5 Imaginative Outdoor Activities to Do With Children
Childhood is a magical time. It’s when kids start to make sense of the world around them. Children, especially toddlers, have the ability to turn ordinary activities into interesting situations. In fact, a child’s grasp of fantasy and reality is very fragile, and that’s why it is important for parents to make sure they nurture it. As we noted before – Albert Einstein once said logic will get you from A to Z, but imagination will get you anywhere.
The BBC reports that there is evidence on how encouraging kids to be imaginative can help them be more resourceful and resilient, especially if you begin early. So while your children are still young, here are some of the best imaginative outdoor activities you can do with them:
Send your child on a local spy mission
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It’s common for parents to find it challenging to get their children off the sofa, especially in this day and age when there are so many apps and games. But if the activity is interesting enough, they might just put their gadgets down. Why not send them on a spy mission around your local area? You can start by giving them a map of their “mission”, with their journey beginning at your home and ending at their favourite spot. If they are too young to go out alone, you can accompany them as their assistants. This is a great way to get them out of the house and exercising.
Go star gazing
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Take them to a family camping site where you can set up a bonfire and a tent, and tell stories about aliens, observe the stars, and map out your next family trip to a distant planet. Bring a telescope and help them find the North Star and other famous formations. If you’re really feeling imaginative you can pretend that the lights of aeroplanes are in fact alien spaceships. Simple activities like these are crucial to a child’s upbringing.
Escape to Narnia with your children
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Encourage your kids to imagine that they’ve entered the wardrobe and have come out the other end in Narnia. It would be exhausting to explore Narnia on foot, so make sure to take your bikes along with you. Why not take your kids to a woodland biking trail for the best adventure? Famous forests such as the New Forest and Sherwood Forest have plenty of family-friendly biking trails. You can even make a weekend of it and take your children camping.
While cycling can be a low-cost activity for all the family, it is important that you are able to revisit these magical adventures in the future. If you want to have regular trips to magical forests, make sure you keep your family’s bikes in tip-top shape, by not leaving them out in the elements, as they may succumb to the British weather. The long list of bike showcased on Screwfix show the range of sizes and styles that are now available. The size of your garden will be the deciding factor on which size you get, but it is best to get a shed that can protect all of the bikes. Even more important than your family’s bike’s well-being is your children’s safety. So if you get a big enough bike shed, make sure to store all their helmets, and knee and elbow pads in there too. For an added bit of entertainment, why not dress up the entrance to the bike shed up as the wardrobe leading to Narnia? This will really start their magical journey off on the right foot.
Visit child-friendly locations
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Here’s another reason to go out to the woods. There are many fairy-hunting guided tours for kids that you can join, as well as fairy and elf walks. These will take you and your kids through quaint villages and scenic areas where your kids can put their imaginations to work. Pop Sugar has a list of the most enchanting gardens in the UK, which includes Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire and Furzey Gardens in Hampshire. Gardens such as these are perfect for mini-adventures, as they have play parks and other activities for kids to enjoy. If you visit a National Trust site, there are also events that go on over the year, and many of them are connected to the location. For instance, castles will often have a medieval camp where the kids can practice archery.
Play Quidditch
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Journalist Jane Haddam notes that when your children are engaged in creative play you have to learn to welcome the mess. Art teacher Catherine Russell-Patnuaude said she always knows when kids weren’t allowed to make a mess when they were younger. “They’re usually very hesitant about doing anything that’s not completely orderly,” she shared.
So don’t be afraid if your kids make a mess or if they end up a little dirty from their imaginative games. Let them have fun in the mud by teaching them Harry Potter’s famous game, Quidditch. Gather your kids’ friends or organise a play date. Assign seekers, beaters, and other members of the team and let them imagine themselves flying on broomsticks like Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger did.
For more fun and creative ideas with your kids check out 11 fun ways to encourage imaginative play in your child
and 5 Easy and creative art activities to do with your child at home
To see more about our imaginative events go here
To see how you could have an imaginative and amazing birthday party for your child go here
