Free nature activities are some of the best fun you can have during the weekend, or any time of the week really. Nature is one of the few things that is free for everyone to enjoy but sometimes we need a little inspiration to step out of our usual and discover a new adventure.
Fire Pit
A cool summers evening sitting around the fire exudes nature. The smell of burning wood, the crackling fire and sticky marshmallow fingers are just what summers are made of. As a child I would love when our family would pack up the car and head to the beach after my parents finished work. After a quick dip the the ocean we would build a fire right there on the beach and toast marshmallows while my dad and sister played the guitar.
If you want to take your fire pit to the next level think about fun additions like a s’mores bar, or cooking your own hobo/foil pack dinners right on the fire. Our kids love to cook their dinner on the open fire whether its hotdogs, hobo dinners or damper bread.
A fire pit is the perfect time to teach your older kids how to build a fire. We have had great fun research different fire building techniques and trying them all out. Our eldest is now quite the fire building pro!
Hiking
Hiking is one of our favourite ways to get our family out in nature and best of all it is free! There are so many benefits to hiking that it would take far too long to list but just trust me when I say it is good for the soul.
The easiest way that I use to find amazing hikes is by using the All Trails app. It is a free app which lists hiking trails based on your location, or whichever location you put in. We find this app particularly helpful because you are able to add filters like “family friendly” or “dogs allowed”. We love taking Jimmy our gorgeous old dog on hikes with us be we need to be careful that dogs are allowed to be on the trail.
Kids love hikes that have a climax. When selecting hikes for our family I always look for payoffs like a fun swimming spot, interesting rocks to climb, caves to explore or a marvellous bridge to cross. One of our latest hikes included a terrifying ladder climb up to the most incredible view.
Waterfall Chasing
When there is one waterfall there are usually many. One Saturday morning we set out to visit as many waterfalls as we could. Some were gorgeous to look at and some we fun to swim under. Once the sun had set we headed back to one waterfall to observe the glow worms that lit up the rocks on the trail.
Rock Painting
Rock painting a the perfect at home nature activity for those days when you are just too exhausted to get out and do something. If you don’t happen to have rocks around in your garden you can buy them very cheaply at the hardware store for around $4 a bag.
When we have done this as a family we have two camps. The first camp likes to come up with all their own designs and get those creative juices flowing. The second camp loves direction and instruction so they are busy watching youtube tutorials or looking for inspiration.
My father in law passed away last year and for his grave site we had all the grandkids paint rocks to decorate it with. It was something special they could do to brighten up his resting place. It was a great activity for all the kids to come together and do during a school break.
Sometimes we have come up with a theme for our rocks. One year we did an Easter theme and used those rocks as part of our Easter decor.
If you want to decrease the mess of paint we bought some awesome rock painting pens. They are perfect for getting in tiny details and avoiding paint spillages and all the other mess that comes with paint and kids.
Once you have finished your designs you can spray sealer on them. If they are just going to be inside we use hairspray, outside rocks will need proper sealant.
Swimming At The Waterhole
Why not pack a picnic and head to the waterhole for the day. Sometimes waterholes are a bit elusive and the best ones are often only known by locals and it takes a bit of scouring the web to find them. You can however find some amazing waterholes in your area by a quick search online.
My favourite waterhole growing up was simply called “The Rock”. It was super deep with a big cliff to jump off and rapids running down one end of the river.
The best thing about water holes is that they are a great free nature activity. You can spend all day there and not even spend a cent but create incredible memories and experiences that will be embedded in your families story for years to come. Apparently we were pretty poor growing up but I had no idea because we spent so much time on free adventures like this.
Visit A National Park
Depending on where you live in the world national parks may or may not be free. National parks are very affordable though even if you do have to pay a small entry fee. An annual pass for national parks in the United States is $80 and that grants you entry to all the national parks.
One of the best features of national parks in the US is that they have an awesome Junior Ranger program which our children have thrived on. The junior ranger program provides kids with age appropriate activities which they can complete while in the park that day. Once the activities are completed they return the book to the ranger and receive a special badge unique to that park.
National parks will always include amazing hiking. One day I am going to hike Angels Landing in Zion National Park which is on top of my bucket list!
Rangers in national parks do and excellent job at providing incredible presentations about the area. We love enthusiasm that they demonstrate.
Camping
Believe it or not there are lots of places that you can camp for free. If you don’t have a tent you can try out car camping which is definitely and experience in and of itself.
Wikicamps is ones of the best ways to find free campsites in an area. Other users of the the app are very helpful at leaving comments on each campsite as to whether there are toilets, on cleanliness and safety. We really appreciate input from others especially if it is a new area.
If you are fortunate enough to have a camper or RV then you will know the freedom and tranquility that comes from camping out in nature. Keep your RV packed and ready to go, so you can act on those spontaneous ideas. Sometimes all it takes is making the first step and you are off on an unforgettable adventure.
So camping can actually be a great free nature activity if you plan it right and already have some equipment lurking in the garage.
Visit The Glow Worms
Glow worms are one of our favourite family activities which is free and out in nature. They aren’t common in a lot of the world but where we are from they are a favourite past time for many families.
These little bugs light up at night and shine a light out of their bums! They usually live in cool damp forests on rock faces. They can be sensitive to light so it is important not to be too loud around them.
The glow worms are only part of the fun however as our kids love the adventure of walking through the forest in the dark. So even if you don’t have any glow worms near you, consider as night hike on a very easy trail.
Hill Surfing
Do you know a great grassy hill near you? One of the best things to do is to grab some cardboard boxes, fold them flat and ride down the hill. You can surprisingly get up some great speed! After high school I worked at Subway for a year and the boxes the lettuce came in were perfect for hill surfing. Personally I think for teenagers this could be a great free nature activity.
You will get some great exercise from running back to the top to do it again and again. It is a brilliant way to wear out energetic kids too.
Sand Castle Competition
Whenever we head to the beach we also end up in a sand castle competition. If you have a large amount of people you can divide into teams and get unbiased passersby to be the judges.
Now you don’t have to be constricted to just just castles, mix it up a bit and include themes like cars, movies, or animals. So you imagination can be limitless.
Make sure you take photos of your creations so everyone can remember the adventure.
Beach Combing
Another beach activity that is free out in nature is beach combing. We love this one because it can be done year round. There are so many facinating things to find on a beach. Pecuiliar shells and interesting sea creatures are some of our favourites.
Our 6 year old comes home with his pockets filled with treasures which line his window sill. We will often use these treasures, usually shells in our craft projects.
Rock pools are great places to make wonderful discoveries. I think we could spend hours just walking the rock pools. We have found that rock pools are great for little kids because there are no waves, and they can really get into the experience in a hands on way.
Nature Crafts
There are an abundance of free nature crafts that you can choose from. One of our favourites has been making leaf prints during fall.
I want to include a few more free nature activities revolving around crafts that your kids will enjoy. These activities use resources that you will commonly have at home.
Nature Crown
These gorgeous nature crowns are a beautiful way to use all the treasures you find on your walks. There are lots of opportunities to do this activity. For instance they will be a great idea for a birthday party activity.
The crowns need minimal resources and are easy to personalise.
Butterfly Symmetry
This phenomenal activity is a great way to incorporate early learning skills, basic math for example. I really love the simplicity of this activity and the splendid result that comes from it. When it comes to crafts with the kids I am always looking for simplicity first.
Nature Prints
I mentioned earlier that leaf printing is one of our kids favourite nature craft activity. You don’t have to be limited to just leaves however, bark, petals, flowers and pebbles all make good prints. If you are adverse to paint with younger children crayon rubbings are also a fun idea with a similar result.
Bird Seed Ornaments
We love bird seed ornaments because they invite wildlife and nature right into your backyard. We had an incredible experience a few weeks ago to hand feed some birds. It was this experience that inspired a whole lots of bird research and interest. This activity is on the list for our family later in the week.
