Autumn nature walk
Autumn is here - and with it, the excitement of crunching through leaves and finding the first conkers! The arrival of each season brings with it its own unique natural characteristics and the ideal opportunity for helping children learn. One of the best ways of helping children get an idea of the changing seasons is to get outdoors and explore. Here you can read about the benefits of nature walks for children and download our free printable resource for an autumnal walk with toddlers and preschoolers.
The benefits of nature walks
Nature walks are a great way for children to explore the natural environment and improve their physical development.
Being outside and experiencing weather and seasons, as well as natural materials, is a great sensory experience.
They are a great opportunity for language and mathematics development too, as you can talk about what you see, count items, identify patterns and shapes, and make size comparisons of the different items you spot.
You don’t need to cancel your nature walk, regardless of the weather. Putting on the right clothing and getting outdoors anyway is a great way to signal to your child that a rainy day can include just as many adventures as a blue-sky day!
Enhance the activity with a printed scavenger hunt sheet
You can download and print our ‘Autumn Nature Walk - what can you see’ resource for free. Take this with you on a nature walk this autumn and complete it together as you go. Ticking things off on a piece of paper is a great mark-making activity for toddlers and preschoolers, especially if you give them lots of encouragement and show them that any mark will do! Older preschoolers may be able to make a more targeted mark in the box. This activity can work with more than one child, with older siblings taking a lead role. You can make it last as long as you want, collecting items to take home with you for some arts and crafts or just spending some time enjoying exploring them while you are out.
All the items on our nature walk can probably be found in your local park or common so you don’t need to go anywhere further afield to take part!
Have fun!
At Two Hands Preschool, we know that connecting with nature and being active outdoors are both important for a child’s development and well-being. Although we are a central London setting, we make excellent use of our own wonderful garden, Ravenscourt Park and other opportunities to take our learning outside.
