The Modern Mindful Mom

Nature Walk Ideas for Toddlers & Preschoolers (40+ Activities!)

We’ve put together a list of things you can do on nature walks with your young child(ren).  There are so many benefits to spending time outdoors and in nature, especially for kids.  Hopefully this list will help inspire you and make your next nature walk more fun!

40+ Ideas for Toddlers & Preschoolers

Of course, you don’t need an agenda or planned activities for nature walks.  You can simply follow your child and meander and explore together.  Time spent in nature is never wasted!

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Time Spent in Nature is Never Wasted Quote

List of Nature Walk Ideas for Toddlers & Preschoolers

  1. Look at the Clouds  Talk about the shapes and colors.  Watch them move.
  2. Collect Leaves  Find leaves, stack them, talk about their shapes, colors, and sizes.  Which leaf is bigger/smaller?
  3. Crinkle Leaves  Talk about how it feels.  Talk about the smells.  Throw the little pieces of leaf in the air and watch them fall to the ground.
  4. Collect Sticks  Find big sticks and little sticks.
  5. Play with Sticks  You can stack them or build with them.  Stick them in the ground.  Throw them (safely, of course!).  Break them.  Dig with them.  Rub or tap them against different surfaces and talk about it – “that’s loud/quiet”, “that’s bumpy/smooth”, etc.
  6. Find Rocks  Talk about sizes, textures and shapes.  Line them up.  Count them.
  7. Stack Rocks  See how many you can stack.  Count out loud.  Make it a fun challenge.
  8. Bring Playdough  Make imprints of rocks, leaves, sticks, acorns or tree bark.
  9. Look at Birds  Observe and talk about the bird’s behaviors.
  10. Look for Bugs  Flip over rocks.  Observe and talk about the different bugs you see.
  11. Observe Animals  What animals can you find?  Squirrels, lizards, turtles, ducks?  Observe and talk about what you see.
  12. Make Nature Stew/Pretend to Cook Pick grass, fallen leaves, weeds, etc. and mix together to make pretend stew.
  13. Pick Up Litter  If you see litter, pick it up and take the opportunity to talk about littering.  Make sure you use hand sanitizer afterwards!
  14. Sit on the Ground  Take a break and just sit.  Run your hands through the grass or feel the cool ground with your hands.
  15. Lay on the Ground  It’s amazing how laying on the ground vs. just sitting on the ground can give you a completely different experience and perspective.
  16. Play in the Dirt  Get those hands dirty!
  17. Explore Tree Bark  Touch it, talk about it, compare different ones.  Look for fallen tree bark.
  18. Go Climbing  Kids love to climb – it’s in their nature (see what I did there!).  While ensuring safety, allow kids to climb on tree roots, tree limbs, tree stumps or large rocks.
  19. Drive Toy Cars Through Various Terrain  Bring along a little toy car.  Have fun driving it through the dirt, grass, rocks, tree roots and other various terrain.
  20. Bring a Favorite Toy  Bring along your child’s favorite toy and incorporate it in your nature adventures!
  21. Have a Picnic  Bring along a snack or meal to enjoy on your nature walk.
  22. Smell Flowers  Stop and smell the flowers!
  23. Draw Nature  Bring along some paper and crayons.  You can your child can draw things you see on your nature walk.
  24. Draw With Nature  Using water and dirt, you can draw on paper or pavement.
  25. Splash in Puddles  Go on a nature walk after a rainstorm and you may come across some puddles – perfect for jumping in and splashing around.
  26. Take off Your Shoes  Take off both your shoes and feel the grass and dirt under your feet.  Talk about what it feels like (is it warm/cold?  is it smooth/rough?  does the grass tickle your feet?)
  27. Sing Songs  Sing some of your favorite songs while outside.
  28. Listen to Music  Play some music from your phone.  It can be relaxing or upbeat!
  29. Dance Get all your kid’s wiggles out!  “Freeze dance” is favorite in our house that always gets us dancing!
  30. Act Out “We’re Going On A Bear Hunt”  If you haven’t heard of this book, we highly recommend it!  There’s also various renditions of the story in song  form!
  31. Pretend to be Different Animals  Let your surroundings inspire you!  Can you pretend to be a bird?  Or let your imagination run wild!  Is that cow I hear?
  32. Play a Game of Tag Run around and chase each other (if it’s safe to do so!).
  33. Read a Book  It’s amazing how reading a book outside can totally change the experience!
  34. Stretch/Do Yoga  Use nature as your inspiration!  “Can you reach up and stand tall like a tree?”
  35. Make a Birds Nest  Gather some sticks and twigs and see if you can make a birds nest.
  36. Talk About Colors  Look for specific colors (for example, things that are yellow) or point out what colors you see.
  37. Talk About Sounds  Point out the different sounds you hear.
  38. Talk About Shapes  Point out any shapes you see.
  39. Talk About Letters  Be on the lookout for any letters you see and point them out and talk about what they spell.
  40. Talk About Smells  There are so many different scents to be found outdoors! Smell around and talk about them.
  41. Talk About Texture  Feel various natural objects around you and use them to teach about the different ways they feel.

 

You may be interested in these other articles about Parenting a Toddler/Preschooler:

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