Exercise and fresh air are key elements of a healthy lifestyle, but are often neglected by children and adults alike. In fact, there is so much to see and do in the great outdoors. What is that rustling in the bushes? What animal left those tracks? Budding researchers can take a closer look at the environment with toys from the Simba Dickie Group. While playing, children develop an understanding of nature and learn to protect the environment.
A child’s first house is often located in the garden – equipped with shutters, electric doorbells or balcony boxes. The lovingly designed playhouses from Smoby Toys offer plenty of space. At the same time, separately available additional elements promote the environmental awareness of young gardeners: for example, the new house “Neo Jura Lodge” can be fitted with guttering that allows the young owner to collect rainwater in a small water butt. It can then be used by the little ones to fill up a watering can and to water the flowers.
Hammering, connecting, constructing - wood is probably the most robust natural material. Wooden toys allow children to train their motor skills in a playful way.
Nature lovers make their own personal contribution to environmental protection with the new birdhouses and the insect hotel from Eichhorn. The key feature: “It’s all DIY”! - The houses can be assembled by the young craftsmen themselves, aged six and over, and then decorated with the supplied paints. That way they give birds, bees and other insects a unique home and can watch them feeding or nesting in the garden.
Harvesting vegetables from the fields, collecting hay for the animals, ... Recreating life down on the farm is so much fun! The sturdy pedal tractors from BIG offer many special play features; the moving bucket and the separately available trailer provide plenty of space for loading items. The sound steering wheel plays familiar farm sounds. “Moo!”
And if it is too wet to go outside, you can now explore “nature and the environment” indoors.
Photos and videos of landscapes and the sounds of nature, such as birdsong or the sound of the sea, have a positive effect on your body and mind. The painting-by-number pictures from Schipper Arts & Crafts allow you to paint relaxing images such as the “mountain stream”, the “birch forest” or the “river landscape”. Adults find relief from everyday stress by filling in the pre-numbered areas.
If you want to demonstrate your knowledge, you can learn a lot about flora and fauna with the “Animals and Nature” quiz from Noris-Spiele. Over 3,000 questions and answers for everyone aged six and over ensure hours of fun for up to six players.
By the way: in Japan and the USA, the Japanese health-enhancing therapy “shinrin-yoku”, or “forest bathing”, has been hugely popular for years. The “forest bathing” therapy encourages people to walk through the forest in an attentive manner, slowing down their pace of life and exposing themselves to a range of sensory impressions. Doctors and pain therapists are convinced that this helps to promote health. For example, blood pressure and cortisol levels are lowered, which in turn prevents stress and depression. So, let’s go outdoors!