Keeping the kids entertained during the school holidays can sometimes feel like a challenge, especially during the summer. There are only so many play parks that you can go to before your kids might start to get bored and so it can be easy to reach for the iPad or something electronic to keep them occupied. But kids benefit so much more from playing outside in the sun and if you are willing to get creative there are actually a lot of fun family activities that you can do to maintain your child’s enthusiasm for nature! In this blog I’ll give you some ideas to keep your kids happy whilst exploring and learning in the great outdoors.

If you have a child who is inspired by nature, they will absolutely love this whimsical illustrated alphabet book that celebrates the beauty of the North East countryside through a child’s eyes!

Summer holiday activities for children that you can do in your garden

Some of the best creative summer holiday activities can be done from the comfort of your very own garden, such as a creepy crawly hunt! This summer holiday activity costs nothing and if you don’t have a suitable garden, any grassy area or local park will do just fine. I would recommend taking a magnifying glass and something to draw with so that your kids can spend the day discovering and documenting interesting insects! Now I know this may not sound like your idea of fun if you're squeamish about bugs but this is a learned fear and lots of kids love learning about them! If you don’t like bugs all you need to do is supervise from a distance and make sure the kids are playing safely.

Another easy and creative summer holiday idea that can be done in your own garden is outdoor arts and crafts. The possibilities are endless here and this is a great way to keep kids engaged with nature for little to no cost. Making something pretty out of things that you find in your garden will also help kids to develop an appreciation for the natural world and hopefully get them to see the value in protecting it from a young age.

If you need some inspiration for your garden arts and crafts session, I would suggest a collage made of leaves! You could also make a wind catcher out of twigs and leaves or if you have some heavy books to hand, try pressing some flowers! These pressed flowers can then be used for other fun arts and crafts activities. Kids also love to paint, so go and find some rocks in the garden (or local beach), take them home and turn them into little ornaments for your garden by painting them to look like animals or whatever you decide!

Creative summer holiday ideas for hyperactive kids

 Some children require a bit more running around in order to tire them out by the end of the day, so I’m also going to give some suggestions for parents with particularly hyperactive children. One activity you can try is outdoor yoga! This is a fun way to spend time with your child and it is great for young kids’ minds and bodies. You can make it even more fun by making up your own animal yoga poses to do with your kids.

Scavenger hunts are a great activity for active kids as you can tire them out by sending them running off to look for berries, trees, animals, birds, colours and even textures. Prepare for this activity by making a list of all the different things you want to find. If you don’t manage to find everything the first time, there is nothing stopping you from going on another scavenger hunt to complete the list from last time!

If your children are fond of marine animals, try taking them for a day out rock pooling at the beach! You can find some really weird and wonderful creatures in rock pools that will be a delight for your children to discover. This summer holiday activity will keep kids entertained for hours and you could even bring a barbeque for lunch to make this summer holiday activity day even more exciting!

More creative summer holiday ideas for children inspired by nature

These last few activities are slightly more location and also weather dependent, so I’ve left them for last. However I assure you they are just as fun as the other activities. Fruit picking is an excellent summer holiday activity to do with kids as they will have fun picking the fruit and it will also instil a love for healthy fruits in them from a young age. Just make sure you know exactly what you are picking and DO NOT eat anything unless you are absolutely sure that it is edible. If your kids are old enough and competent swimmers you can also take them wild swimming or paddling in a lake, river or the sea! 

All the activities I have mentioned so far are best done in the daytime so I thought I’d include some night time activities as well. If the weather is warm enough and you have access to a tent, taking your kids camping is a lovely and memorable way to get them inspired by nature. You can also take them stargazing on a clear night if your children are space enthusiasts! However, for these activities you will want to bring plenty of layers so you all stay warm enough.

Get your kids inspired by nature this summer!

There are plenty of ways to get your kids inspired by nature this summer and a lot of them cost absolutely nothing! Sometimes the simplest activities are the most memorable so when you use this blog post for inspiration I encourage you to try out anything that sparks your kids’ interest.

If you care about the state of the world that your children are going to inhabit and you want them to develop an interest in nature, register your interest for this whimsical illustrated alphabet book that celebrates the beauty of the North East countryside through a child’s eyes! It’s the perfect unique keepsake for any nature loving child.