Reading unlocks worlds. There’s so much to be gained by encouraging children’s literacy skills their early years. Many people think that reading is a skill that can only taught indoors through traditional methods with phonics, but literacy can be explored in many ways including engaging with nature and the outdoors. Below, are some ways families can encourage kids to get outdoors and use their imaginations to build their own literary understanding outside of the classroom.
Paint alphabet rocks for the ultimate D-I-Y spelling aid…
On your next nature walk or visit to the beach, gather around 26-30 flat-sided rocks and pebbles and pop them into a bucket. Once you’re back home, find some acrylic paint and an assortment of paintbrushes to start making your own ultimate D-I-Y spelling and storytelling resource! Together, you and the family can spend a quiet afternoon painting the letters of the alphabet in an array of bright colours and fonts onto the pebbles and rocks, then leave them out to dry in the sun! If you want your designs to last longer, paint a coat of clear sealant over the rocks once your designs are dry. Anytime you need a spelling aid, grab your rocks and get spelling!
Check out this brilliant video for more rock-inspired outdoor game ideas!
Start a plant/astronomy journal…
If your kids are nature-enthusiasts at heart, why not encourage them to start their own nature journal, a special book where they can record all the interesting things they see, smell, hear and feel when they’re out on in nature? The same concept can be applied to any young stargazers who enjoy trips up to the hills on starry nights in search of interesting constellations! Grab an empty notepad (you can decorate the cover however you see fit!) and pack a little bag of watercolour paints, pencils, and a container to collect interesting nature items in. As you walk through the woods, pick up any interesting leaves or flowers you find and spend some time sticking them to the pages of the journal and labelling their parts. Younger kids, can label things according to colour, smell, shape, size etc. For the astronomers, they could draw clouds, constellations or distant planets they see in the night sky.
Learn Geography through hiking, biking & orienteering…
Get your maps out! A fantastic way to teach kids about geography and literacy in nature is through orienteering. As a high-energy alternative to technologically aided geocaching, orienteering allows you to get as creative as you like when planning routes through the UK’s most renowned heritage sites, whether biking or hiking. On these kinds of adventures, the kids will learn to recognise a plethora of topographical map symbols, as well as how to use a compass and gauge distances with accuracy. You don’t have to venture out into the wilderness right away though. Why not try it out locally first by exploring an area in your town or city that you’ve never ventured out to before? Once your family gets a handle on all the technical jargon of route mapping, plan a day out of town and try your hand at some of the UK’s family-friendly orienteering routes.
If you’re looking for a place to start your own family orienteering adventures, the British Orienteering website has some great courses and family events available!
Start an outdoor reading group in your local green space…
A great, way to encourage children to explore literacy in nature is simply to take some books outdoors! You can make reading outdoors a social activity by inviting friends to your local green space and having a read-along! To add an air of excitement to the occasion, try getting your reading group to dress up as their favourite characters from the book you’ll be reading! You could even encourage friends to find some props in nature! For example, if the book is Harry Potter, encourage the kids to find twigs and sticks to use as wands and get them to act out every spell they read in the book together! For Halloween, instead of the standard trick or treating, why not plan a Goosebumps-inspired reading party in the woods at sundown? Don’t forget to bring along your pumpkins and some Halloween treats to share of course!
Create a D-I-Y book donation station for your local community...
Everybody deserves access to a good book, but access is not easy for every family. If you’re a family that loves to read, why not encourage the children to share that love of literacy with the local community and those who are less fortunate by starting your own book donation station? If you’d like to get crafty and make your own donation box out of cardboard, check out Mom 4 Real’s great blog and follow her daughter Kate’s guide on how to make one at home! Once you’ve made your donation station, you can head down to your local charity shop, library, or bookstore with it and ask to pop it in the front window or shared reading space. Don’t forget to tell your friends and family to head down and donate their books too!
COVER IMAGE: Kids Reading Goosebumps by Scholastic Kids