5 reasons your child will benefit from a nature walk

Now that the weather is finally nicer outside, the world of activities to do with your children suddenly opens up to spending a lot more time outdoors!  Not only is it great for you, as parents/teachers/adults to get outside, it’s even more beneficial for children to spend as much time outside in the fresh air as they can. Here’s why you should take your kids on a nature walk soon and often!

Exercise is good, no matter how you do it.

Perhaps it might be too much to go on a huge hike with your child or ask them to sprint a marathon, but walking is great for them. Always be sure to be prepared before you go outside – that means a hat, sunscreen, bug spray, a water bottle and appropriate clothing for the weather. Bring your pet or the rest of your family and jet off exploring on a walk around your local area. If your child is up to it and wants to try something new, it’s perfect bike riding weather outside. Helmets on first, and proper training wheels if they need them, then they’re on their way!

You might meet a new friend.

If you’re out and about for a walk in your local neighbourhood or park, you might run into another child that you know and an impromptu play date might happen. Alternatively, you might run into some new animal friends! If you are out for a walk in a forest or grassy area, you’ll no doubt run into all kinds of bugs, like lady bugs and maybe even a butterfly or two. If you’re in an area close to a pond or other body of water, you might meet a new froggy friend! Seeing these creatures allows your child to learn more about them, where they live, what they eat and what kind of weather they like. It’s so important that children learn to be kind to animals and treat them as they would want to be treated themselves. Not to mention, outdoor animals can be pretty neat to see up close, like this frog!

See environmentalism in action.

A sad reality might be that you will see a lot of garbage and debris on your nature walk. Don’t worry though, this is an excellent opportunity for your child to learn about recycling and proper garbage disposal. All parks and open areas should have garbage and recycling bins and your child can take the chance to learn about taking care of the world they live in, not only for themselves but for everyone around them. Your child can be a good global citizen by becoming an environmentalist at any age!

Walking it off actually works.

Even at young ages, children deal with a lot of stress, and depending on their age, they might not have the proper tools or techniques to deal with the range of strong emotions they are asked to deal with every day at school and at home. Taking a walk can aid your child in clearing their head and relaxing before being encouraged to talk through whatever the problem may be. Taking a walk with your child is a low-risk alternative to your child dealing with their emotion in any other unhealthy way, like getting mad at a sibling or parent or holding their emotions inside. Fresh air and a little exercise might be helpful in a lot of these scenarios.

Curiosity is key.

Always encourage your child to ask you lots of questions on your nature hike! Ask them to use all their senses to discover the world surrounding them. You can fill them in with tidbits about what kind of trees and plants they’re seeing and how the weather works. This gives children the chance to open themselves up to self-discovery as well, because the more they know about the world around them, the more then can learn about their place in the world and how they want to treat nature around them.

When in doubt for an activity to do with your kids, opt for the educational and healthy option of taking a nature walk! It’s an accessible way to bond with your children and get them away from their screens, which is an added advantage![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]