20 Aug 2020

Make the most of Nature Play in winter

Megan Harvey

Learn how to make nature play in winter much more fun and inviting than staying inside and looking at a screen! With over 360 hectares of green space in the heart of the city, Centennial Parklands is a great place to start.

Being outside in nature can have a whole host of health benefits, and can be very beneficial in the early development of children. But in the winter months, the colder temperature and unpredictable weather can make kids want to just stay inside.

But ensuring your kids get their fill of vitamin N(ature) for the three chillier months of the year is really important. Here are our top ideas on how to make the most of the winter period and play some fun games in the process.

Time to get cooking

There’s nothing better in winter than huddling up around a campfire. It’s even more rewarding when you’ve made it yourself! Stay warm and make a damper on stick, roast an apple or make some tea to keep out the cold.

Go on a seed scavenger hunt

Winter is a great time of year to go seed scavenging. Look for acorns from the Park’s holm oaks (Quercus ilex), the spikey balls from the liquidamber (Liquidambar styraciflua) or the gum nuts from the swamp mahogany (Eucalyptus robusta). Find as many different seeds as you can on the floor, then try and match them to the tree they came from.

Follow our self-guided tree trail to start exploring the amazing trees in the Parklands.

Spot some hidden animals

Winter is a particularly great time to spot hidden animals now that the trees have lost their leaves. So many creatures use the hollows of trees as homes, so take a pair of binoculars and count how many you can find. Our personal favourites are microbats, possums, cockatoos and Powerful Owls! If you download the Wingtags app, you can even find out the name of our fluffy friends.

Do some physical activities!

Get the blood pumping with some fun and games, such as hide and seek, fort building or capture the flag. In our opinion, hide and seek is way better outside than inside a house, particularly when you have 890 hectares of green space to find a good spot in.