This isn’t a spotter’s guide to UK Rhinos but I had to share this favourite photo of a young Caroline, amazed to see a rhino in real life when she’d only previously seen them in books!
It can be hard to find activities to lure our screen-addicted children outdoors so with that in mind and the gorgeous sun today, I thought I’d share a list of adventure and nature-spotting activities to encourage kids outside.
Some are free of charge downloadable spotter sheets while others are charity schemes your wild kids can pay to join and receive certificates or stickers etc.
Youth Clubs and Kid’s Organisations
Nature spotting is useful for clubs, youth groups, forest school, Scouts and Guides too.
Most of our UK nature and wildlife charities provide specialised activities to inspire youngsters. You can search on the charity websites, or save yourself hassle and browse the list below!
Whether you want plants, trees, wildlife, gardening, animals, marine life, insects, wildflowers or wild adventures there is something for everyone. And don’t be put off if you live in the city, nature is everywhere and adventure only needs imagination.
Animals, Nature, Wildlife and Adventure
The National Trust‘s 50 Things to do Before You’re 11 3/4 includes both wildlife and adventure challenges with an excellent spotter book where children record each activity completed. Download a pdf list or buy the book (click on image).
The junior section of The Wildlife Trusts, Wildlife Watch offer a handbook, stickers, poster, badge and award scheme for £10-£33 per year depending on your local wildlife trust.
The RSPB‘s Wild Challenge Awards is free to join online and includes conservation and exploration ideas with Bronze, Silver & Gold awards.
For other free citizen science projects to participate in throughout the year, read my post which lists many UK-wide citizen science projects for all the family to enjoy. There’s something for everyone and most don’t cost a penny.
Plants and Trees
The Woodland Trust‘s Nature Detectives scheme costs £18 per year with stickers, spotter sheets, activities and more through your letterbox each season.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) offers lots of ideas for families and schools with their Schools Gardening and Family Activities pages.
The Forestry Commission offer family activities at many of their public woods, such as Gruffalo sculptures and Highway Rat trails.
Plantlife (UK, Scotland & Wales) provide free downloadable family activities including plant spotting guides and activity sheets
Herbology Hunt provide free monthly downloads on Twitter encouraging children to spot wild flowers and upload them at #WildflowerHour every Sunday. Alternatively you can join for £ and receive hard copies in the post.
Insects and Butterflies
Visit the Dragonfly Centre at Wicken Fen (with British Dragonfly Society and National Trust) and take part in a Dragonfly Watch where you live.
Join Butterfly Conservation‘s Big Butterfly Count at the end of July.
Bumble Kids, the junior section of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust have online info, an app, downloads and a quiz to check if your garden is bee friendly.
Marine and Freshwater Life
Marine Conservation Society have many ideas for wild kids to get outdoors at the coast including this Seashore Safari pdf for wildlife spotting at the beach plus many other downloads too.
Measuring jellyfish with a MCS jellyfish spotter download
The Natural History Museum runs a Seaweed Search for those living near the sea or for wild kids to do on holiday.
The Canal & River Trust’s Explorer page has many excellent downloadable resources including walks and nature spotting in your area.
The Freshwater Habitats Trust offer various pond dipping and water-based projects and surveys Freshwater Habitats Trust, or create a wildlife pond and register it with their Million Ponds Project here
The Shark Trust have a brilliant Easter Eggcase Hunt to do at the beach.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or sign up via email to ensure you see our future posts on gardening club and kids gardening.
Buy Your Own
Enjoy nature observation with the kids without going online! There are dozens of child-friendly spotter’s guides available.
Spotter sheets for British wildlife are a great way to take an ID guide into the field without too much bulk or weight in your backpack. The Field Studies Council have a great selection of charts, guides and handbooks from £2-£3.
Get the Gear
Here ares some fun books we us for our own nature spotting, just click on the images to view on Amazon.
i-Spy books
If you would like me to link to your outdoor charity’s kids section please get in touch.
Find more outdoor inspiration to encourage your wild kids outside in our Get Outdoors section.
#CountryKids
Great ideas. Just spending time outdoors will generate an interest in nature, as children want to poke things and pick them up.
Thanks Ali, I totally agree. These are great ways to stimulate the poking around and then hopefully the kids will run wild on their own!!
We love being outdoors and the national trust os a huge part of our outdoor adventures. We also join in with butterfly big count every year. Great tips
Good to hear. There’s a few here that most people know of but I was surprised to discover some of the others. Thanks for reading
You’ve found some great resources to help get kids out enjoying nature and exploring. The photo of Caroline being shocked to see a real rhino for the first time is adorable, and a perfect example why it’s important to encourage outdoor education. All of your suggestions are great ways to spice up a day out with kids to keep them interested.
Thanks for linking up with me on #CountryKids.
Thanks, I do love that photo!!
We haven’t done much outdoor activities apart from playing in the snow last weekend. But we’re hoping to do some over the Easter break. Love your photos, reminds me how lovely it is when the weather is good 🙂 #countrykids
Thanks, fab weather this weekend for getting outdoors. Hope you have some sunny fun at Easter!
Great post with some good ideas, my little girls love to be outside! I nominated you for the sunshine blogger award 🙂 – https://mummysmuddymonsters.wordpress.com/2018/03/21/sunshine-blogger-award/
Ooh thanks, another award I’ve not heard of! I’ll take a look, thanks a mill
These are some fantastic ideas for spotting things when out and about. I’ve saved a few of the links to help give me some ideas for future days out – especially as we’re hoping to join in with #30DaysWild again this June. Thank you for sharing these. #countrykids
Great, glad they will be useful. Hoping to get more families outdoors over Easter! Thanks for reading
We love going out and spotting things. In fact I have just brought a book for our next holiday on this basis. We have the National Trust one too. Great idea I had no idea there were so many! #CountryKids
We have dozens of spotter books, so useful for getting to know the natural world. Great that all these charities provide so many resources. Thanks for reading
Some really good resources here to help get the kids outside – I think we have officially ticked off the 50things now 🙂
Wow, good work on the 50 things. We found we’d done most of them before Caroline was 5 but for families who don’t regularly get outdoors they’re great inspiration
I just got the National Trust’s 50 things to do before you’re 11 3/4 for my oldest as he is precisely 11 3/4. I was quite happy to find out he’s done most things, bar 3 or 4, so we’ll have to sort this out!
#CountryKids
Fantastic! They did a good job I think of choosing the right activities for the book. Thanks for reading