Nature activities for kids: 9 easy and fun ways to explore nature
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Inside: If you want to encourage your child to explore nature in a playful way, here are 13 nature activities for kids that are fun and easy to try!
Spending time in nature is one of the easiest ways to add more fun, creativity, and hands-on learning to our kids’ days.
And the best part? We don’t need fancy materials or complicated setups — just a little curiosity and a few simple ideas!
Whether it’s collecting tiny treasures on a walk, making art with leaves and flowers, or turning sticks into colorful creations, nature offers so many lovely ways to play and explore.
If you are looking for some easy and fun nature activities for kids, I gathered here some of our favorite ideas to inspire you!
1. Nature walk with a DIY explorer kit
This is one of the easiest nature activities you can do with your kids! A nature walk is a great opportunity to let the child explore flowers, trees, and insects.
We often go on the trails near our home for quiet walks.
My kids like searching for ants, bugs, and snails! We also talk about the different species of trees along our walk. Lately, we started to pay more attention to the birds, and we talk about them as well!
To make nature walks even more interesting, give your child a magnifying glass and binoculars, or even create a special DIY explorer kit for them to use during the walks.
You can find all the details on how to create a nature explorer kit here.
2. Nature treasure box
If your kids love collecting little treasures on your walks, this nature treasure box is the perfect way to keep their findings organized while adding a fun, playful challenge!
Using just an empty egg carton, some paint, and a little creativity, kids can create their own treasure box.
On your next walk, invite your kids to find treasures that match the colors in their box and fill each section with colorful leaves, flowers, pebbles, and other nature finds.
Not only does this activity turn a simple walk into an exciting scavenger hunt, but these little treasures can be used later for open-ended play and crafts.
3. Nature art
Go on a nature walk and invite the kids to collect nature items in a basket. At home, use the things they collected to create nature art.
One of our favorite ideas is creating nature portraits using leaves and flowers.
4. Decorated sticks
This is such a fun activity to try with the kids! You can easily adapt it for multiple ages, so siblings can enjoy it together!
On your next walk, invite the kids to collect small sticks, then set up a decorating station with paint, washi tape, and yarn. Let them experiment with colors, patterns, and textures to create their own unique designs.
Once the paint dries, place the decorated sticks in a vase or display jar — a simple way to celebrate their creativity and add a touch of nature-inspired art to your home!
5. Set up a nature table
A nature table is an easy way to encourage kids to explore, collect, and create using materials from the world around them.
All you need is a small table or shelf where kids can display their favorite nature treasures—rocks, leaves, pinecones, shells, or anything they find interesting.
Add a magnifying glass, a notebook for nature journaling, and a few books to inspire even more discoveries.
The best part? The collection grows over time as kids find new treasures to add, making it an ongoing invitation to observe, play, and connect with nature.
It’s a simple setup, but one that can spark so much creativity and curiosity!
6. Frozen nature blocks
This simple idea turns nature treasures into a fun sensory activity for the kids.
Just place leaves, petals, or small rocks into an ice tray or muffin tin, fill with water, and freeze.
Once the blocks are ready, add them to a bin along with a small cup or dropper of warm water and invite the kids to melt the ice and release their treasures.
For older kids, make it even more fun by letting them design their own frozen nature blocks with creative patterns inside the ice.
It’s an easy, hands-on way to explore, play, and enjoy a little sensory fun!
7. Nature weaving
Start by cutting hearts or rectangles out of thick cardboard and stretching rubber bands across them. (Tip: Cutting small slits on the sides can help keep the bands in place.)
On your next walk, invite the kids to collect leaves, petals, and flowers, then weave them through the bands to create their own beautiful nature art.
It’s an easy, open-ended activity that encourages creativity and makes outdoor time even more fun!
More nature activities for kids
Here are some additional nature activities for kids to use as inspiration.
8. Start a nature journal with your kids.
9. Grow cress heads (get all the details here).
10. Make DIY Nature Bracelets – Wrap a piece of wide tape (sticky side out) around their wrist and let kids collect small flowers, leaves, or petals to stick onto it, creating a nature-inspired bracelet!
11. Try leaf and flower pressing – Collect leaves and flowers, then press them inside a heavy book with parchment paper. Once dried, use them to make bookmarks, greeting cards, or nature art.
12. Create a nature storytelling basket- Fill a small basket with nature items (a pinecone, a flower, a feather, a rock) and invite kids to make up a story using the objects. They can pick one at a time and add to the story as they go.
There’s something so special about watching little hands collect treasures, turn sticks into wands, or find the perfect leaf to add to their collection.
I hope these ideas inspire you to explore, create, and have fun in nature with your kids!
Great post. Children benefit from being exposed to sunlight, open air and other essential natural elements to help them to grow naturally healthy. Thank you for sharing this brilliant list of nature activities for kids.