Back to the roots! Literally. Here are some fun activities that make a day out in the woods unforgettable for your whole family.
Having a stroll through a nearby forest or making a field trip with a picnic are nice ideas – and with some of our unique activities, you can pimp up your day in the woods really easily and quickly. Give it a try and let us know how you liked it.
1. Build A House In The Forest With Your Kids
Have your kids look for branches lying around and build a wooden tent. Decorate it with leaves and moss and than invite guests over for tea. I guarantee, this is real fun for kids and adults, even your family dog could help you. It’s also the perfect opportunity to teach your kids not to pull off leaves or twigs in the forest.
2. Make A Sound Map With Your Kids
Listen to the forest. Sit down on a tree stump and focus on the sounds around you. Ask your kids to make a sound map by drawing what they hear on a sheet of paper. So crayons out, it’s time to draw. If they hear a bird on the right, they draw a birdie in the right corner. You can hear a brook on the left? Well, you know what to do …
3. Make Your Own Forest Music Instruments
Inspired by nature’s song surrounding you, try creating some forest music yourself. We were lucky and found this wooden xylophone. The girls loved playing it and even danced a little to their own song.
You could also make your own wooden instrument by collecting a small branch with two ends and whatever your kids find as middle parts. At home, you can add some strings and thread the little pieces just like on the photo. With these rattles, you can start your own forest family band that will inspire everyone back in civilization.
I found this version that recycles old crown caps and could help cleaning up the forest .. but only if the kids know that they can never ever put their fingers into the mouth and wash their hands right afterwards.
Look down – there’s more to the forest soil than just the path through the woods.
4. Nature Craft With Kids
Collect leaves, twigs and cones and create art right on the forest soil. For more art made from leaves, look here.
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5. Build A Mini Zoo With Kids
Let your kids build enclosures for insects and beetles with foliage, moss, twigs, and stones. Then have a walk through the mini zoo and look at all the interesting little animals that live in the forest.
This kids book explains perfectly what insects are made of and why we need them.
6. Have Fun With Fall Leaves
Jumping through the foliage is always a fun thing to do – pile up all the dry leaves you can find and then jump around as long as you want. Don’t forget to take lovely pictures with your kids.
7. Classify And Identify The Leaves with Kids
Collect leaves, cones, and other parts of plants and then try to say to which tree or shrub it belongs. The Tree Book might help you if you’re not so sure yourself. You could also make it a scavenger hunt with a list of things kids should find.
8. Discover Mushrooms In The Forest With Kids
Learn about mushrooms, flowers or other things edible and definitely NOT edible in the woods. At the end of your day, you could have a real forest meal. If you don’t find enough mushrooms for a mushroom stew, try making a mushroom pizza which is probably much more appreciated by your little ones, anyway.
9. Play Detective With Kids In The Forest
Stake out a small area of the forest soil. The kids lie around it and watch closely. They tell or note down everything that they see or smell. Then, they close their eyes and you take away something from the area. The kids have to try and find out what is missing.
10. Play DIY Mikado With Kids In The Forest
Build a circle, take all the sticks, twist them slightly and let them fall. Now, then first one starts to get a stick without touching or moving the other ones. If another stick moves, it’s the next players turn. In the end, you count your points to find the winner. This is a great game to encourage fine motor skills and focus concentration.
11. Feel the trees Blindfolded
Blindfold a kid and let it turn round and round a bit. Then, lead it to a tree-trunk where it can feel the surface and every piece or structure of the bark as long as it wants. Lead it back to the start and take away the blindfold. See if your kid is able to find the tree again.
Look up – so you can see the forest for the trees.
12. Storytelling For Kids In The Woodland
Reading Books can be so fascinating for kids, especially if you do a lovely adventure with your kids in to the woodland with them.
After taking a nice walk, it would be an amazing surprise for your kids if you will make a short break and just read them a story such as “Red Riding hood” or “Snow White”. The Kids can enjoy a short break and the nice surroundings in the woodland
13. Run In The Forest With Kids
Forests are not just for strolls, they are also the perfect place for a game of “catch me” or “hide and seek”. Your kids will love to jump over brooks and streams, tree trunks and fallen trees.
14. Climbing In The Forest With Kids
Climbing is fun, no matter how old you are. Not only it gives joy, as well it is very healthy for our kids. Trees and Kids just belong together. They can be occupied for hours and will never get tired. Don’t be afraid, trust them and still be there for them incase if they need your help.
15. Obstacle Course In The Woods
Running, climbing and crawling through the woods is taken to another level with this cool branch course. Build your own obstacle course in the forest and then become a forest ninja by passing it without touching the branches.
Have fun in the woods with your kids. For More Fun Activities check out our Activities Posts.