At last. Schools are out, holidays are here, and Born Free has some sensational ideas to encourage your wild child to enjoy nature – from cloud-gazing to building a den.
Image by Jorge Lujan from Pixabay
Traditionally, zoos and safari parks are promoted as the perfect summer venue for the family. But if – like us – you think wild animals deserve a free life in the wild, here are some alternative, nature-inspired activities to engage the entire family!
The summer holidays are officially under way. So, if you’ve been charged with looking after the little ones, it’s likely you now find yourself endlessly searching for entertaining activities to keep your children occupied over the coming weeks.
Whilst spending time with the kids can be joyous and fun, finding enough to do to keep boredom at bay can be daunting. Some might find it tempting to visit a facility where ‘entertainment’, playparks, and food stalls can all be found in one, secure, child-friendly location.
Zoos and safari parks have done their best to establish themselves as providing a ‘perfect family day out’. But, rather than being bastions of education or conservation, zoos just show how wild animals behave when separated from their natural habitat.
Many are run for-profit, with very little money going to protect species in the wild. The animals that reside in zoos can suffer in unnatural environments which, at this time of year in particular, can be bustling and extremely noisy.
So, if you want to inspire your little ones to love nature this summer – without exploiting it, here are some zoo-free alternatives…
Get out and about?
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Image by Elias from Pixabay
Take a walk in some woods. If it’s a hot day, a stroll in the trees’ dappled shade is the ideal way to enjoy nature. Listen for bird calls (you can even ID them together using the free Merlin app), look out for mini-beasts or bugs using our handy Spotter’s Guide. Or why not create your own ‘journey stick’ as you go. You can find locations of accessible woodlands online.
- Enjoy cloud watching. What do they remind you of? No prep involved, just find a comfy spot, lie back and have a competition to look for as many creatures as you can in the sky. How relaxing! Alternatively, take part in the practice of ‘shinrin yoku’, or forest bathing, to encourage a moment of calm (fingers crossed!).
- Go on a bat safari. If the lighter evenings are keeping the kids up, instead of battling at bedtime, double down and take them on a bat safari. Organisations such as the Wildlife Trust run guided bat walks across the UK, where participants use special detectors to hear the bats hunting, and even help to ID the species!
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(c) Kimmy Williams, Unsplash
By the beach? Find some rockpools and spend time observing our (surprisingly colourful) coastal residents, doing their thing in their natural habitat. Or, if you and your tribe are strong swimmers, and brave enough to take a chilly plunge, join a snorkel safari group to immerse yourselves in our wonderful marine environment.
Just remember to take care, and be kind to nature – don’t remove anything from rockpools, or the seabed.
- Visit a nature reserve. The UK has hundreds of nature reserves, of all shapes and sizes, where you can observe wildlife, where it belongs, in the wild. Some run programmes of activities throughout the summer, including nature walks, wildlife-themed games and crafts – perfect to get kids enthused about nature. Why not make a day of it – several reserves have on-site cafés, for your much-needed caffeine boost!
Staying closer to home?
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Image by Eveline de Bruin from Pixabay
Garden for wildlife. It doesn’t matter if you only have space for a window box, there are still ways to make space for wildlife. For example, planting nasturtium seeds (a food plant for large white butterfly caterpillars) could let you see a butterfly’s lifecycle up close. They’re perfect for little green fingers – the large seeds are easy to handle and germinate quickly.
If you’ve a bit more space, why not create a DIY bird bath out of old shallow terracotta pots and saucers, or create a ‘bug hotel’ using natural materials. Look online for some great advice.
- Get creative with nature. For art-loving kids, encourage them to start a nature sketchbook. Draw plants you see out and about, mini-beasts and bugs spotted in the garden or park, and natural objects such as feathers. You could also have a go at wildlife photography, using an old camera or even a tablet to capture species in your local patch.
- Build a birdfeeder out of Lego. Who doesn’t love Lego? Task your kids with building a bird table out of these colourful bricks. Fill with birdseed, place outside (high enough that cats can’t get to) and watch the birds start flocking! Remember to give it a good scrub once a week to keep it clean and remove old uneaten seeds. And, don’t forget to leave out a dish of fresh water too!
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Image by Andrew Martin from Pixabay
Make your own hide. Whether outside in a garden, or inside by a window, creating a hide will allow your family to observe feeding birds without frightening them. Create a simple hide by cutting a hole out of a large cardboard delivery box, or go all out and create a den-style hideout using natural materials (eg fallen leaves and sticks), or chairs and a sheet.
- Rainy day? Have a duvet day and watch a wildlife documentary. Or, curl up with a perfect wild book, from The Shark Who Barked, to the story of Born Free, there’s something for every age-group to enjoy.
