How to Enjoy a Nature Walk with Your Children

No matter what age your children are, it's easy to enjoy a nature walk with them. Always start with a discussion of where you want to go. Tell them where you want to go and ask them if this is okay. It's not to give them control, but to let them know it is okay if they help in the planning.

By allowing them to help in the planning, they will take ownership of the excursion. It may not have been their idea this time, but the next time it just might. This will help with confidence in the future. An adult listening to them is important.

The first thing is to visit the place without the children. Look it over for safety, for understanding points -- is everything above their learning ability right now? -- and will they be able to get to the interesting parts physically.

Learn for yourself, if you don't know already, what the best places to go at the site you have picked out. Is there a picnic spot? Are there labels identifying trees and flowers? Are the bathroom facilities easily reachable?

Plan a fun lunch and take it with you. As you walk the trail on this first fact finding trip study the hike trail guide. Make sure that as you go with your child take your time. Study things. Observe how the wind works with nature. If there is a creek or water source see, if any animal prints are around. Really act like you are enjoying the hike and they will also.

Try to plan one trip a month and let them pick where they want to go. How can you find out where to go? Why the searches on the internet of course! Put in your city and a whole host of things to do will pop up, and believe it or not, some of those things will be free. Most of them will have referrals from other people who visited. It will state what they liked or did not like about the place. Try to encourage your child to remember by doing a referral with you on the internet of the place you just visited. It will help them to know they have an opinion too.

Some botanical gardens not only name all of their trees and flowers, but will usually have a children's explore area. Here they have experiments and crafts and really different things to do and they are all about nature.

As you continue these nature trips over time, your children will develop a wonderful sense of adventure. As they grow up they may enjoy mountain climbing, or skiing, or summer camp just a little bit more, because spending time in nature helps your fears turn into excitement. If they see how nature is dependent on us to keep it clean and not destroy their homes, who knows, this could lead into a future outdoors.