Nature is rich in sensations- sounds, textures, scents and things to see- that calm and centre us by providing us with a perception of who we are and connect us to the world around us. It is a platform for play, social interaction and problem solving, and supports the development of skills such as fine and gross motor skills, praxis, visual-motor skills, and visual perception.

Nature provides opportunities for mindfulness, exploration, wonder and joy, facilitating an awareness of ourselves, a sense of being and belonging. Time spent in nature also promotes awareness of our environment and the creatures within it and, in turn, facilitates compassion and empathy, kindness and gentleness.

Nature provides us with endless benefits, and connection with nature is needed now more than ever as we adjust to a new way of interacting in our community, as we navigate self-isolation and social distancing, and as we support each other through the chaos.

For some, they are blessed to live amongst our earth’s natural landscapes, surrounded by rolling hills, national parks, oceans and rivers but for many, access to nature is not as immediate- geographical location, time, schedules, transport and health are all potential barriers to exploring nature. But despite these barriers, there are many ways to bring the natural world into our homes, to consider play, development, emotion regulation, connection and exploration and, as the benefits are endless, the ideas are limitless. Here are a few of my favourite, tried and tested activities to bring the outdoors in.

1. Nature faces/families- collect natural items such as sticks, rocks, leaves, seed pods, flowers, herbs, bark- whatever you can find in your natural environment- and design a nature face or family. A lovely way for kids to consider the sensory properties of items to represent face and body parts

2. Nature loose parts play- Loose parts play allows for open-ended, unscripted play that encourages ideation, planning, problem solving, collaboration and creativity. It allows children to explore and brings their awareness to the here and now. Gather loose parts from nature or around the home- they can be carried, sorted, put together, pulled apart and stacked or combined to create a sculpture or work of art- the ideas are endless.

3. Nature Sensory Bin- Find a variety of natural objects and place them in a low-sided tray or basket and invite your child to explore what is in the container, Tactile exploration supports the development of play, motor skills and self-awareness, and simultaneously promotes mindfulness and curiosity. As your child explores each item, consider the sensory properties of each object- how do the feel, smell, look and sound?

4. Make nature confetti- Collect dried leaves, bark and flowers and simply use a hole punch to create nature confetti- consider the different textures and scents that come from these natural pieces- tea tree, lemon myrtle and eucalyptus leaves are great choices but go with what you’ve got.

5. Fossils and stamps- There are many ways to explore the idea of fossils- collect natural items and freeze them in a container, muffin tray or ice cube tray; hide toys figurines such as dinosaurs in a tray or pot of soil; Press natural items into clay to see what patterns they leave behind- leaves are an accessible item that have a variety of textures and leave behind beautiful patterns.

6. Create nature musical instruments- So so easy but a lovely way to explore the different sounds of nature. Simply fill (and decorate if you like) a jar, tin, box or empty toilet roll (great for little hands) with natural pieces from the outdoors. Shake, rattle, bang, clap and tap, singing and moving to the rhythms together.

7. Nature mobile- gather natural items (or combine natural items with household items) and hang them from a branch, rod or piece of driftwood to make a hanging mobile.

8. Boat race- Make a raft or boat from natural items- sticks, bark and leaves are great choices- and sail them in the sink or bath.

9. Nature mandala- Simple but beautiful- Arrange natural items in a pattern to make a mandala- I love using rocks and flowers but the options are endless. Mandalas are a beautiful reminder that art can be anywhere, enjoyed by everyone, there are no mistakes and it can be created and recreated.

10. Create a pet rock- Another easy way to add some outdoors to the indoors is to create a pet rock. Simply choose a rock and decorate it. You can use your own craft supplies or gather small items from your natural environment to add features to your pet rocks.

11. Make an animal home- My little guy’s favourite animal home to make is a frog home but we’ve also dug burrows, made bird nests built an ant farm and created mini caves from rocks for our toy lions and bears. The wonderful thing about creating a home for an animal is that, along with the opportunity to build many developmental skills, it is also an opportunity for the child to be nurturing providing a platform to experience compassion and empathy.

12. Make a plantable seed card- These are a wonderful way to explore texture, and support sustainability. All you need is scrap paper, water, a blender, towel, a sieve and seeds of your choice. Check out how I did it here.

13. Eggshell seedlings- Another easy little project and lovely opportunity to explore texture, practice fine motor skills, promote sustainability and facilitate nurturing. Save an egg carton and your eggshells, fill eggshells with soil, add seeds of choice and watch the seedlings grow. Once the seedlings are ready to be transferred, simply plant the whole eggshell and seedling. If you do not have the space (or time) for a garden, choose plants that can grown in a large pot.

14. Pressed flowers- Gather flowers and press them either with a flower press or between pages in a heavy book- place the flowers between sheets of baking paper to prevent the flowers from marking the book. Check on the flowers after approximately two weeks.

15. Magic potions- Gather jars, bottles and containers. Collect natural items from the garden-sticks, leaves, bark, flowers, stones, nuts, feathers, seeds and herbs- and mix up a magic potion. Sprinkle, pour, tip, shake, stir- so. many ways to develop the tactile system, motor skills and hand-eye coordination, and a great opportunity to facilitate mindfulness.