Out and about

Try these ideas to help your child learn when you're out and about:

You will need

  • Suitable clothing
  • Bag or rucksack
  • Binoculars
  • Magnifying glass
  • Books or leaflets about
    • nature
    • local attractions
    • parks
    • nature reserves
    • flowers and plants

What to do

  • Talk about all the things you and your children see outside such as:
    • colours
    • the sun
    • clouds
    • the moon
    • neighbours
    • cars
    • shapes
    • stars
    • snow
    • houses and buildings
    • road or street signs
  • Ask questions like:
    • Where do you think the animals live?
    • How do insects build their homes?
    • Where do they get their food?
  • Involve children in gardening, litter picking and road safety
  • Visit local parks and nature reserves to look, listen and explore nature
  • Visit shops and libraries and chat to the people who work in them
  • Talk about the different weathers and seasons

Skills your child will learn

  • To be curious and interested in people, animals, and nature around us
  • How we can explore and experience the sun, wind, rain, and snow
  • Talk about and engage with people in the community and their roles
  • To use tools and resources purposefully for example spades, trowels, umbrellas, sun cream, wellingtons and books
  • Children can stimulate their senses when out and about

Look beyond the local park and soft play centre. Are there any green spaces, religious buildings, farms or historical sites that you haven't visited that you think your child could be curious about?

Search websites like Visit Lancashire for local attractions.

You will need:

  • a map or information to help you get the very most out of your visit
  • a camera or mobile phone to record the visit with pictures
  • snacks and drinks to keep your child motivated

What to do

Many places will have organised events for children, such as bug hunts, historical tours that encourage dressing up or joining in with religious festivals and celebrations.

Think about:

  • religious buildings such as churches, mosques and temples
  • castles and ruins
  • parks
  • canal walks
  • river walks
  • woodland walks
  • seaside experiences
  • museums
  • art galleries
  • farms

Take photos or videos

Asking children to take photographs or videos can help them share and relive their experiences with family and friends when they get home. Sometimes sites have information leaflets for your child to take home and remember their day out.

Compare places

When you visit remind your child of a place and experience your child knows well. Compare where you are to their familiar experiences, so they can make sense of their world and others. Talk about similarities and differences.

For instance, if you are looking around a church and your child is familiar with going to a mosque, compare the two. Compare the local duck pond you visit regularly to the canal walk you are going on.

Tell nursery or school

Take photographs of your child at the place you have visited and share these with your child's nursery, childminder or school. This will allow your child's key person to build on the learning experiences and your child can tell their friends about their trip.

Skills your child will learn:

  • strengthens your child's knowledge of the world around them
  • learn new words – enriching and widening your child's vocabulary through visiting new and exciting places
  • babies will also be hearing and understanding new words, even if they cannot talk

For older children:

  • notice similarities and differences between different religious and cultural experiences
  • talk about things they see in the museum from the past and compare them to the present

Our Walk and Talk page has tips and suggestions to help your child develop their communication and language skills when you're out and about.