Summertime Senses
Posted on 4th August 2023 at 08:01
Step into summer time and take in all the wonderful things nature has to offer this time of year. In a world filled with buzzing insects, rustling leaves and gentles breezes let us give you some ideas of what things you can do with your children to use their imagination whilst exploring nature’s beauty.
Sensory Nature Collage
Take a nature walk and collect materials like leaves, twigs, and feathers. Set up a craft station and provide paper, glue, and markers. Let their imagination flow as they arrange and glue the natural treasures onto the paper, creating a sensory collage. They can feel the textures and show their creativity through this nature-inspired artwork.
Pebble Painting
Collect smooth pebbles from your garden or the seaside. Set up a painting station and let your child paint the pebbles. They can create designs or turn them into mini masterpieces. As they paint, they'll enjoy transforming the pebbles into unique works of art.
Scavenger Hunt
Go on a scavenger hunt in a local park or forest. Create a list of items like pinecones, leaves, rocks, and flowers. Encourage your child to use their senses to find and collect each item. Let them touch bark, smell plants and observe the colours of flowers. This adventure enhances observation skills and connects them with nature.
You can also do a creature hunt or types of flower hunt.
Bug Hunt and Bug Hotel
Create a bug hotel using twigs, leaves, and logs. This mini habitat offers bugs a safe place and ongoing exploration. Take a look at what bugs attend your hotel, talk about their features and what they do, make up a story (in the life of an ant?).
Nature-inspired Storytelling
Find a cozy spot in your garden or park. Use the surroundings as inspiration and encourage your child to observe and invent stories. They can imagine fairies, animals, or trees, build on what’s around you and take it in turns to add to the story. This will spark their imagination.
Create Perfume
Take a moment to get your child to smell different flowers, decide which ones they like the scent of the most, get them to pull off a few petals of their favorite flowers and pop them in the jar. Mix a few different ones to really explore the different scents. Add a little drop of water to the jar, give your child some utensils to mush up their petals and smell their creation.
Taking part in sensory hunts and creative crafts offers a deeper connection with the natural world. From scavenger hunts to artistic collages, these activities encourage curiosity, creativity, and appreciation for nature. So set out on these exciting adventures, and watch your little ones discover the magic of nature.
Tagged as: Summer Play, Summer Time Senses
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