Little B's Top 10 Summer Holiday Outdoor Activities
After spending most of the year in lockdown or indoors, it is more important than ever to let your little ones spend time in the great outdoors this summer holidays. So the next time your children complain they are bored, pull out this list of our favourite outdoor and nature bases activities; there's something for everyone – right in your own back garden. Plus, many activities are completely free!
1. Create Your Own Flower Crown
We LOVE a flower crown, especially as the festival season has started! All you need to do is make a simple crown or band-shaped headband from either thick cardboard or brown paper. Then go out and choose some of your favourite flowers, leaves or petals and glue them to your crown. Finally, pop some music on, pitch up a tent and you've basically got your own mini Glastonbury!
2. Children's Yoga
Yoga is a brilliant way for children to exercise their body and mind. It can be a relaxing way to unwind from a busy day of play. There are lots of poses that are inspired by nature, including the Tree, Buffterfly, Bird & Squirrel, but you can always make some up! If you're not familiar with yoga, we suggest looking on YouTube as there are plenty of short yoga lessons for children.
3. Join the Big Butterfly Count
Join the Big Butterfly Count (Friday 16 July to Sunday 8 August), a nationwide survey to monitor our butterfly population. All you have to do is spend 15 minutes counting all butterflies you see in your garden, park, field or forest and submit your sightings online.
4. Flower Pressing
This activity is so easy, for such beautiful results.
Flowers are everywhere you look during the summer! Collect your flowers on a sunny day when they’re not wet or damp. Place the flowers between sheets of parchment or wax paper and lay a heavy book on top. Let the flowers dry for 7-10 days. Use them for art decorations, cards, bookmarks, or you could even add them to your flower crown.
5. Feed the Birds
Treat the birds to a summertime treat by making these super tasty fat balls. Mix one part lard with two parts birdseed and squash into a ball. Push a loop of string into the middle and hang it up in your garden or window. It's SO easy!
6. Blackberry Picking
Blackberries grow on bramble bushes which are often found in British hedgerows. So keep your eyes peeled while out exploring from late July onwards, as these delicious treats will start to pop up! You can use them to make crumbles, jams, smoothies or keep them in the freezer for a later date.
7. Make a Bug Hotel
Get a headstart on winter by building a protective shelter for all your garden bugs. Not only is this a fun activity to do with your little ones, but they also provide much-needed protection for bugs and beneficial insects throughout the winter. You can use sticks, pine cones, seed heads, bamboo shoots, and wood shavings to much your five-star hotel.
8. Nature Rubbings
Use a crayon or oil pastel and some paper to do a tree bark rubbing. Tape your paper to the tree and see what comes out! Leaves and flowers work really well too. Don’t forget to place your leaf vein side up, and to use oil pastels, crayons or pencils for the best results!
9. Garden Olympics
Improvise with objects from your house and garden to build your very own garden Olympics. You could create a circuit of multiple courses and games – great fun for the whole family to get involved with. Throwing, trampolining, long jump, gymnastics...the possibilities are endless.
10. Vegetable Stamps
Don’t let old fruit and veg go to waste! Simply cut your apples, pears and potatoes in half to create beautiful prints. If you wanted something a little more detailed, you could carve your own shapes into the fruit or veg.
All you need to do is cover it in paint and stamp away. Stamping onto brown paper makes great wrapping paper for presents.