Gardening and Nature
Gardening can improve your health in many different ways. Spending time outdoors can improve your mental health by reducing depression, stress and anxiety and promote relaxation. Gardening can also reduce the risk of many illnesses and increase a person’s quality of life. Gardening also has many benefits for someone living with Dementia. Gardening can provide great opportunity for stimulation of the senses
From Visually.
Why not do a bit of weeding or planting or take time to learn about food growing. If you are a beginner and do not know where to start, utilise the Royal Horticultural Society website. Gardening for beginners https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/beginners-guide/vegetable-basics
Evidence shows that contact with nature and being in the natural environment is good for our health. We can use what we have in our immediate environment to help us connect with nature. This page will help you identify green/nature-based activities that can help you remain active, learn new skills, knowledge, engaged and well during these unprecedented times. Feel free to share any of your activities with us using the @NAGreenHealth Facebook and Twitter pages. Here are a few which you have shared
Freya Morris, Aged 11 Irvine Royal Pupil in her new greenhouse in her garden North Ayrshire.
Helen Campbell working on her allotment in Fairlie.
Kids Activities
Chalk Assault Course
Hop, skip, jump, and balance through your own obstacle course! Make your driveway or street pavement into a great energy buster. All you need is chalk!
Make a Bird Feeder
Here we have Nikki Caig, KA Leisure, Physical activity Consultant and her family making their very own bird feeders.
Nature Watch
Wildlife watching and recording or you could take part in the breakfast birdwatch from 8am – 9am weekdays with RSPB – https://www.rspb.org.uk/about-the-rspb/about-us/media-centre/press-releases/rspbs-breakfast-birdwatch/ Follow the @NorthAyrshireRangerService for tips on growing food and activities to do at home or outside.
Natural Art
Use what you have in the garden or local green space or beaches to create some art/collage take a photo and share them with friends
Make a Bee Hotel
The Honeybees are truly the gardener’s friend and are not the killer beast depicted in the cinema. If not for them and the other species of bees, plant life would be reduced to mainly wind-pollinated grasses and trees, as they pollinate most of the flowering plants.
Why not attract them to your garden by making a Bee Hotel.
Photography
Take photos of the wildlife, landscapes close to you or plants that you see, share them with friends or on- line via social media.
Become a Nature Detective
Woodland Trust have some great Nature Detective materials available to do nature activities at home with your kids https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2020/03/kids-nature-activities-self-isolation/
Den Building
Den building in the garden or local park will keep children entertained for hours. Follow @TCVScotland on Facebook where there is a video on Den Building. Here is a lovely example of a Den built by the Bourtreehill Scout group prior to Lockdown.
Pebble Painting
Pebble painting – gather some pebbles from the garden or when you are out for a walk and paint with a message of hope/ inspiration or cover with colour.
Pebbles Painted by Leigh Todd aged 14 and placed around Stock Bridge Kilbrinie.
Why not join Scotland Rocks a Facebook group for Scotland all about painting, hiding and finding rocks. Paint a pebble then hide it for someone else to find. Take a picture and share it to their Facebook page to leave clues for others.
Useful Links
Use this link to get 50 different learning activities for kids utilising nature https://www.naturallylearning.co.uk/50-outdoor-activities-toddlers/
The National Trust also have a list of 50 things to do before you are 11 & 3/4 https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/50-things-to-do
