by Emily Graham
When family life gets busy, it’s easy to let outdoor time become something of an afterthought. But when you stop and think about it, many kids (and their parents) just don’t get enough sunlight and fresh air these days. If you’ve ever heard the term nature-deficit disorder, you already know it can have harmful consequences for your child’s development. Luckily, it doesn’t take a week in the woods to make up this deficit. All you really need is a little activity in your own backyard, and these guides from Nature Study Australia will help you make it happen.
Nature-Deficit Disorder: Why Your Kids Need to Be in Nature
First, let the BBC teach you all you need to know about Nature-Deficit Disorder and the dangers it poses to our children. Then, let’s cover some of the many benefits of nature — including why kids need nature in the first place, and even how to get your kids to love nature as much as they love video games.
Setting the Stage: Create a Backyard That’s Built for Fun
The good news about getting your kids outside is that you don’t need to plan a big trip. You can actually start right in your own backyard with these simple ideas for games and other close-to-home activities that your children will love.
- 15 Family-Friendly Backyard Designs
- Outdoor Play for Kids
- Fabulous Outdoor Play Spaces
- 7 Essentials for Creating an Outdoor Play Area Kids Will Adore
Nature-Inspired Learning: Make Outside Time Educational
Help make learning fun with these great ideas for outdoor science activities, including identifying trees, and even more suggestions that are perfect for spring and guaranteed to help teach your kids to love nature. You can also go on a nature-based scavenger hunt, and as a bonus, any greenery or flowers you find can be brought inside. The kids get to show off their treasures, and you get the added benefit of the de-stressing effects Mother Nature’s spoils provide.
Nature and Fitness: The Perfect Combination
Nature is a great place to stay active. So here are 8 Fun Ways to Exercise As a Family, not to mention even more Fun and Physical Outdoor Activities for Kids. And if you’re a busy mom, here are some suggestions on How to Hike With Kids.
From keeping kids physically active to being educational, there are numerous reasons why spending time outdoors is essential for healthy families. But don’t worry if your family has been missing out! It’s time to find your new favorite way to get outside, and that fun can be found in your own backyard.
The Australian Nature Study Guide was created out of a family’s need to study nature science in the home. They’ve strived to integrate subjects and ages to increase time efficiency and value. Check out their shop and let them know if you have any questions!
We began our homeschool journey this year keen to explore all that nature study entails. I had searched the web for weeks to research what we would use as our framework. I cannot describe the elation I felt when I came across an AUSTRALIAN nature study guide! Marie has done all the hard work and put together a wonderfully elaborate resource for all ages. You can dip your toe in or dive right into all the ideas and links. There’s so much here we could spend all week doing nature study, and often we do.
Rachel ~ Australian Nature Study Guide | Summer/Autumn
This is the first nature study guide my boys and I used and we loved it and have continued using other guides. It’s so helpful for me to have a heap of resources all in one place to make nature study easy for me to incorporate in my week. It has been fun learning together with my kids about these fascinating creatures!
Marie Miller ~ Backyard Nature Study | Summer /Autumn | Volume 5
