Short days and cold weather make it tempting to stay in with a screen. But a little time outside each day lifts everyone’s mood, burns off energy and gives children a break from tablets. These eight ideas need little kit and work in a garden of any size.
1. Set up a winter bird station
Birds struggle to find food in winter, so a feeder gets plenty of visitors. Hang fat balls, seed and a shallow dish of water somewhere you can see from the window. Keep a simple tally chart of who visits. In late January, you can take part in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch together.
2. Go on a nature scavenger hunt
Write a list of things to find: a pine cone, a feather, a red berry, a leaf with holes in it, something smooth, something rough. Give each child a bag and see who ticks off the most. Younger children can use a picture list instead.
3. Build a bug hotel
Stack old bricks, pallets or plant pots in a sheltered corner and stuff the gaps with sticks, dry leaves, pine cones and hollow stems. Insects will move in to shelter through the cold months. Check it together in spring to see who has moved in.
4. Make ice art
On a frosty night, fill a baking tray or old lids with water and add leaves, berries and petals. Put a loop of string in each one and leave them outside overnight. In the morning, hang the frozen suncatchers from a tree and watch them glint until they melt.
5. Take a torch walk
Winter’s early darkness is perfect for a torch walk around the garden or local park. Look for eyes reflecting in the hedges, listen for owls and spot the stars. On a clear night, Orion is easy to find. Look for the three bright stars of his belt in a row.
6. Have a hot tub evening
A hot tub turns a cold, dark evening into time spent together outside, with no screens in sight. Children love the steam rising into the cold air. Size matters if the whole family will get in at once. 6 person hot tubs give a family of four or five room to spread out, with space left for a grandparent or a friend.
A few safety rules keep it relaxing:
- Always supervise children in and around the hot tub.
- Turn the temperature down for younger children. Many manufacturers suggest 37°C or lower.
- Keep sessions short, around 10 to 15 minutes for little ones.
- Check the manufacturer’s age guidance before very young children get in.
- Lock the cover when the tub isn’t in use.
7. Cook outside
Toast marshmallows over a fire pit, wrap potatoes in foil for the embers, or simply carry mugs of hot chocolate into the garden. Food tastes better outside, and children love helping. Keep a bucket of water nearby and agree a safe distance from the fire before you start.
8. Plant spring bulbs
Tulip bulbs can still go in the ground in early winter. Let children dig the holes, drop the bulbs in pointy end up and mark the spot with a lolly stick label. In spring, they will have flowers they grew themselves.
Make it a habit
You don’t need a big plan. Pick one idea a week and stick it on the fridge. Wrap up warm, keep a basket of hats and gloves by the back door, and the garden becomes somewhere the family uses all year, not just in summer.
- Bex Smith
- Bex Smith