Best Garden Wildlife Activities for Kids
As we have just launched our Children's Bird Gift Box we thought it would be a good time to put together some tips to help children enjoy the garden!
Introducing children to garden wildlife is a sure fire way to spark their imaginations. Creepy crawlies, frogs, birds, hedgehogs - they can be just as exciting as anything you’d find down at the zoo. Most children love the opportunity to explore and discover the animals and habitats that exist right in their very own garden.
If you’d like to embark on a wildlife adventure with your little ones, take a look at these garden wildlife activities for kids. They’re easy and lots of fun for everyone.
Make a Hide
Create a birdwatching hide out of branches and leaves. Or just pitch up a tent on the lawn. Then sit quietly to get a good look at the birds who pay your garden a visit. A reference book to help children identify the birds they see can also be lots of fun.
Hunt for Mini Beasts
This is a particular favourite with younger children. Tour the garden to discover the various creepy crawlies that live there. In doing so, children will find out about different insects and the habitats they live in. You could download a bug spotter sheet so they can tick off the beasts they find and use a magnifying glass so everyone can get a closer look.
This one’s perfect for longer nights when it’s getting darker earlier. Hang a white sheet from the washing line, turn off the lights and shine a torch onto the sheet. You’ll soon have a collection of moths to examine and identify.
Let your little ones play detective by finding footprints. Put some damp sand in a baking tray and leave it in the garden. For the best results, put out some wildlife friendly food too. Come the following morning, kids will love identifying the footprints any wildlife visitors leave behind.
Create a Wildlife Retreat
From bug hotels to bat boxes to hedgehog hides, children will enjoy creating and decorating their own wildlife habitat to put in the garden. There are plenty of online guides available, giving instructions on materials and method. Most can be made from odds and ends you’re likely to have lying around the house.
Getting to know and appreciate wildlife at a young age can lead to a lifelong love of nature. Make sure your activities are lots of fun and your kids will be learning about different species, habitats and life cycles without even realising it.
- Nikki Boxwild