Having a family grow up with nature surrounding them can do wonders for both the physical and mental wellbeing of even the youngest family member. Not only this, but it teaches them the importance of their actions, and what effects they may have on the surrounding natural world. In a world more characterised by urban landscapes than ever before, it can be difficult to involve your family with the natural world. Luckily, there are some great tips you can follow which will help you bring your family back into the natural world, where you can spend some quality family time together.
Go on family hiking trips
Family holidays are often the most exciting part of the school year, where you all have enough time off to be able to spend time together in a new, possibly exotic location. While your usual trip may involve staying in a villa or hotel by the beach, there is nothing to say that you can’t swap your next trip to a camping one. Here, you can either make use of the many glamping sites in the UK, or you can take your family abroad to camp in some of Europe’s most stunning countryside escapes. During the days, you can go hiking to explore the natural world and all the fun and beauty it has to offer, before retreating to your cabin or tent where nature is never far away.
Take your kids to nature reserves
If you must wait a while until our next holiday, that doesn’t mean you can’t get your family involved in nature in other ways. For example, going on day trips at the weekend to nearby nature reserves will open their eyes to a new world. At such reserves, you can go on light walks where you can spot native birds in the trees, and many offer the chance to go tadpole spotting in some of their many ponds. Some activities mean they will be directly helping the nature that resides there.
Make your own pond
Your home is where you spend most of your time as a family, so it is a great way to start including links to the natural world. The best place to do this is in your garden, where you can create a family feature together by making a pond. This way, you can attract frogs and other creatures to your garden to feed and protect from the dangers of the outside world, as well as having your own fish. Making a pond is easy to do when you know where to start, and when you have the right equipment, so make sure you visit water-garden.co.uk for pond pumps and filters.
Grow your own vegetables
If you can’t afford to make a pond just yet, you can also involve your family with nature by growing your own vegetables. This will teach them how important it is to look after the land, and why growing your own is better for the environment. It is also a great way of getting your kids excited about vegetables if they struggle with them at the dinner table by making use of innovative growing ideas.
