
Taste of rainwater
Looking for edible plants and tasting them.(Mountain pepper, salt bush)
P.s – Adult supervision is always needed.
Kids And Nature – Activities For Nature Loving Kids
Having super active kids and still having time to relax during a holiday isn’t all that easy.
Here are the little fun activities they did which gave us so much time to sit back and enjoy the beauty around us.
Feeding horses
The horses loved to eat apples, carrot and bread. the kids would spend hours feeding , patting and just chatting with them. Yes Chatting ! They do seem to understand what my little ones had to tell them. After all, love language is universal :),
Collecting firewood
It was freezing cold at night and in the morning. But inside the cottage was so cosy and homely thanks to our fireplace. Kids loved collecting wooden sticks and logs and light a blazing fire.
Picking wildflowers and making wreaths
Needless to say that season of spring brings us an abundance of flowers of different hues and aromas. The little ones could collect heaps of flowers into their rattan baskets and we helped them to be a bit creative with those beauties.
Collecting different coloured stones and pebbles
Exploring the outdoor areas collecting little treasures was something they will never forget. My kids came home bringing a ton of lovely stones and pebbles and they enjoyed being the “richest kids on earth” . wink
Hide behind a bush and quietly wait for rabbits to appear from rabbit hole
We reminded our self that we are intruding their natural habitat. Being respectful was the least we could do. In return, we were able to see couple of bubbly rabbits hopping out around the rabbit hole.
Refilling bird feeders with sunflower seeds
Great time to remind them about our responsibility to give back to nature.
Picking strawberries and making jam with our help
The flavour of freshly picked strawberries is on another level and cannot be compared with store bought ones. The children picked up a lot but ended up eating more than half of them, but we still managed to make a fresh batch of strawberry jam with the rest š
Collecting caterpillars in glass jars to take home and see the life-cycle of butterflies
My daughter is obsessed with butterflies and she will definitely enjoy this simple Science lesson after we go back.
All these hands on activities involving plants, minerals and wildlife will keep the little ones occupied for a long- long time which making a lasting impact on their hearts about close-to-nature life.
So what are the benefits of nature activities for little ones ?
Kids And Nature – Benefits of Nature Activities For Kids
Reduces stress and fatigue
Fresh air, breath-taking views, flora and fauna can relieve your worries and make you feel happier. Nature is believed to have therapeutic effect on our body and mind and thus used commonly in many different cultures for her healing power.
Teaches survival skills
Survival skills are tips that a person may use in order to stay live in any natural or built environment. We let them try some age-appropriate tasks like building a fire, picking fruits, dig up yams, pick edible mushrooms etc. These survival skills are ideal for a starter.
Humbles you
An autumn leave drifting away in to the wind itself is enough to teach you about life, if you think about it. Changing seasons can give your kids a synopsis of the lifecycle of man starting from Spring to Winter. Impermanence of life is shown in so many ways around us if we pay attention.
Furthermore, we learn about the supreme power of Mother nature and the fact that man is just a part of nature. Our day -to- day activities are affected by rain, storm, dew, sunshine so on and so forth. The world is so much bigger than we think. It humbles us.
Can learn their first Science lesson
Natural environment is a laboratory itself if we pay attention. There is so much to learn for little ones looking at rainbows, night sky, wildlife, plants, minerals, flowers. The knowledge we can gather is just boundless.
Can learn their first Philosophy lesson
This is a great place to head start critical thinking. For children who constantly ask the question “Why?” natural world has so much to offer. A reasonably in-depth conversation can be sparked just by looking at the sky, a dead caterpillar or an egg hatching.
Raw raw row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily merrily merrily merrily
Life is but a dream
The last line is a great way to start a conversation with the kids. This ever so popular nursery rhyme, brings such a complex philosophical idea into a nursery rhyme in the simplest possible way, comparing life to a dream.
Can learn their first Maths lesson
A quick glance around a natural environment is enough to prove that Maths is implanted in Nature. Kids can explore symmetry in nature in various forms, shapes, and learn to count using twigs, rocks and even stars. More complex concepts like distance, weight, density can also be learnt in a natural environment in a more effective way.
Teaches empathy
Since Man is biologically connected to nature, we have an innate desire to bind with plants and wildlife . Hence, Nature gives so many opportunities to be involved with her and be emotionally bound to her. Even small acts like watering a withered plant, burying a dead insect, feeding birds or patting an animal can have a great impact on a child to have a heart full of love and empathy.
Great playground for sensory play
Sensory play involves any activity that stimulates child’s senses, sight, smell, touch, sound and taste. Natural environment is rich with textures ( furry animal skin, rough surface of rocks), weights (tree logs, stones), patterns (clouds, autumn leaves scattered on the floor), shapes (Pine cones, starfruit, bottlebrush flower) ,smell( smell of wildflowers, earthy smell of rain), sound ( thundering, wind blowing, high pitched buzzing sound of gnats). These sensory experiences help to build nerve connections in the brain and encourages the development in language and motor skills.
Instils a life-long love for Nature and close-to-nature life
All these sources of wonder and curiosity can change our children. They will have lifelong love and curiosity to explore more, engage more and finally give back to Mother Earth. In other words, Man’s urge to benefit from nature and in return, give back is an instinct they have biologically inherited.
“The earth does not belong to man, man belongs to earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not make the web of life, he is merely strand in it. Whatever he does to the web , he does to himself” – Chief Seattle
It was a night full of stars and we were all on the deck looking at the sky. The kids were dozing in our arms after having what seemed like the busiest and happiest day of their life so far, but we knew it was just the start. Once you are intrigued by this beauty, there’s never a turning back.
Screeching sound of a racoon from a distant bush land and a wailing of a barred owl marked the end of our sweet, blessed day. As the icy-cold wind blew stronger and stronger, the temperature dropped rapidly. Time to put the kids into their bed. May they dream of blissful lands of meadows, valleys and vibrant woodlands!
If you know more about benefits of being a nature lover, share with our community š
To read about the activities you can do at home with your kids : 49 fun things to do inside with toddlers and kids
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