How to Raise a Nature Loving Child (+ Make a Nature Collage!)

In this day of technology and electronic media, raising kids with a more natural approach to living is something a lot of new parents desire.

But when we’re up against a world saturated with technology, where do we begin, especially with older children?  The trick is to start small and move gently toward bigger, more drastic changes in your family’s lifestyle.  Below I have compiled some tips and ideas to help you get started.

Focus on Getting More Interactive with Nature: 

Kids love to play outside!  It can take some work and diligence to get them away from their gadgets.  I have taken to creating a list of tasks for my kids that they must complete before getting any screen time.  Some of the tasks include finding creative time and playing outside.  Left to their own devices, children are naturally imaginative, and nature nurtures their creativity.

Allow Your Kids to Help with Seasonal Planting: 

Take the time to let them get their hands involved in planting seeds for vegetables, flowers and herbs.  Spark their curiosity: what does each plant need to stay nourished? How fast do they grow? How are the plants you see around your community different from those in other parts of the country or world?

Organize Some Outdoor Scavenger Hunts:

Give your kids each a list of objects to find in the backyard (or even at a nearby park).  Perhaps some items such as bird feathers, pine cones, acorns, leaves and other natural objects. Turn it into a game – the first one who collects everything on his/her list wins!

Create a Camp Out in the Backyard: 

We don’t always have the time or the means for a weekend camping getaway, so why not pitch a tent in the backyard? Grab some popcorn, trail mix, and some drinks.  Take a flashlight and some travel board games, maybe even some books.  Your children will cherish this time, and you will making fun memories!

Carve Out the Time for Family Outings:

Try to make it routine.  My kids know that weather permitting, one day of our weekend is dedicated to hiking.  Dedicating this time helps teaches your children to find a rhythm with making time to connect with nature. Even if it’s simply going out to play catch in the backyard or going to a nearby trail for a bike ride, take the time to enjoy nature as a family.

Send the Kids Outside to Just Play:

Sometimes you just need to send the kids outside to play.  They may complain a bit at first, especially if they aren’t used to finding ways to fill their own time creatively. Don’t let them coerce you into staying inside!  Just as the saying goes about putting cranky kids into a play bath, the same goes for sending cranky kids outside.  Fresh air is good for everyone!

Get Imaginative with Some Nature Crafts:

Look for fun crafts that can be made with things found in your backyard or nearby trails. Help your kids gather the items needed and make their crafts. Older kids and teens may enjoy making scrapbooks with photos they’ve taken or collected. This makes a wonderfully fun weekend project!  See some of our ideas below.

My kids love picking up things they find while playing at the park or in the yard, or while on a walk. We have really gathered quite the collection of rocks this year!  My oldest daughter also loves to collect fallen flower petals, and press them between the pages of books.

We like to create with our nature finds, including pressing flowers, and making designs with paint and leaves.  I also love making nature collages with them; they’re loads of fun and can be a great learning experience.

What do you need for a nature collage, you may ask?  Anything your child can find and pick up is fair game as long as it’s not a live animal, poisonous, or otherwise hazardous to their health.

Twigs, neat pebbles or small rocks, pinecones, weeds, leaves, and small flowers are common items children like to pick up.

If your children want to use leaves off the ground, or if they find bird feathers, empty nests that have fallen from trees, or chewed-on nut shells, they’re fair game.  Don’t forget to bring along a bag, jar or tin so that your child has someplace to carry their new found treasures!

Where can your child find all of these neat items for their collage?  Your own yard is a great place to begin.  They may also find them at parks, along lakes as long as an adult is walking with them, or walking in their own neighborhood.

Anywhere you can find items in nature is a good place to look…

Other benefits of looking for these treasures is that it provides good exercise and gets your child out in the sunshine and fresh air.

Now you may be wondering what to do with all this great ‘stuff.’  Find a sunny spot in your yard such as a picnic table or spread a blanket in the grass.  Let them dump the contents of their bag out onto a surface and look carefully at each item.  If you have a magnifying glass, so much the better!

Ask them about what each item came from.

If they found a leaf, do they know what type of tree it came from?  What color is the flower or feather they found?  Does it have a smooth surface or is it rough?

Gather together the items they want to use for their collage.

Several sheets of heavy duty paper like cardboard or poster board, and some tacky glue.  Next help them arrange the items on the paper and then glue them down.

If you have a larger piece of cardboard or poster board, you may want to glue it to the back of their original.

This will give you a place to write their name, their age, and the date so they, and you, will remember the day.  When everything has dried and there’s no chance it will fall off, don’t forget to display their nature collage where everyone can see it.

Making a nature collage with your child is a great way to get them outside and begin teaching them about the world around them. Your child may love making nature collages so much that they ask you regularly and often to come with them and help them find new items with which to create their fabulous works of art!

Encourage their love of nature and you’ll encourage their love of learning.  Want to try out a fabulous nature coloring book, in the event that the weather doesn’t permit an outdoor adventure?  A Walk in the Woods has been a favorite with my kids. Also, The Nature Connection: An Outdoor Workbook for Kids, Families, and Classroom by Clare Walker Leslie has plenty of activities, exercises, and ideas to spark your children’s curiosity about the natural world.