8 Nature Activities for Toddlers

There are few places better for sparking a toddler’s imagination than nature. Filled with sights, colours and textures, it’s the perfect environment for developing minds. Plus, being outside is excellent for our well-being as parents.

At our Exeter nurseries, we always try to spend as much time as possible in the natural environment through things such as our forest schools. However, there are so many quick and easy ways to help toddlers enjoy and explore the natural world both inside and outside nursery.

Here are some of our favourite nature-filled activities for toddlers.

Word Association

With so much out there to discover, the natural world provides the perfect place to help little ones grow their vocabulary.

You could teach your child words to describe the weather every day. Or, ask them to name various objects or sounds they come across. You’ll see words playing a part in many of our other activities in this list.

Playing I Spy is another great way to help give little ones confidence in their new words. Give clues to the colour or shape of the object and allow your toddler to reinforce their new vocabulary through play.

Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts are a great way to get toddlers out and exploring the natural world, no matter whether it’s a forest, beach or small garden.

All you need to do is create a list of things for your little one to spot, such as flowers, critters or other natural objects such as leaves, stones and sticks.

Little ones learn best through play, and this is a great game for getting their minds exploring in a fun way. Your list can mainly include things to spot, or it could be items to collect for the next activity.

Create a Nature Collection

Gather a collection of natural items together and explore them with your toddler. Tiny things like stones, sticks, leaves, acorns and more are perfect for little hands to explore (under supervision, of course).

This is a great activity for a sunny afternoon in the garden. Pick some natural objects for your toddler to look at, touch and describe. Bringing all the items together creates a wonderful feast for their senses and allows them to work on their fine motor skills.

Picnic Time

It can sometimes be forgotten, but a picnic is a wonderful way to spend more time with your little one outdoors.

If the weather is good, pack some of your and your toddler’s favourite snacks and head outside. Being in the fresh air is great for everyone’s mood, and you can combine it with other activities in this list (such as describing the food or playing I Spy).

Nature Prints

Your connection with nature doesn’t need to end when you get home. Bring some of your favourite outdoor trinkets home and use them for some painting fun!

Leaves and pinecones make for great impromptu paint stamps; simply cover them in child-friendly paint and allow your little one to make marks across a sheet of paper. You could also look for stones to turn into stamps or draw shapes directly onto them to make unique gifts.

Sensory Play

There are so many great benefits of sensory play for toddlers – it’s one of the very best ways for young minds to develop. The natural world is the perfect place to enjoy sensory play with your little one.

Break up some soil, add other safe natural elements such as sticks and pebbles, and let your little one get messy as they explore what’s around them. Alternatively, you can collect various natural materials like mud, sand and water and allow your toddler to make mud concoctions in a bowl.

Talk to them about what they’re holding and how it feels to really get their imaginations firing.

Listen for Sounds

Nature is a feast for all the senses, beyond simply sight. Whether it’s outside your kitchen window, on the walk home from school or while visiting a park, look out for opportunities to hear the natural world unfold, also.

Try talking about some of the different sounds you can hear with your little one. See if they can recognise the chirps of birds or hoots of owls, or the rustling of leaves in the wind. This is a great way to help develop their hearing and learn new words.

Hide & Seek

Hide and seek is a simple game that many children love, making it a great mood booster for toddlers.

You can hide yourself or, similar to the scavenger hunt, hide various items throughout the garden. For example, you can hide teddy bears in a corner of the garden and tell your little one about a secret tea party they are having; it’s certain to get young minds excited.

Many of these activities can be enjoyed come rain or shine, in big open spaces or tiny gardens. No matter where you are, we hope these ideas will inspire you to spend more time outdoors with your little one.

If you would like to learn a little more about our nurseries or enquire about a place, feel free to contact our friendly team today.