Today Nature Play SA officially launched their new list – 49 Things To Do Before You’re 5 – along with their Junior Passport to Outdoor Adventures at the Adelaide Botanic Garden.
Hosted by mother of 4 Amanda Blair, Nature Play SA ambassador Sophie Thompson and new CEO Sarah Sutter were both on hand to launch Nature Play Week and encourage families to get children outside playing, jumping, skipping, climbing, splashing and creating.
Children danced on the lawns behind the Goodman Building along side First Creek Wetland, blew giant bubbles and played ball games. There were hosted walks through the gardens and down by the water children could catch and examine an assortment of microscopic lifeforms in the water with a net.
Nature Play SA chief executive Sarah Sutter reminded us about the alarming amount of time children spend inside. “Studies show that South Australian children spend an average of 4.5 hours a day in front of a screen, half an hour more than the national average.’’ Nature Play SA hopes to show children that you can have a great time outdoors, take risks, connect with the earth and have fun,’’ she said.
The list of 49 things to do before a child turns 5:
- Run around in the rain
- Play hide-and-seek in a garden
- Lie on your back and watch the clouds
- Pick fruit from a tree and eat it
- Go for a hike in the bush or a local reserve
- Jump in a pile of leaves
- Build a sandcastle with a moat
- Hang from a low branch, then drop
- Make a collection of leaves and feathers
- Climb a steep slope on your hands and knees
- Watch a sunrise or sunset
- Play with mud
- Explore your garden with a magnifying glass
- Float a leaf in a pond or stream
- Listen to a storm and watch for lightning
- Chase your shadow
- Search for tadpoles in a creek
- Make a cubby under a tree or in some bushes
- Draw with a stick in the dirt
- Grow some herbs and veggies in a patch or pot
- Visit a farm or a petting zoo
- Sit around a campfire and toast marshmallows
- Dig holes and trenches in your yard
- Listen to the birds and imitate their song
- Catch some bugs and then release them
- Search for shells at the beach
- Invent your own obstacle course using rocks and sticks
- Blow on a dandelion flower and make a wish
- Sit quietly and watch ants, snails or birds
- Water some plants with a watering can
- Have a picnic under a big shady tree
- Jump in a puddle
- Chase butterflies around the garden
- Play with a ball at an oval or on the beach
- Paddle at the beach or a backyard wading pool
- Play shops under a tree with seed pods and leaves
- Visit a botanical garden
- Balance along a log or some stepping stones
- Go for a night walk with a torch in the garden
- Climb a big hill and look at the view
- Explore a rock pool or create your own
- Have story time outside on a rug
- Catch rain on your tongue
- Sprout some fast-growing seeds
- Play ‘peek-a-boo’ from behind a tree
- Ride a trike or scooter to the park
- Roll down a grassy hill
- Pick a posy of flowers for someone you love
- Count the stars at dusk
Nature Play SA also have a list for older children – 51 Things To Do Before You’re 12.
For more information about Nature Play SA please visit their website here.
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