Simple ways to bring more nature into your life

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Spring is now upon us and it feels like we are all waking up from a winter hibernation and it's time to make up for the long cold winter and get outdoors and embrace everything is has to offer. The great thing about the outdoors is for the most part it's free and has huge wellbeing benefits for all ages. Of course you don't always have to be on some big adventure or challenge but simply spending time pottering around your own garden is good for you and can be a great lesson for children on how to bring more nature into your garden space.

When it comes to anything like this it's important to just focus on works best for your family or lifestyle and not get too caught up with whatever everyone else is doing, ignore your neighbours neatly clipped lawns and tamed beds, as long as what your doing is bringing joy and happiness to you and your family then that's all that matters. So in this post I am going to focus on simple and fun ways to enjoy nature at home and further afield. 

5 Simple ways for families to embrace Nature away from the home

1. Go on a bug hunt at your local park. The woodland trust has some free printable mini-beast spotter sheets which I have used a few times with both of my boys as they are nice and simple and a local green space is perfect for this. 

2. Go Geocaching and join in the worlds largest treasure hunt! We have done Geocaching twice before but now my youngest is a little older this is something we are going to do a lot more of this summer. I have already checked and there are 2544 geocaches in Cardiff alone so there is bound to be one near you and it's completely free to set up a Geocache account and download the app. 

3. Head to the beach and enjoy the simple pleasures that is collecting shells and rock pooling as there is so much to discover doing this! You never really know what your going to come across in a rock-pool and is fascinating for both parents and children. There is also lots of shell animal craft inspiration over on Simple As That blog.

4. Head to the summit of a local hill or mountain. This year we are planning to tick some local Trig points off which are often found at the top of prominent hills and mountains and are great fun for kids to work towards as it gives them a real sense of achievement when they reach the top. Hiking is one of the best free activities you can do as a family and on a recent hike this weekend we spotted an array of Birds of prey flying above us as well as plenty of insects and bugs. 

5. Get creative in nature - nature can be a wonderful base for creativity and artistic pursuits such as finding a quiet spot near a meadow and drawing for a couple of hours or do some leaf rubbing with kids. Another favourite with my two is taking some environmentally friendly clay into the forest and creating some green clay men on the trees. 

Simple ways to bring nature into your garden 

As nice as perfectly manicured lawns are if your outdoor space is too spotless it's not always the most appealing to wildlife as some need small nooks and crannies to live in or longer grass to thrive and with butterflies, bees and birds facing some tough times in the UK we need to think how we can accommodate native species better.

If you’re looking to encourage native species into your garden, then consider letting some of it grow a little wilder. Have a section that looks just like a meadow if you can and plant some shrubs and flowers that actively encourage visitors to your garden.

Butterflies

The famous Buddleia is your first item on your shopping list. Not only does it grow well between summer and autumn it will attract all manner of winged insects to your garden. Different varieties bloom at different points, so if you want to extend your visitor season, grow a few different varieties. The lovely Sedum is another option to consider with its delicate pale pink flowers. Other colours are available, but the pink variety produces much more nectar and is therefore more attractive to visitors.

Bees

Create fragrance and attract honey bees with a Lavender plant or any other purple plant. Bees can see this colour much more easily than others so tend to gravitate towards purple coloured plants more. Catmint will also do the job alongside beautiful Alliums but don’t feel limited to purple, the bees will happily buzz around exploring and find flowers of all shades and tones. You can also have fun making your own bee or bug hotel to attract more into your outdoor space - this is also perfect for those who have smaller gardens, patios or small balcony areas.

Birds

Create a safe haven for flying wildlife with bird boxes. Depending on how large you cut the hole and where you place it in your garden, you can attract all kinds of different species. Feed your visitors with specially-made bird food hanging from trees and don’t forget the fat balls that provide so much essential energy for birds during the winter months, you can also try make your own by rolling pinecones in peanut butter and bird seeds or pick up a cool box from Boxwild.

As an added wildlife bonus, you might want to create a little pond area in your garden to attract, newts, frogs and of course fish. Take a look at Swell UK to get started.  If you’re looking to help our declining hedgehog population consider creating a bespoke hedgehog house and offering some dog or cat food to attract them into the garden at night.

With so much beautiful and endangered wildlife on our shores, turning your garden into a haven of food and shelter is a worthwhile activity. Watching stunning butterflies and hearing the buzz of bees are satisfying sights and sounds and only take a well-planted shrub here and there. Consider sharing your open space with bees, birds and butterflies and possibly the odd hedgehog and you’ll be glad you gave up your clipped lawns for a garden alive with colour and sounds.

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