We loooove going for woodland walks! O especially likes a wood local to us at Aberfoyle that has lots of great kid woodland play features, like hammocks, water channels with removable sluice gates, tunnels and hobbit hole houses. Although we have great fun there I do like to change it up a bit and visit other woodlands without any cool children entertaining features.
Here are 10 of our favourite simple woodland play ideas:
1. Climb a Tree, an oldie but a goodie, most kids love climbing trees or even swinging from branches near ground level.
2. Take a closer look with a camera, O got a kids camera for his 3rd birthday and we took it out to the woods recently. He had great fun taking shots of things that he thought were important, mostly stones and streams and grass?! Even if their photos are a little blurry it’s a great way to get them looking a bit closer at their surroundings.
3. Find a water, be it a puddle, stream, loch or river, they’re all great for a little splashing and stone throwing. See if little ones can make an extra big ‘plop’ sound with their stones or if they can hit a particular rock with the stone in the middle of a river. Older kids love to try the art of skimming stones, you can get all competitive about who has the most jumps!
4. Hunt for minibeasts. You can bring a net and clear plastic box to hunt for water minibeasts using the kick test method or simply look under rocks and logs for land living creatures. Bring a magnifying glass if you have one too.
5. Make a den. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Just enough so the small (or big) people can hide inside for a few minutes. You can elaborate on the den by adding a stone circle for a pretend fire to cook lunch, seats and tables out of logs, whatever you like!
6. Eat wild food! Look up which food are safe to eat if you don’t already know, there are some great books on wild food, like this one. We tend to try Wood sorrel, blackberries and blaeberries, my favourites!
7. Look out for wildlife. Do you have red squirrels in your area? If you’re quiet you may be lucky to see some. Watch the birds and see how many you and the kids can recognise. We’ve seen a lot of Robin’s recently and Dipper’s are great fun to watch bobbing up and down on rocks by the river. We haven’t seen otters in a while, but O isn’t too quiet really! If you go for a night walk look out for badgers prowling around and look up in the sky for bats flying overhead.
8. Make a wild picture! Use leaves, twigs, cones and anything else you can find to make a picture on the ground. This is a great activity in autumn with all the different coloured leaves.
9. If there is a stream then you can play pooh sticks or make little stick and leaf rafts to sail down the water.
10. Play hide and seek, or our version where the hiders have to hide in a specified area of woods, you turn your back and count to 5 while they try and run forwards a little to a new hiding place. When you turn again, anyone who can be seen and named is out, then turn around again. The aim is for the players to get back to the seeker whilst their back is turned. Warning: This can go on for a very long time!
How do you have fun in the woods?
J x
mummy here and there says
Loving the list and partial to the odd poo sticking. Great post X
Jenny Eaves says
Thanks! Have fun pooh sticking! 🙂 xx
doctomum says
Totally going pooh-sticking now and mini beast hunting. Great woodland ideas!
Lindsay @ Newcastle Family Life says
I use to always visit the woods as a child and it was such good fun, i really must take my own children when they are a little older. Some great ideas for fun activities x #thelist
Jenny Eaves says
Have fun! The woods are great for adventures! 🙂 x
Samantha from North East Family Fun says
Fab ideas – we are going to our local woods next week and will be definitely trying some of these. I normally make a scavenger hunt for the kids to complete and climbing a tree is a must! #countrykids
Jenny Eaves says
We haven’t tried a scavenger hunt yet, but O is bigger now, so we could maybe try that next time! Thank you! 🙂 x
vicki - elliebearbabi says
Forest walks are beautiful aren’t they! Fab list! #countrykids
Mama, My Kid Doesn't Poop Rainbows says
Great list, thanks for sharing! Can’t wait until my tot is old enough to get out and try some of these. Not here in Thailand though! This mum is waaaaay to scared to be messing around in the jungle!
#bigfatlinky
Jenny Eaves says
Hee hee, no I wouldn’t recommend it in some jungles! Great for wildlife spotting in Thailand though! 🙂 x
Jenny Eaves says
Thanks p! 🙂 x
Jenni - Odd Socks and Lollipops says
Awww great list, lots of fun to be had =D
Jenny Eaves says
Thank you! 🙂
martyn says
Great post. We love our woodland walks. It’s always our mini adventure. Will try these things. Thanks for linking up with us on the #bigfatlinky
Merlinda Little ( @pixiedusk) says
These are the same reason why we love walking in the woods! #countrykids
Jenny Eaves says
Thank you! 🙂
Jenny Eaves says
Good to hear you enjoy the woods too! 🙂 x
Charlotte @ Educating Elsa says
I love these ideas! It makes me wish even more that we had some woodlands nearby. Elsa loves to be outside but without a car there aren’t really any we can get to and it’s such a shame! Maybe one for the holidays when Daddy is around to drive us.
Jenny Eaves says
I know how you feel, we only have a car at weekends when daddy’s not working, that’s when we get to go on our adventures! However, we are lucky to have some smaller wooded areas and parks nearby instead. 🙂 x
Verily Victoria Vocalises says
These are all great ideas! I am certain that I have done most of these with Grace – we went to Forest Holidays last year and learned about eating plants. We really enjoyed that bit 🙂 Thank you for linking to #PoCoLo, welcome and hope to see you again next week x
Jenny Eaves says
I love wild food! It’s great to know you can find things to eat out and about! 🙂 x
Yet Another Blogging Mummy!!! says
yes my boys love playing pooh sticks whenever we find a bridge
Jenny Eaves says
It’s a great game isn’t it! 🙂 x
Yet Another Blogging Mummy!!! says
absolutely, one of the best 🙂
Jenny Eaves says
Thanks! So much to do out in the woods, definitely get them out as soon as their toddling! 🙂 x
Lee says
We’ve never tried #10 — what a great idea!
~Lee
Jenny Eaves says
It’s so much fun! And little chance of losing anyone as they want to get back to you to win! 🙂 x
Alannah says
Such lovely ideas! Have you read the book Adventure Walks for Children? I think you might like it!
Jenny Eaves says
Ooh, that sounds interesting! Off to look for it online! Thank you! 🙂 xx
Mummy Don't Say says
This is my favourite kind of day! So important to take the time to explore and appreciate nature. Thanks for the reminder 🙂 #TheList
Jenny Eaves says
Thank you! I love being outdoors! Especially now the weather is dry! 🙂 xx
A Cornish Mum says
That camera is just too cute with the little bag as well! I had to pop and buy my youngest a camera yesterday, as he’s off on school camp for the first time tomorrow EEK! He’s really excited, I haven’t packed anything for him yet and really going to miss him even though it’s only 2 nights! Stevie x
Jenny Eaves says
Ooh, hope he has fun, I’m sure he’ll love it. I know how you must feel, not for long, but still you will worry and want him home again! 🙂 xx