Going wild this winter

As the days get shorter and the nights draw in, it becomes increasingly tempting to follow the lead of some of our native species and go into hibernation.

But just because it’s a little chilly out, there’s really no excuse not to enjoy what nature has to offer. So here are 5 top tips on how to embrace the great outdoors, to get you and your family close to wildlife this winter:

 

We all know that one person who can’t sit still, who needs to fiddle, create things or be given a project. Brilliant! There are dens to be built, garden fortresses and fairy houses to create. Or how about something to help wildlife? The RSPB website is brimming full of ideas of things to build that will help nature: bug hotels, mini ponds, recycled bird feeders, even frog and toad abodes and hedgehogitats! The best thing about this, is that once your creation is in place, the stage is set to observe your garden wildlife for the rest of the year.

 

 

Be a winter wanderer. Explore, be inquisitive, stray from your usual path. There’s so much to see at this time of year – nature’s colour changes, animals stashing away food for the winter, tracks left in the snow (or more likely mud).

 

 

I think it’s great when we allow ourselves to be distracted by things in nature, particularly from an education point of view.

Young people are so used to being told what they should be learning about, and what information will help guide them through life. From my memory these are things like long division (I still can’t do this) Henry VIIIs wives (divorced, beheaded, died etc). Whether these nuggets of information have served me well so far I have no idea, but it’s that intrinsic motivation of wanting to learn more about things which I find so much more important.

Exploring in the outdoors encourages curiosity, brews confidence and gets us off our sofa and out of our comfort zone – not to mention providing us with some fantastic wildlife.  

 

We shouldn’t need a see-saw or a set of swings to tell us that its playtime. Climb a tree, play hide and seek, splash in puddles. Or announce that ‘the floor is lava’ and your outdoor space is transformed into a wild total wipeout arena.

 

From the enchanting textured artwork of Andy Goldsworthy to a simple mud monster stuck on a tree, creating natural sculptures is a great way to connect children with the outdoor environment, testing their own creative flair, engineering skills and the properties of natural materials.

Also it’s pretty fun and often rather messy.

 

Our whittled wood elves (above) made from sycamore branches are a great example of this. Carved by visiting families with hardy vegetable peelers and then hidden around the woodland, this relatively simple task held our concentration for a surprising length of time! And while lots of us would run quickly in the other direction at the thought of children handling tools, actually it’s a great way to promote responsibility and risk taking early on, as well as practising fine motor skills away from the familiar ‘swipe’ of the iPad.

 

Ok so I may have borrowed the first part of this from the Scouts but I echo their sentiment: always be prepared. Not necessarily with a compass and mountain survival kit, but waterproofs, gloves and lots of food would be a good starting point. This way you’ve got nothing to rush back for, whether it be a rumbling tummy or an unexpected change in the great British weather. I’d also add to the list: something to sit on (a scarf in a carrier bag does the trick for me, anything to avoid my adventure being ruined by a soggy bottom).  

I’ve always found that the best experiences in nature come from something completely unplanned. So my advice for this one is to simply allow yourself the time to go off-piste. It sounds simple, but for some of us even getting used to being out in nature without the distraction of checking your Facebook notifications can take some time to get used to. So switch off, put your woollies on and get out there and embrace the wild winter. What are you waiting for?!

 

 

Wild Challenge is a set of online tasks designed to get kids and families out into the great outdoors.

There is loads to make and do for nature all year round, so why not start your Wild Challenge journey this winter.