Parenting // Raising Nature Loving Kids – Guest post

Guest post from Sarah Skellern

Do you hate your children during the holidays?

I have always wanted to have children. This fantasy started when I was about 15 years old. I have always had this dreamy view on how wonderful being a mum would be. I was going to meet a wonderful man, get married in a big fairy-tale wedding and live in this gorgeous chocolate box picturesque house, no, make that a mansion and wallow in my excitement to have this tiny bundle of joy, to hold, to cuddle, to look after, to play with.

Babies smell so nice; they are totally dependent on you, they love you unconditionally. I was going to be the best mummy in the world, I would skip along with these wonderful darlings (I intend to have several) skipping along with me as we glided through life, enjoying the wonders of the world.

BANG!!!! And the fantasy balloon went pop. Wow the ground hurts when you hit it flat on your ass with this screaming screwed up ball that bears a distinct resemblance to Winston Churchill.

Ok seriously. I do love being a mother. It is the most demanding yet rewarding role and I am honoured that I have been able to raise to amazing young men. 

I often see on social media though at school holiday times, lots of posts about not coping when the kids are off and counting down the days till they go back to school so I thought this would be a perfect post to not hate your kids during the holidays. 

If you like this post don’t forget to check out all our other Playtime posts and our guide to 100 Family Friendly Places to Visit in South and West Wales so you can get your nature on!!!

How you can nurture nature kids and enjoy adventures, whatever the weather. 

We are fortunate to live on the edge of the Brecon Beacon National Park and have a wonderful view of the mountains, so we have a wonderful area to adventure in, but even if you live in an urban environment you can still find unique and inspirational places to explore. 

• You could consider making a small area of your garden into a flower or vegetable patch to grow things with your kids. 
• Or create a wildlife area and make a bug hotel. You do not need a lot of room, just a small patch of ground will do. If you live in a flat, you could have some pots on a balcony or in the communal grounds or look into local allotments. 
• If you have enough space, you could consider chickens. I do know of people that have them in urban areas too. We had chickens when the boys were small. They helped with looking after them, collect eggs etc. It was so much fun and taught them about caring for animals which is a great life skill to have
• Consider getting a family dog. They are wonderful companionship for children and a great excuse to get out as a family for walks and adventures. 
• Local park areas and nature centres often have activities on during the holidays and usually for free.
• Go pond dipping. You just need a net and a bucket. Be sure to put back what you find though. You could take photos or draw pictures as a reminder. 
• Collect leaves and pinecones to make a display or picture collages when you get home. 
• I have special memories of taking my youngest on a ‘welly walk’ on the mud flats at North Dock. Wellies, a raincoat and puddle jumping is surprising fun and you can always dry off when you get home. 
• Camp in your garden. Pitch up the tent, have a BBQ or a picnic and sleep out. It is still an awesome adventure even when close to home.

Nature Crafts

Do not be afraid of a bit of dirt. You can always wash it off. As a kid I loved making mud pies in the back garden and using it to ‘paint’ pictures on the patio. If this really does not appeal, you can buy jumbo chalks to draw pretty nature scenes. 

Make pictures and collages from your forages. One of my most favourite pastimes would be to make pressed flowers, but nature is always best left to its own natural beauty for others to enjoy, so only pick leaf fall or broken flower heads. 

You can spend hours of fun beachcombing for shells and sea glass and making crafts with your finds. 

Keeping them motivated to get out. 

Giving your children a choice in the destination so they feel like they are part of the planning. You could guide their decision making by offering choice A or B so that you do not end up with Disneyland requests or something equally unattainable.

Never underestimate the power of food. A reward of takeout food as a treat on the way home can help with motivation or take a picnic to have while you are out. 

Taking children out from an early age and having ‘family traditions’ of favourite places means expeditions are normal for them but for a car journey allow them their phones or tablets as a distraction from boredom. 

Giving them the ‘job’ of being a photographer for the day. Letting them lose with the camera creates some fun picture memories of the day. 

Relax and let them be kids. 

The beach is usually a winner regardless of age. We have been to the beach on New Year’s Day. We wrapped up warm and took the beach tent to shelter from the wind. It was cold, but a great memory to have and had the place pretty much to ourselves. 

Do not get stressed out about sand getting everywhere. Take spare towels to clean off before getting back into the car and packing spare clothes can ease the stress of mess. Having some talc with you too helps to easily dry and brush the sand off too. 

As mentioned, we have had some fun welly walks, letting them splash in puddles and also playing in the leaves is immense fun. Conker hunting is a good one too. 

Bikes are another great fun activity for them, and having a dog means great days out too. 

Overall, get out, explore and enjoy!