Take the children out into nature.

There are many good reasons to go out into nature, whether you prefer to go hiking, cook for the family at the nearest outdoor kitchen, or go fishing. Sometimes, however, you might lack inspiration to boost the children’s interest in nature and its many treasures, which can of course be frustrating if your family spends a lot of time outdoors. 

The children’s patience may not always be enough to join a traditional fishing trip, and they might not be very interested in hiking either. Fortunately, there are many other activities you can entice the children to join, and if you find the right recipes, it’s almost certain that the children’s interest in eating food outdoors can also be awakened.
In this article, we will give you a few ideas for activities you can do with the children in nature and a few recipes that might encourage them to join in the cooking fun outdoors.
We have gathered ideas for both the older children and the little ones!

For the little ones - Chestnut animals

Autumn invites new games in the forest and offers new treasures to find!
Suddenly, the forest floor is covered with chestnuts throughout the northern part of Europe.
From Sweden to the Netherlands, children collect chestnuts to make chestnut figures. It’s easy as an adult to forget the small simple things that gave us hours of joy when we were children. Rediscover your childlike side and create chestnut figures with your dear little ones! Only your imagination sets the limits. 

Not only is the activity fun, it also provides a great reason to get out into nature in search of these small brown curiosities. 

When the chestnuts have just fallen from the tree, they can be quite hard to pierce with a toothpick. Instead, you can make a small hole with a thumbtack or a sewing needle to help the process along. Draw faces with either a marker or glue on small eyes. Give them tails, horns, or ears with wire or natural materials for an extra little touch! The possibilities are endless. 

For everyone - Elderberries and Elderberry Juice

Autumn calls for elderberry juice and elderberry jam!
The white flowers we saw around in the summer have transformed into sweet dark berries hanging in clusters on the elderberry bushes. These taste fantastic and have been used for many years to make juice and jam.
Just like collecting chestnuts for chestnut figures, the elderberry juice project is a great reason to take a long walk to find the berries. Make it a hunt and a game, point out the colors and sounds of autumn to the children, ask them to feel the cold and autumn wind. They will undoubtedly find it interesting to explore the autumn forest hand in hand with the adults closest to them. Maybe you’ll come across the perfect climbing tree, a small stream, or even a natural playground hidden somewhere in the forest while searching for elderberries, which are found in most forest edges. 

When you find the elderberries, simply cut the whole cluster off the bush and collect them in a bag, basket, or similar. The bush will be fine! When you get home, you can pick the berries off the branches and wash them. If you are lucky enough to find many berries, they can easily be frozen—both cooked and raw. 

REMEMBER: Elderberries contain specific toxins that can make you and your loved ones sick. Therefore, elderberries should never be eaten raw! Fortunately, the toxins disappear after cooking, and you can safely serve homemade elderberry juice and elderberry jam to your guests. 

For the slightly older - who need a challenge! 

Whittling wood for children and adults 

Although Emil from Lönneberga often ends up whittling his wooden figures alone in the workshop when his father gets angry, it is still a very cozy activity that several people can enjoy together, and it’s amazing to sit and whittle with your children.
There are tons of guides for easy figures your children can make themselves.
You can find plenty of inspiration and techniques in Frank Egholm’s whittling books, such as “The Big Whittling Book” or “Children’s Whittling Book”, or “Whittled Small Birds”

A proper whittling knife set is of course a must—not only for safety reasons but also because it definitely becomes easier and therefore more fun when the equipment is in good order and does not create obstacles in an activity that should otherwise be trouble-free. 

It is certainly not an activity for the little ones, but the older children will definitely enjoy whittling. Whittling figures together also provides an opportunity to teach children how to handle a whittling knife set as well as whittling knives in general, so they don’t get hurt now or in future situations. At the same time, there is no doubt that this activity requires both calm and concentration, which certainly allows for immersion in the process together with the children. Activities don’t always have to be big or demanding to bring a good dose of quality time that becomes memorable for everyone involved.
Each object that is whittled is unique and something the children have helped create themselves, and it quickly becomes something they are proud of.
Whittling your own figures with your own whittling knife set that they have learned to use quickly becomes a creative success experience that boosts confidence! 

Whittling also has many side benefits for children, as it gives them the opportunity to develop fine motor skills and promote their creativity.
It is both fun, educational, and creates space for quality time. There are many good reasons to get started with whittling! 

Find everything you need here.

Geocaching - Go on a real treasure hunt!
What is Geocaching, and how do you do it? 

A brilliant activity for the whole family!

Have you heard of Geocaching before, or are you new to the phenomenon? If you are, here is an explanation of the concept. Geocaching is a game or “sport” that is perfect to do with your children; it is basically a treasure hunt for the whole family, and you can find Geocaching treasures all over the world.

Geocaching is simply about finding small treasures, also called “a cache,” which are hidden around by different people who report the locations of the caches on an app.
You just need to register in the geocaching app, and then you can see where to go to find the cache. Geocaching can be compared to a treasure hunt where you get the treasure map on an app instead of physically in your hand—and of course, there is more than one treasure on the map, meaning several caches. 

The idea is that you are guided, via the treasure map on the app, to beautiful and new places wherever you are, while you don’t have to prepare the game yourself. This makes the concept an easily accessible child-friendly activity that is both fun and challenging! We have done it many times ourselves, and it is really fun for the whole family. Besides finding the location where the treasure/cache is hidden, you often have to solve a small 'riddle' to find the exact position. Often, they are well hidden.

These small treasures, or caches, often consist of a small plastic container containing a logbook, writing tools, and small “gifts.” These small “gifts” don’t have great value but are often fun or meaningful regarding the place you visit. When you find the cache, you are supposed to write a little note in the logbook about either the place you are visiting, your geocaching trip, or a comment about something else you encountered. You can then take one of the small “gifts” from the plastic container and leave another one—maybe you found chestnuts or another natural treasure you want to share with the next visitors? Otherwise, you can bring a small item from home to have something to trade so there is also a treasure for the next person.
The idea is also to report your visit to the cache on the geocaching app. That way, other interested people can see that someone has been to the cache. At the same time, the person who placed the cache can also see that there have been visitors. 

If you haven’t tried geocaching before, it’s definitely worth a try! Geocaching is a great reason to take long walks and see places that others recommend you visit. At the same time, there is no doubt that children will love the treasure hunt, which is a big part of geocaching. During the trip, you can also play with the children and see who can find the best small “gifts” in nature to leave at the cache you are heading to.

Have a great time with the whole family!