Search Results

I love getting the kids outside, whether it's to local woods, parks or just in the garden, the outdoors I'm going to explain the benefits of outdoor play, as well as give you loads of tips and play ideas.. Contains affiliate links - please see my disclosure policy   The benefits of outdoor play Time spent How to foster a love of the outdoors We have seen that children have much to gain from venturing outdoors Join the National Trust or your local Wildlife Trust as they have lots of outdoor spaces.

all day 😜 BUT there's another more important reason I do this - so they can get all the benefits of outdoor If you fancy an outdoor adventure without travelling anywhere, make a little picnic, grab some books, Jumbo Chalks Chalks are perfect for outdoor creativity - they can be used on patios, fences, walls, Go for a metal one as it's more robust and plastic can easily perish if left outdoors over winter Bugnoculars

From games to art, they're all really fun and are a great way to be creative with your outdoor play. Transient art Sticks are great for creating moveable or 'transient' art outdoors. Stick painting We love painting sticks, it's such a fun way to get creative outdoors, and if you use Help your child make the most of the outdoors For more playful and creative learning ideas visit: Instagram

. 😂 The benefit of loose parts play outdoors is that you don't have to tidy constantly to avoid being our tub of nature finds is now overflowing with pine cones, so I add some to their loose parts play outdoors

in our little trailer tent, walking to the on-site shop to get some sweeties and exploring the great outdoors There is no bad weather only bad clothes This philosophy that we apply to outdoor play goes for camping

Taking loose parts outdoors "By allowing learning to take place outdoors, and fun and games to occur All of these are perfect as outdoor loose parts and they can either be had for free or thrifted. Obviously, if you only have a small outdoor space you can't have a tower of milk crates, it's not practical

places that offer opportunites to play and learn and they don't have to be costly; many museums and outdoors paper to make homesmade worksheets based on their interests Collect natural resources from all your outdoors

With the constant lure of screens, finding time for outdoor play is now more important than ever. We have a clear 60 cm x 30cm tub for outdoor play, and use of the sink for indoor play, as well as this

We love sensory play and like to take it outdoors when we get a chance.

Trespass drip drop puddle suit Puddle suits are essential for allowing your little one to explore the outdoors

Nature art letters Why not take your learning outdoors ?

This week we decided we would be going on a sound hunt! We went out for a family walk and were on the lookout (or the hearout?) for all the different sounds around us. We didn't let the bad weather put us off, just popped on our wet weather gear and had some fun! Contains affiliate links - see disclosure One of our all time favourite books is We're Going on a Bear Hunt , where the children wade through grass, splash through a river and squelch through mud in search of a bear. Here's a brilliant video of the author himself narrating the book: Michael Rosen performs We're Going on a Bear Hunt. First we looked for a lovely puddle to walk through. We found a nice deep puddle that went splish-splash, splish-splash. Then we found some lovely long grass that went swish, swish, swish. Soon we came across some thick oozy mud that went squelch, squelch, squelch. This is such a simple and easy way to get more from your walks. It 's a lso a great opportunity to introduce new language - is the sound quiet? loud? soft or hard? Older ones love coming up with their own words to describe the sounds - they don't even have to be real words, it's all part of the fun! One of the great things about a sound hunt is it changes with the seasons. Last month we found some ice that went crackle-crunch, crackle-crunch. And in the autumn we found leaves that went rustle rustle. It doesn't just have to be the sounds under your feet that you listen for in your sound hunt - you might hear the tweet tweet of birds, or the whoosh of wind. If you are going for a walk through a town rather than in the countryside, you could listen out for the tip tap of feet on pavements, or the beep beep of pedestrian crossings. Sound hunts are a great way to teach your child to really listen, which helps them developing awareness of their surroundings and practice their observational skills. But most importantly it's a great way to have fun on a walk together! More ways in which going on a sound hunt helps your child: Listening Skills Sound hunts encourage children to pay close attention to their surroundings, listening for various sounds and identifying their sources.  Environmental Awareness By actively listening for sounds, children become more attuned to the world around them.  Language Development Sound hunts provide opportunities to discuss different sounds and expanding vocabulary.   Mindfulness Listening for sounds can be a calming and reflective experience.  Cognitive Development Sound hunts can help children develop their understanding of phonics, recognising the beginning sounds of words, which in turn can help them learn to read. When you get home, why not expand on all your learning by sharing a book about sounds - here are some more of our favourites: The Listening Walk by Paul Showers Usbourne Woodland Sounds Sounds All Around by Susan Hughes I hope I've inspired you to try a sound hunt with your family. Next time you go out, keep your eyes peeled as well as your ears and you'll have so much fun together. What sounds have you noticed on your walks together? Let me know in the comments!   For more playful learning, creative inspiration and crafts, visit us at: | Instagram  | Pinterest  | Howweplayandlearn.com  |