Getting out in nature is good for the soul, but if your little one gets bored easily or is not used to going out in nature just for a walk, you can jazz your walk up a bit by creating nature wands.
Age Range:
18+ months.
Our 18mth old enjoys using nature wands, however if your little one is prone to putting things in their mouths, just be on high alert when doing this activity. What we do to try to discourage nature going in mouths is to say ‘throw it for the birdies’. For example, our son liked to pick inedible berries, so we would say ‘throw it for the birdies, because the birdies eat berries’ and it just stuck for everything, not just berries.
What you’ll need:
- A bendy stick to make a loop or a few twigs to make a frame.
- Sellotape/scotch tape.
- A dry day.
Nature wands are a great way to make an otherwise boring walk in nature (even though there’s no such thing) more fun and engaging for little ones.
Create a frame with the stick/sticks then use the tape to cover the frame, making sure the sticky side is facing outward. Then hand it to your little one and find as many different bits of nature to stick to it. Petals, leaves of different varieties, twigs and small pinecones should all stick easily to the nature wand provided they are dry.
Throughout the activity you can marvel at all the different colours and textures they collect and use them as talking points to discuss nature.
Nature wand Etiquette
- Lots of leaves, twigs etc can be found on the ground so you do not need to pick everything for the wand fresh from a plant.
- The wand has tape on it, so although it is made from sticks, do not discard it during the nature walk if your little one gets bored, be sure to dispose of it in a bin to avoid littering.
