Introducing a child to nature nurtures their curiosity, creativity, and well-being.
No need for elaborate setups: simple, everyday activities done with intention are enough to create precious moments. Here are 10 simple activities, suitable for children aged 0-5, to share the beauty of nature with your child.

0–12 months: discovering with the senses

1. Nature playmat:
   Place baby on a blanket on the floor, near a window or outside in the shade, so they can observe the light, feel the wind, and listen to the sounds. 
   A comfortable and washable organic cotton playmat can be a good and safe companion for our little ones.Here’s my favoriteI found mine directly on Marketplace and it was in perfect condition. What I love most is that it can be transformed into a playhouse for when he’s older!
2. Small sensory baskets
   : Place a few safe, natural objects in a basket (pine cone, smooth wood, cotton fabric). Let baby touch, smell, and explore.

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1–2 years: touching, picking up, observing

3. Nature treasure hunt:
   Collect leaves, pebbles and flowers with your child, then explore shapes and colours together.
4. Homemade Sensory Bottles:
   Put seeds, sand, or water with leaves in clear bottles. Baby observes, shakes, and listens. Make sure to seal the nozzle securely with hot glue to prevent the bottle from opening and always be close to the child during use. 
   You can make them yourself or use a sensory bottle kit. right here!

**Recommended shelf life for bottles**

• Dry bottles (rice, lentils, sand, pearls, pebbles, glitter, etc.)
  pose little risk of contamination → you can keep them for several months, even a year, if they remain tightly closed and protected from moisture. 
  Just check that the bottle isn’t cracked.
• Bottles with water + dye/glitter/liquid soap:
  1 to 3 months maximum, depending on water cleanliness and sun exposure. 
  After this time, mold, deposits, or odor may appear.
• Bottles with fresh natural elements (leaves, flowers, herbs, citrus fruits).
  Very short shelf life: approximately 1 week, sometimes less. Plants decompose quickly and can develop bacteria/mold.
• Bottles containing colored or mixed oil (oil + water) should
  be stored for a maximum of 3 to 6 months. The oil may turn rancid over time, especially when exposed to heat.

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3–4 years: explore and experiment

5. DIY Bird Feeder
   : Make a bird feeder together using a recycled yogurt container or a pine cone coated in peanut butter and seeds. 
   A simplebirdseed mix enough to attract tits and sparrows.
6. Explorer’s Magnifying Glass:
   Offer a magnifying glass adapted for small hands to observe ants, flowers, or pebbles up close 
   .solid children’s magnifying glassallows you to transform every walk into an adventure.
7. Creative Herbarium:
   Collect leaves and flowers, glue them into a notebook, add the child’s name and the date.

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5 years: understanding and protecting

8. Observe the weather.
   Each day, note down the weather together, draw a sun, a cloud, a raindrop.
   Magnetic weather boardThis is an excellent visual aid. Personally, I loved it with my groups; I only changed the days of the week and months to French, but otherwise, there’s no need to change it since it will be used more as a visual aid than for learning to read.
9. Small seedlings
   : Grow basil or broad beans in a transparent pot. Your child observes the roots, the water, the light.
10. Gratitude Walk:
    During a walk in the forest, suggest that your child say thank you to a tree, a flower, or a bird. This is a first step in teaching respect for nature.

These small activities don’t require a lot of resources, but they open up huge possibilities: curiosity, wonder, patience, creativity. The important thing isn’t to do it perfectly, but to experience these simple and genuine moments together.