Source: Auckland Council
Getting out in nature is a great way to have fun! Here are some activities for you to keep the kids entertained in your backyard or on your walk through your local park:
Backyard adventures
Meet Ranger Glenn and the Parks team! They’re here with some great ideas to get you active and connecting with nature in your backyard.
Join the team each day on our Auckland Parks Facebook page to see what adventures are planned. So far, we’ve been checking in on what we can and can’t do whilst we’re staying home, we’ve made a nature-inspired teddy bears picnic table and been on a belly hike for nature treasures
Fun nature activities
Here are some fun nature activities for your kids to do in your backyard or on your walk through your local park:
Bird spotting
Do a 5-minute bird survey each day to see how many native birds you can spot. Did you see a tui?
Check out this article to see what some of our most common native birds look like.
Native trees
Can you spy five native trees on your walk? Our Parks team has given us some info to help you identify them.
Rainy day activities – here’s a fun tree quiz, can you identify trees just by their leaves?
Head on over to our Auckland Parks Facebook page and learn about our different native trees and even how to harvest harakeke.
Photo safari
Choose a subject (e.g. flowers or a colour theme) and see what photos you can capture. We’d love to see them so get one of your whānau to upload them to the Auckland Parks Facebook page.
Get crafty in nature
Need a project? Here are some ideas to get crafty in nature:
Build a pollinator
Did you know that pollination is vital to the reproduction of flowering plants and the production of the fruits and vegetables we eat? With a few items from around the garden you can create your own pollinator!
Follow our biodiversity team’s cool guide and set one up in your backyard.
Start a nature journal
Draw, sketch, paint or chalk pictures of leaves, trees or birds. Autumn is creating some amazing reds, oranges and yellows to fire your imagination.
Make some rubbings
Take a piece of white paper and a pencil out items from your backyard. What patterns can you find? How about the bark of a tree or a leaf?
Remember:
- Stay local: where you live near a park, you can go for a walk, jog or cycle through your local park for exercise and general mental wellbeing.
- Social distancing: two metre distances from people outside your bubble should be observed at all times.
- You must not play on playgrounds or use exercise equipment.
- Be kind
- For up to date information about COVID-19, visit covid19.govt.nz.
Keep an eye on the Auckland Parks Facebook page for other great ideas to connect with nature.
