Spring is unfolding around us so take advantage of the longer days with your children and discover your natural playground; in the garden, in the park and on a walk.

1. Watch spring unfold

Get the kids to pick a favourite tree or plant and watch how it is unfolding in the coming days and weeks. Chances are as the weather warms up and there is a bit of rain, leaves will unfurl and flowers will turn from buds to flowers. It’s a great time to look at nature. Here are 12 more ideas for the garden….

2. Make a daisy chain

The daisies are pushing their way through the lawn so it’s a perfect time to make a daisy chain. Here’s an easy six-step guide if you need a quick lesson.

3. Upcycle all those loo roll holders

And the kids can make a bird feeder. This ingenious idea uses just a few items from around the house and will occupy the kids for a while but once they have hung in a safe place for the birds, there are hours of fun bird watching. Here are the instructions on the RSPB website.

4. Identify a bird

Now the birds are pecking away at the new bird feeder it’s time to identify which bird is which! Here’s a great guide from the RSPB again to identify your new visitors.

5. Tweet of the day

As spring burst forth, those feathered friends are singing. Download the BBC Sounds App here and listen to Tweet of the Day with the kids. Kids waking up too early? Listen to the beautiful dawn chorus here, so much clearer with less traffic noise, and identify the different bird songs.

6. Take a closer look at insects

Children tend to love creepy crawlies in the garden and so it’s a great game to go searching to find and identify the hundreds who will be living. Use the BBC to help you here.

7. Become a Nature Doctor and help the butterflies

Encourage the kids to understand Nature better and create an Insect A&E with Dr Amir Kham on the Butterfly Conservation website. There’s also a section for identifying butterflies and moths and some ideas for family activities at home.

8. Build a bug hotel

A great one for teens keen to protect wildlife and encourage biodiversity is to build a bug hotel. It can be as multi-storey as your material at hand. Here are some top tips and ideas for what to use from the RSPB.

9. Help the hedgehogs

Hedgehogs are just emerging from hibernation and here’s how kids can help them wake up and get going.  Teach the children to leave areas of the garden untrimmed and a bit wild to protect the habitat of hedgehogs and other animals.

10. Have a late night

One for half term where the kids can stay up late and learn about wildlife at night. Sit in the garden and wait to see what might come along and what you might hear. You might even camp if the weather warms up!

11. … and while you’re out in the dark look up at the night sky

Download the stargazing reference App Night Sky and you can all identify stars, planets, constellations and satellites. Take a blanket or too as it is still quite chilly!

12. Check out the National Trust

Book ahead and visit the National Trust or visit the National Trust website for great ideas on what to do outdoors, even in your garden. See here.

13. So many ideas on the Scouts website

Known for being very resourceful, the Scouts website is packed with ideas for kids of all ages with plenty of ideas for outside. You don’t have to be a member to access.

Pond dipping at Sir Harold Hillier Gardens in Hampshire

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