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School is out, the sun is out (well occasionally up here in Scotland) and the outdoors is calling! If you didn’t already know, we love the outdoors and really believe that spending time outside and connecting to nature is vital to our health and wellbeing. Summer is a great time to put down the tv remote or game controller and get the whole family together for some fun outdoors.
Eating outside is something that can be easy to organise and will add a little adventure to your meal. Build a small campfire in your back garden, or make it a bigger adventure by heading to a local beach or camping spot, and cook your dinner on the fire. Make it a team effort, involving the kids and working together to produce some tasty food whilst having fun. Flat bread is a surprisingly quick thing that kids can help out with. Make a dough by adding a cup of flour, a tablespoon of oil, some herbs or flavours of your choice, and mix with enough water until it forms a dough that isn’t too sticky. Then flatten and cook over the fire, a few minutes each side should be enough. A nice idea is to have the kids find some sticks that are long enough to hold over the campfire safely and then attach a grill to the end so the bread can be held over the fire securely.
Check out the Light My Fire Grandpa’s Fire Grill on our website.
More and more reports are being published on the healing benefits of nature and the great outdoors. It is soothing for a busy mind and fun and educational for a young developing mind. Taking a stroll through the local forest is something that can be suited to both these mind sets. The sounds of birds, rustling leaves in the wind, and the crunching of twigs on the ground are all soothing sounds that, along with the fresh air, will help calm a stressed mind after a busy week.". Kids will have the space and freedom to run around, play in the mud and make new discoveries. Take a book on the types of flowers or trees and help the kids identify some of what they can see. There is so much potential to get creative as well by drawing some of the surrounding landscapes or even getting the kids to write down the sounds they can hear and make poems by trying to describe these sounds. This is a really nice way to help young minds connect with nature and appreciate it more. You could make a full day of it and pack a lunch and enjoy a meal alfresco amongst the trees.
Whether you are in your back garden or out in the countryside, on a clear night, stargazing is magical, easy and free! Bring a warm layer and a flask of hot tea, because summer in the UK is still pretty cool at night, and see if you can spot any constellations, planets and even the milky way if you are lucky.
Hunting for bugs is another fun way to educate kids and help them connect with nature. Digging for worms, watching ants work together and carrying leaves or crumbs, and hunting for frogs is a sure fire way to keep young minds excited for a few hours.
A true classic that will never disappoint is to build a fort! Grab some blankets, old bits of material or tarps and drape over trees to make a fort. Think of a story with the kids on who the fort belongs to and act it out together.
The best thing about the outdoors? It is right on our doorstep and free to enjoy for all.