Easy family activities to feel closer to nature

Part of The Regenerators

Regenerators logo, with text reading 'Part of Make a difference' and plant pot icon

Welcome to The Regenerators.

Back to top

Being in nature can be extremely beneficial for our mind and body.

The more time you spend in nature, the more you’ll appreciate it and want to protect it.

By conserving wildlife and protecting our ecosystems, we're making sure that future generations can enjoy our beautiful world and all of its incredible species. Encouraging more contact with nature, especially during childhood, can help to increase positive environmental attitudes and behaviours.

Back to top

Can these three families bring their everyday lives closer to nature?

Check out these easy activities that the Clarkes, Gardeners and Kunchalas have tried to help bring nature into their lives more.

Back to top

Try spending time in nature every day for a week

Natural England suggests that nearly a quarter of children spend time outside in nature less than once a month.

Just two hours a week outside – whether that’s all in one go or over a few days – can help boost your wellbeing according to a 2019 study published in the journal Nature.

If you live in the heart of the city or don’t have easy access to a green space, see if you can look up your local parks, community gardens or playgrounds.

Want to make your time outside more fun? There are plenty of apps that can help you identify the animals and plants you come across on your walk, for example Seek, British Tree Identification, or PlantNet.

Back to top

Create a bird feeder, bird bath or a hedgehog house

A woman makes a hedgehog house from a cardboard box.

Get those creative juices flowing and come up with ways your family can support local wildlife – for example, you can fill up a washing up bowl with rainwater and add stones to it to make a pond or to create a bird bath.

If you’re up for something more challenging, why not build a hedgehog house? All you need is a cardboard box (with holes cut up for the entrance and ventilation) and dry leaves for the bed. Place it in a nice, quiet part of your garden, in the shade and ideally shielded from the wind.

A woman makes a hedgehog house from a cardboard box.
Back to top

Look after your local environment

Once you get used to spending more time in nature, why not go litter picking while you’re at it? You can turn it into a game or competition to make it more exciting.

If you notice that a particular area is often littered with rubbish, see if you can invite your friends and family to come along to help. It’s a chance to catch up, be more active in nature and show children that simple actions can make a difference.

Rosalind Allen, Education and Families Development Officer from the RSPB, suggests simple ways you can stay safe while litter picking. She says, “You’ll need bags for the litter and some protective gloves. Don’t pick up anything that might hurt you. Make sure you are in a safe place and have the landowner’s permission and remember to wash your hands when you’ve finished or if you have a break for a drink or snack.”

Green Classroom: How to look for wildlife in your local space

An online lesson from The Regenerators and the RSPB for primary school children.

Green Classroom: How to look for wildlife in your local space
Back to top

Make a difference

Discover more about the planet and how to protect it with the BBC.

Return to the homepage

Back to top