Half Term Ideas: 5 Nature-Inspired Things to Do with Kids

Looking after children during the holidays is amazing. But it can feel a bit like having a home full of over-excited labradors right? Getting out in nature can really help to press a reset button for your squad so why not give these five activities a go to get your school holiday off to a rocking start.

Park Art

Grab your sketch books, pencils, pens, crayons or even paints and head outside to get arty!  Draw or paint the things you see around you. That might be a beautiful tree, funky cloud shapes or your family and friends playing in the sun.

Strike a pose

Animals are so interesting don’t you think? They get their bodies into such amazing shapes!  The challenge here is to be as creature-like as possible and copy their groovy shapes with your body. Here are a few suggestions:

• Wiggle like a worm – go on, get a wriggle on!
• Flutter like a butterfly – stretch those wings out wide.
• Roll like a woodlouse – you are walking, walking, walking then BOOM, you roll into a ball.
• Twist like an owl – move your head from side to side to see if you can see as much as an owl.
• Puff your chest like a robin – take a big deep breath in and puff up your chest like a bird.
• Stretch like a squirrel – imagine you are swinging from branch to branch stretching those arms and legs out long.

The list of animals that live in your garden or local park is massive. Why not add to the list above and even combine the moves to make one seriously funky dance routine?

Rub It In

Grab a crayon, a piece of paper and go on the hunt for interesting textures. When you find an especially brilliant tree, pop your paper over the bark then rub the crayon over the top.  You will get some super cool textures and can build up some VERY unique pictures for your fridge gallery at home.

Hands On Nature

Grab a piece of card – anything will do so raid that recycling box. Draw around your hand and cut the shape so you end up with a piece of card with a hand shaped hole in. Take your card around the garden, park – wherever you like and see how much nature you can fit in your hand. Can you find a place with lots of flowers, bugs or different plants that all fit in your hand?

Booster time

Last but not least has to be our Bee Booster Pack. Plant your very own wildflower meadow and make a bumblebee water park – yup that is right! This pack is full of things to keep little minds busy and buzzing.

We love to see what you have been up to so don’t forget to tag us @growimals or #growimals so we can see.