Getting involved

• Findings from a recent survey* suggest that:
  • Children today spend less time in natural places, and enjoy less unsupervised natural play than previous generations
  • Most children would like to spend more time playing unsupervised in natural places, and most parents would like them to be able to
  • If children are able to experience nature, they care about it and want to conserve it
    

• Need help in tempting youngsters into the great outdoors? Try some imaginative activities especially for children from our friends, Fiona and Jo, authors of Nature’s Playground and Go Wild at www.goingwild.net

• Natural England welcomes the publication of the Bumper Book of Nature as an inspiring and practical guide to help children and families enjoy the natural world.

* Childhood and Nature: A survey on changing relationships with nature across generations: (261kb)

How you can get involved

• Conservation volunteering opportunities in the Muckin4Life campaign
• Go on a farm visit - the educational access element of our Stewardship schemes
• Visit one of our National Nature Reserves
• Go on a healthy walk - get involved with our green exercise initiatives
• Find events in your area on Things to do - offers children and families easy online access to nature-related activities across the UK
• Join the Big Wildlife Garden - help create a virtual national nature reserve linking gardens and open spaces
• For cubs and scouts, go for the Naturalist Activity Badge which Natural England is sponsoring
• Celebrate parks and green spaces in Love Parks Week (usually last week of July)
• There are also lots of other places you can go to to enjoy the countryside

Interactive nature play map goes live

Research published to support Playday 2011 revealed that while 60% of parents would like their children to play outdoors more, one in seven don’t know where their nearest natural play space is. In a bid to reverse this trend Play England has, in conjunction with Natural England, launched an interactive online map to help children and families explore and enjoy nature where they live.

Natural England is an official Playday campaign supporter

Playday is the annual celebration of children's right to play and usually takes place on the first Wednesday in August. On Playday and throughout the summer, children, young people and communities will get out and play at hundreds of locally organised events across the UK. Find out more and get involved at www.playday.org.uk

iChild supports One Million Children Outdoors

Leading child development and education website www.iChild.co.uk is supporting Natural England’s goal to get One Million Children outdoors in the next three years. iChild offers a helping hand to families and provides them with ideas to help keep their children busy, and to support their education. iChild has hundreds of free education worksheets and fun activities for parents, teachers and carers to use with children aged 0 to 11.