Spending time outdoors with your toddler is a great way to break the monotony of your everyday routine. Kids get more physical activity and encounter new things that help them learn more about the world.
An article from Nature Sustainability found that children exposed to green spaces, like parks or the woods, are actually benefitting developmentally as well. Kids who frequently spent time outdoors scored higher for cognitive development and were 17% less likely to experience emotional and behavioral risks.
Of course, not all kids enjoy being outside, especially in the age of TV and smartphones. Whether you’re having trouble keeping your child entertained outdoors or simply want to find more exciting ways to experience being outside, some of these ideas can help.
Play food pretend play outside
My daughter loves pretend play, and even if we don’t bring any toys with us outdoors, there are always nature items that can be used for pretend play. Sticks, rocks, leaves, and pine cones can be used to make pretend food. My daughter likes to create a large pretend meal with nature items: she likes to make a soup with water and grass (if water is available nearby), a sandwich (two rocks with grass in between), and always a dessert (sand, dirt, leaves, plants, rocks). If we have any toys with us, we like to feed this food to them, otherwise, we pretend to feed each other.
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