Throughout 2025 my daughter (B) and I took on a challenge. Every day we did something fun outside in the natural world. It didn’t have to be long or big or complicated. The idea was that if we did it, maybe we’d get into the habit of doing it more. We posted daily to instagram and facebook and I wrote a blog explaining what we’d done and how it went.

Now the 365 day nature play challenge is completed and the complete list of activities and blogs are below. To help other parents looking for ideas, I’m also setting up a newsletter for 2026 with 7 nature play ideas each week.

We’re not going to stop playing outside so we’re going to keep finding new things but as we do we’ll develop new pages on the site. I’m also planning to pull these 2025 challenges together into new blogs which are easier to access. If you find it useful or think it could be more useful please get in touch by contacting me on social media or by email. Feedback is very much welcomed.

Check out the original challenge manifesto from December 2024 and some initial conclusions from January 2025.

Epilogue – The first day of a new year…

THE FULL LIST OF CHALLENGES DONE (backwards)…

A message in a bottle (the final challenge): 1 – The message in the bottle (31/12/25)

Days out with the kids: Discovering rocks, stones and fossils: 229 – Discovering a huge lump of coal in Cardiff Bay (18/5/25); 204 – throwing pebbles into the sea (11/6/25); 178 – Examining pebbles and their splash (6/7/25); 132 – Making a picture/maze on the beach (20/8/25); 2 – Looking for fossils on the beach (30/12/25)

Playing out after school with kids in winter: 43 – Putting lights up in the garden (19/11/25); 41 – Drawing in the frost on the car (21/11/25); 36 – Seeing your breath (26/11/25); 35 – Spotting a mouse in the rubbish (27/11/25); 30 – Planting bulbs for spring (2/12/25); 29 – Looking for moon shadows (3/12/25); 28 – Planting an amaryllis (4/12/25); 23 – Trapping air in a bottle (9/12/25); 20 – Making bird feeders (12/12/25); 18 – Taking in some new friends (13/12/25); 15 – Making a winter potion (17/12/25); 3 – Having a fire in the garden (29/12/25)

How to get kids to go on country walks: 100 – Looking for a waterfall (20/9/25); 4 – Finding one (28/12/25)

Introducing kids to a big old tree: 5 – Getting to know a big old tree (27/12/25)

Things for kids to spot when travelling & walking: 279 – Nests (28/3/25); 249 – Another bird spotting day (27/4/25); 239 – Spotting nesting roof sparrows (7/5/25); 271 – Spotting things on the motorway (5/4/25); 166 – The List Game (19/7/25); 55 – Photographing the beaver moon from a train (7/11/25); 53 – The Bird Game (9/11/25); 12 – Making friends with injured pigeons (19/12/25); 6 – How many flowers can you find? (26/12/25)

Playing with the wind (and getting ready for kite flying): 343 – Playing with the wind (23/1/25); 270 – Preparing for kite flying (6/4/25); 145 – Flying a kite (9/8/25); 7 – Watching the waves crash on the beach (25/12/25)

Treasure Hunts in Winter: 348 – The first treasure hunt of the 365 day nature play challenge (18/1/25). 292 – Birthday treasure hunt (15/3/25); 8 – A Christmas eve treasure hunt.

Ways to play outside with kids AND get ready for Christmas: 40 – Cutting the corkscrew willow and making a light decoration (22/11/25); 34 – Testing out the Twinkle Trail (27/11/25); 33 – Finding ‘our’ Christmas tree (29/11/25); 32 – Going to the woods to get sticks (30/11/25); 27 – Gathering holly and ivy (5/12/25); 26 – Making a wreath (6/12/25); 19 – Making a Christmas tree for the birds (13/12/25); 16 – Making a Christmas present for the rabbits (16/12/25); 14 – Carol singing in the square (17/12/25); 9 – A walk to see the Christmas lights.

More nature play for kids in London: 63 – Spotting parakeets (29/10/25); 61 – Feeding the wildlife in St James’ Park (30/10/25); 60 – Negotiating a flood (31/10/25); 54 – Meeting capybaras and going in search of other rodents (8/11/25); 10 – A nature game for an urban jungle (22/12/25)

Shadows and playing with rainbows: 364 – Indoor rainbow (2/1/25); 335 – School yard shadows (31/1/25); 289 – More fun with hand shadows (18/3/25); 37 – Making a window shadow picture (25/11/25); 11 – Revisiting the indoor rainbow (20/12/25)

Nature play ideas for a small front garden: 349 – Picking the leaves off the beech hedge (17/1/25); 332 – Chalking the plant shadows (3/2/25); 283 – How many insects can you find in a minute? (24/3/25); 21 – Cutting the hedge (11/12/25); 13 – Baby snail school (18/12/25)

Easy games to play in the garden with kids: 198 – The floor is lava (17/6/25); 191 – Maths garden games (24/6/25); 101 – Garden chess (19/9/25); 17 – Garden snakes and ladders (15/12/25)

Ways to play on very rainy days: 361 – A rainy day: playing with gutters (6/1/25); 260 – Watching seagulls in the rain (15/4/25); 233 – Negotiating thunderstorms (13/5/25); 170 – Sheltering from the storm (15/7/25); 118 – Getting caught in a storm on the beach…and seeing a rainbow (31/8/25); 111 – Making muddy footprints (10/9/25); 110 – Using sandbags to make dams (and boating lakes) (11/9/25); 108 – Spotting the best rainbow (14/9/25); 104 – Splashing in puddles (17/9/25); 22 – Listening to rain music (10/12/25)

Looking at the world from a different point of view: 269 – If I were a bird, how would I live? (7/4/25); 96 – Going on a ‘K-POP Demon Hunters’ QUEST! (27/9/25); 24 – If I were a dog, what would I do? (8/12/25)

Winter events which get kids outside in the natural world: 64 – Going to a light show (27/10/25); 57 – Going to a fireworks display (5/11/25); 47 – Meeting reptiles and other critters with Animal Cwtch (15/11/25); 46 – Exploring fossils and dissecting owl pellets with Wild Space (16/11/25); 25 – Going to Clearwell Caves Christmas event (7/12/25)

Fun things to do with kids while walking the dog: 287 – Birds (20/3/25); 205 – Throwing balls and eating snacks (10/6/25); 156 – Learning how to grass whistle… (29/7/25); 65 – Walking Evie, the lovely chihuahua (27/10/25); 38 – Making up bird calls (24/11/25); 31 – Finding the biggest puddle (1/12/25)

Playing with clouds. What stories can you see?: 276 – Making stories with the clouds (31/3/25); 212 – More cloud stories (1/6/25); 184 – Following a friendly cloud (30/6/25); 39 – Spotting plane tracks at dawn (23/11/25)

Nature detectives: fun ways to explore outdoors with kids: 241 – Tracking deer at Margam Park (5/5/25); 244 – Tracking footprints on the beach (2/5/25); 265 – Being nature detectives in a rural garden (10/4/25); 321 – looking for bird and animal tracks in the mud (14/2/25); 124 – How deep is the rabbit hole? (27/8/25); 93 – Night time nature walk (28/9/25); 42 – Tracks coming out of the garden pond (20/11/25)

Playing out after school with kids in autumn: 80 – Exploring the brambles behind the house (13/10/25); 78 – Hide and seek in the dark, in the park (14/10/25); 76 – After school autumn conker collecting party (16/10/25); 74 – Feeding baby seagulls in the supermarket car park (19/10/25); 73 – Kicking stones (18/10/25); 59 – Catching raindrops on a string (1/11/25); 58 – Exploring by bike (2/11/25); 51 – Cycling in the dark (10/11/25); 48 – Racing leaves down the gutter (14/11/25); 45 – Taking different paths (17/11/25); 44 – Hunting 67s (18/11/25)

The best outdoors autumn activities for kids; 116 – CONKERS! (3/9/25); 112 – Acorn and cobnut people (9/9/25); 106 – Picking pears (16/9/25); 99 – Flying sycamore helicopters (22/9/25); 97 – Making a harvest festival animal feeder (26/9/25); 94 – Turning the harvest festival feeder into a home for woodlice (29/9/25); 90 – Dew on the windscreen (1/10/25); 89 – Picking sloes and turning them into a fairy drink (4/10/25); 88 – Leaf chasing (5/10/25); 87 – Pumpkin picking (6/10/25); 86 – Leaf stomping (7/10/25); 84 – Leaf Lanterns (9/10/25); 77 – Catch a leaf (16/10/25); 52 – Gathering pine cones (10/11/25); 50 – Gathering leaves and making pictures (12/11/25); 49 – Making pine cone decorations (13/11/25)

Gentle experiments kids can do with insects outside: 237 – Testing ants’ taste preferences (9/5/25); 234 – Exploring spiders webs (12/5/25); 224 – Chasing butterflies (22/5/25); 203 – Snail racing (12/6/25); 187 – Rescuing a caterpillar (28/6/25); 173 – the most fun spiders ever (12/7/25); 168 – How many bugs can you find in 2 minutes? (17/7/25); 121 – Beetle rescue (29/8/25); 56 – Finding worms and making a wormery (6/11/25)

The best Halloween nature play: 87 – Pumpkin picking (5/10/25); 84 – Making leaf lanterns (9/10/25); 72 – Collecting cobwebs (20/10/25); 71 – Going on a bat walk (21/10/25); 70 – Carving pumpkins (22/10/25); 69 – Gathering sticks to make a broomstick (23/10/25); 68 – Making a broomstick (23/10/25); 67 – Making a Halloween display (23/10/25); 62 – Decorating the front garden for ‘Trick or Treater’s’ (31/10/25)

Visiting farms and zoos with kids and finding friendly (happy) animals: 298 – Lambs (9/3/25); 268 – Visiting a farm zoo (8/4/25); 219 – Baby animals at the zoo (27/5/25); 151 – Horse riding lesson (3/8/25); 122 – Feeding the wallabies at Manor Wildlife Park (28/8/25); 117 – Flying an owl at The British Bird of Prey Centre (1/9/25); 81 – Visiting an aquarium (12/10/25); 66 – Walking Yeehaw, the alpaca (26/10/25)

Nature play ideas: Things for kids to make: 286 – Making pine cone bird feeders (again) (21/3/25); 284 – Making daisy chains (23/3/25); 254 – Finding 5 things to make something with (22/4/25); 202 – Making things with reeds in the park (13/6/25); 182 – Leaving leaf messages (2/7/25); 154 – Making a map/plan of the bit of green behind our house (31/7/25); 113 – Making flower enchiladas for Twinkle (7/9/25); 103 – Making a fairy tree house (19/9/25); 102 – Making and testing a water wheel (20/9/25); 95 – Making hand cream (27/9/25); 91 – Bob and Peach Pear (30/9/25); 79 – Making things with lavender stems (14/10/25); 75 – A harvest crown (17/10/25)

Ways to get kids interacting with birds: 339 – Bird spotting (27/1/25); 338 – Feeding the seagulls (28/1/25); 337 – Making peanut butter bird snacks (and getting distracted) (29/1/25); 336 – Making a bird whistle (30/1/25); 334 – Birds in the city (1/2/25); 109 – Hearing the bird in the tree…and trying to spot it (13/9/25); 82 – Meeting a dove on the way to the station (11/10/25)

The Stick! First and best of all toys: 342 – Finding a good stick (24/1/25); 322 – The return of the stick (13/2/25); 83 – Stick peeling (10/10/25)

Playing with the garden tree: 356 – Climbing the garden tree (10/1/25); Hoists & pulleys (the alternative challenge 337) (29/1/25); 325 – Putting a pulley system in the garden tree (10/2/25); 320 – Making an animal feeder (15/2/25); 171 – Making things at the top of the tree (14/7/25); 85 – Making a swing (8/10/25)

Different ways to stargaze with kids: 341 – A first go at stargazing (25/1/25); 267 – A second attempt at stargazing with nice seats, safety and spring weather (8/4/25); 92 – Stargazing in the country park (28/9/25)

Planting things and playing with flowers: 297 – Planting seeds (10/3/25); 290 – Pressing daffodils (17/3/25); 252 – Sewing wild flowers (24/4/25); 238 – Planting beans and building a climber for the runners; 232 – Planting tomato plants (14/5/25); 197 – Discovering strawberries (18/6/25); 160 – Pressing wildflowers (and finding the pressed daffodils) (25/7/25); 158 – Picking and tasting a home grown tomato (27/7/25); 98 – Planting the old ginger (25/9/25).

An action based scavenger hunt sort of thing… for August: 133 (19/8/25); 105 – The park list game (17/9/25)

The wildlife encounters that are a bit close to home in the 365 Day Nature Play Challenge: 189 – Spotting seagulls nesting on the roof (26/6/25); 180 – The seagull chick soap opera (part one) (4/7/25); 165 – Baby fox on the doorstep (20/7/25); 162 – The seagull chick soap opera (part two) 23/7/25; 115 – DRAGONFLY ATTACK! (6/9/25); 107 – The brown marmorated stink bug on the coat hooks in the hall (16/9/25)

Wild swimming with ‘not so keen’ 10 year olds: 201 – I swim. B throws balls for me to fetch (14/6/25); 194 – Taking a dog to the beach (21/6/25); 159 – How long till the sea washes the chalk off the pebbles? (26/7/25); 144 – ‘Race you to the buoy and back’ (10/8/25); 120 – Exploring a natural swimming pool (29/8/25); 114 – Waiting for the tide to come in (and WAVES) (6/9/25)

Wayfinding for kids: 318 – Trying out wayfinding. Some verbal instructions (17/2/25); 317 – The second wayfinding challenge. Written instructions (18/2/25); 308 – Wayfinding by bike (27/2/25); 119 – Finding a new coastal walk (30/8/25)

Playing in the woods with kids: 250 – A walk in the woods (26/4/25); 235 – ‘Guess the leaf’ games (11/5/25); 228 – Making things for the fairies (18/5/25); 185 – Wayfinding in the countryside (29/6/25); 150 – Writing in the moss on tree trunks (4/8/25); 123 – Finding a secret place in a tree (28/8/25)

Looking for nature play ideas and opportunities in North London: 313 – Making paper boats and looking for somewhere to float them (22/2/25); 312 – Bird watching at Camden Lock Market (23/2/25); 311 – Getting lost on Hampstead Heath (24/2/25); Gathering ‘fallen’ things at Waterlow Park, Highgate (25/2/25); Navigating London by compass (26/2/25); 163 – Exploring Highgate Cemetery (22/7/25); 128 – Urban night time adventures at the fountains (24/8/25); 127 – Urban map reading v. navigating by instinct (25/8/25); 126 – Find your favourite London tree (26/8/25); 125 – Being a Junior Adventurer at London Zoo (25/8/25).

Playing by rivers as a family : 347 – Playing by the river in winter and spotting monsters (19/1/25); 262 – Playing with tides and waves (13/4/25); 251 – Making boats and racing them (25/4/25); 134 – Looking for otters and cygnets (17/8/25); 129 – Finding the way down to the river bank (23/8/25)

Mucking about on a paddleboard with 10 year old daughter (and friends): 140 – Mucking about on a paddleboard – medium/high tide (7/8/25); 138 – Adventuring on a paddleboard – low tide (11/8/25); 131 – An evening at the beach with paddleboard and friends (22/8/25); 130 – Digging yourself into the sand (22/8/25)

How to camp for mums with 10 year old daughters: 149 – Going camping (5/8/25); 148 – Catching fairies and sending them home (6/8/25); 147 – Skimming stones (7/8/25); 146 – Listening to the rain (8/8/25); 143 – Tent and Torch Shadow Theatre (11/8/25); 142 – Pooh Sticks (12/8/25); 141 – Crab Fishing (13/8/25); 139 – Going to an agricultural show (15/8/25); 137 – Painting Stones (16/8/25); 136 – Wildlife spotting (17/8/25); 135 – Walking the cliff path (18/8/25)

Harvesting for kids in summer: Apples, blackberries and more: 177 – Pulling the seeds off (7/7/25); 176 – Picking wildflowers (8/7/25); 175 – Carving windfall apples and pears /(9/7/25); 174 – Picking blackberries (10/7/25); 169 – Harv/esting lavender and making perfume (16/7/25); 167 – Finding plants that smell nice (18/7/25); 164 – Investigating strange fruits (21/7/25); 161 – Pick your own (strawberries & wildflowers); 153 – Harvesting apples… (1/8/25); 152 – Finding a fidget acorn and cup (2/8/25)

The 365 day nature play challenges that didn’t really work: 358 – Big boots ( 8/1/25); 328 – Blowing bubbles in the cold and the dark (7/2/25); 264 – Water pistols at sunset (11/4/25); 155 – Failing to get the boat to Flatholm Island (30/7/25)

Activities for ten year olds in the Wye Valley: 216 – Stroking a baby donkey (30/5/25); 215 – Canoeing on the Wye (30/5/25); 214 – Walking with butterflies (30/5/25); 157 – The Elton Maize Mazes (28/7/25)

Buying caterpillars from ‘Insectlore Europe’ and growing them into butterflies: 199 – Getting caterpillars through the post (16/6/25); 192 – Checking in on the caterpillars (23/6/25); 188 – Transferring the chrysalides into the butterfly habitat (27/6/25); 181 – The butterflies emerge (3/7/25); 179 – Setting the butterflies free (4/7/25)

Introducing kids to frogspawn and tadpoles: 295 – Spotting frogspawn by the light of the full moon (12/3/25); 288 – Checking in on the frogspawn… and finding tadpoles (19/3/25); 274 – Checking in on the tadpoles… (2/4/25); 245 – Another tadpole check in (1/5/25); 231 – The last tadpole check in in…for now (15/5/25); 210 – Finding things swimming in the garden bucket (2/6/25); 183 – Weird bugs in last week’s paddling pool (1/7/25)

Discovering Porthkerry Country Park with a 10 year old: 200 – Planes and viaducts (15/6/25); 186 – A grasshopper called ‘Camo’, an amazing den, pond dipping and lots of rocks (28/6/25)

Watching and making nests and spotting baby birds with children: 230 – Spotting a swan on her nest (16/5/25); 227 – Making a nest (19/5/25); 226 – Finding a place for the nest (20/5/25); 193 – Finding a secret place down in the reeds by the water (22/6/25); 190 – Hearing the dawn chorus (25/6/25);

Sunrise & sunset on the beach with kids: 357 – Sunrise on the beach (9/1/25); 195 – Sunset on the beach (20/6/25)

Fun things to do with kids outdoors on hot sunny days: 247 – Walking on the shadows (29/4/25); 246 – Making rainbows with the garden hose (30/4/25); 196 – Making a spa (19/6/25)

Does playing with pets count as a nature play challenge?: 258 – Making kitten toys (17-18/4/25); 257 – Welcoming a new member of the family (19/4/25); 240 – Practising kitten stroking skills (6/5/25); 255 – Making an obstacle course for the bunnies (21/4/25); 209 – Picking food for the rabbits (6/6/25); 206 – Helping the kitten explore outside (9/6/25).

Making the most of boat trips with kids: 266 – The first boat trip of the year (9/4/25); 207 – Going to the ‘other side’ on the Waverley (8/6/25)

Setting up Treasure Hunts for kids…: 211 – Testing the Victoria Square Treasure Hunt (2/6/25); 208 – Taking grandma on a treasure hunt (7/6/25)

NO ELECTRONICS! day: 213 (31/5/25)

Nature play ideas for Spring in the local park: 304 – Feeding squirrels (3/3/25); 299 – Listening hide & seek (6/3/25); 263 – Drawing in the earth (and finding weird white stuff that maybe should be avoided) (12/04/25); 261 – Nature walk in Crouch End (13/04/25); 259 – Running away from the responsible adult (16/4/25); 222 – Exploring a tree with friends (24/5/25); 220 – Finding baby conkers and helicopters (26/5/25); 218 – Perfume ingredients, litter picking and hide and seek (28/5/25); 217 – Guess what? (27/5/25)

The 365 day nature play challenge SUNDIAL day: 236 – Sundials (10/5/25); 221 – Working out which way the wind is blowing (25/5/25)

Five minute nature play challenges: 331 – Catkins (4/2/25); 330 – Hunt the snowdrop (5/2/25); 315 – Watching raindrops (20/2/25); 314 – Exploring the bushes by the supermarket (21/2/25); 248 – Blowing and plucking dandelions (28/4/25); 225 – Listening to the rain (21/5/25); 223 – Listening to the birds at twilight (23/5/25)

A year of playing with the small garden pond: 363 – Breaking the pond ice (3/1/25); 278 – Emptying the garden pond (29/3/25); 242 – Getting fish for the garden pond (4/5/25)

Rockpools, tides, shells and crabs and how to enjoy them with kids: 243 – Waiting for the tide to go out on Sully Island (3/5/25)

Playing in trees with children who are instinctively cautious: 354 – Tree bouncing (12/1/25); 253 – Climbing trees again (23/4/25)

Kids play ideas in a small back garden (Spring): 256 – Easter Egg Hunt (20/4/25); 302 – An almost Easter egg hunt in the garden (5/3/25); 306 – Using garden cuttings to make the trampoline into a den (1/3/25); 291 – B improves the trampoline den (16/3/25); 300 – Making things out of garden waste (7/6/25);

The first day of the challenge revisited. The Stick Igloo: 365 – Starting. The Stick Igloo (1/1/25); 273 – The Stick Igloo returns (3/4/25); 274 – Leaving nesting materials out for the crows (4/4/25)

Playing at being witches outside: 355 – Gathering ingredients for potions (11/1/25); 277 – Gathering potions ingredients again…with a friend (30/3/25); 344 – Pumpkin smashing and cauldron splashing (22/1/25); 329 – Looking for wands in the woods (6/2/25);

Nature play ideas: Things for kids to collect: 301 – Twigs (6/3/25); 303 – Feathers (4/3/25); 296 – Ghost leaves (11/3/25); 282 – Catkins (25/3/25); 280 – Weird squidgy things (27/3/25); 275 – Blossoms (1/4/25)

Scavenger hunts in winter: 352 – The first scavenger hunt (Collecting things) (14/1/25); 319 – A more active sort of scavenger hunt (16/2/25); 294 – Signs of Spring scavenger hunt (13/3/25); 281 – A scavenger hunt for the brownies (26/3/25)

Beach combing in winter with kids: 333 (2/2/25); 285 – Making things out of driftwood and stones on the beach (22/3/25)

Looking for the moon: 353 – Attempting to watch the wolf moon rise (13/1/25); 323 – Listening for night noises and finally finding the full moon (12/2/25); 293 – Spotting (and then losing) the partial lunar eclipse (14/3/25)

Playing on the beach with kids in Spring: (307 – 28/2/25) with 305 – Returning to the beach to make sandcastles (2/3/25)

Exploring willow sticks: 346 – Playing with willow sticks and getting distracted by the chimenea (20/1/25); 316 – Using the cut willow on the Christmas Tree den (19/2/25)

Playing with last years Christmas tree: 359 – Taking the Christmas tree out (7/1/25); 324 – Making last years Christmas tree into a den (11/2/25)

Playing in the sand dunes: 326 – Visiting sand dunes for the first time (9/2/25)

Night time garden adventures: 360 – Exploring the garden in the dark (6/1/25); 327 – Playing with fire (carefully) in the back garden (8/2/25)

Pebbles, puddles and lots of splashing: 340 (26/1/25)

Adventures with litter picking: 345 (21/2/25)

Having fun in the fog: 351 – Torches and shadows (15/1/25); 350 – Playing with fog drops (16/1/25)

Taking down the Christmas Lights: 362 (4/1/25)