How does nature help develop language?
The best thing about being in nature is it instinctively promotes language! Firstly, being in nature helps your child develop their listening skills. They learn to tune in to the sounds around them, like birds chirping, leaves rustling, or waves lapping.
This careful listening is crucial for language development, as it helps your child become more attentive and become aware of different sounds.
What’s even better is that the language and experiences change with the seasons! A walk in the woods on a sunny spring day with bluebells in bloom, is a completely different experience from a wet autumn day, with muddy puddles to jump in and vibrant autumn colours all around.
Each season brings new sights, sounds, and smells, providing endless opportunities for your child to learn and talk about their surroundings.
Overall, being in nature not only promotes language development but also nurtures your child’s curiosity, creativity, and connectedness to the world around them.
It’s a simple yet powerful way to support your child’s understanding of nature and the biodiversity in their local area, and will help them to develop the skills they will need to be the future stewards of our planet!
Top tips:
- Go on a ‘nature walk’ with your child: this can spark conversations about the environment and wildlife, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of the natural world – your child might ask questions about the animals they see or the plants they encounter, leading to meaningful discussions and further language development
- Go on a ‘colour walk’ with your child: you could take a sheet of paper and some crayons/felt tips to mark all the different colours you spot together
- Encourage your child to describe what they can see and hear: for example the colours of the flowers, the shapes of the leaves, or the sounds of the animals – this rich, descriptive language helps expand your child’s vocabulary and improve their communication skills as they explore
- Get down to your child’s level and see the world from their height: nature is even more magical the nearer to the ground you get!
