1. Bird Watching

Photo Credit: frosty_white_raven

Bird watching is an excellent hobby for kids who love nature! Install a bird feeder near a window, and see which birds come to eat. Help your little one identify the birds, and listen to see if you can tell which birds are there without even looking… their calls and songs are so unique! To make the hobby extra interesting, buy an Audubon field guide and checklist!

2. Meteorology

Photo Credit: Lisa at TSS

Most kids love weather, so studying and tracking the weather might be a great hobby for a kid who’s always interested in storms and sunshine. Buy him a notebook to record the weather, and install a thermometer to help him track temperatures effectively. Why not also see if you can help him learn which types clouds are which, and what they all mean?

3. Bug Hunting

Photo Credit: khosey1

Some kids are afraid of creepy crawly insects, but other kids are fascinated by them. If your little one loves tracking bees or is always asking about lady bugs, help her start a bug journal, and why not go on a backyard bug hunt?

4. Keeping an Aquarium

Photo Credit: ALittaM

A salt-water aquarium is a large investment, but it’s worth it if your little one is interested in colorful fish and other sea life. An aquarium can be a little ecosystem all on its own, and I know a lot of children who would be fascinated by one!

5. Gardening

Photo Credit: abennett23

Most kids think food comes from the grocery store, and don’t see the connection between what they eat and the plants they see all around. Help your little one plant a vegetable garden, and teach her how the sun, soil, and water all work together to make those tasty carrots she loves! It’s a hobby she’ll love as an adult, too…

6. Rock Collecting

Photo Credit: Mine Hunter

My daughter loved her rock collection, and would spend her allowance ordering exotic samples from all over the world. But a rock collection doesn’t have to be that elaborate - it can just be a shoebox full of rocks and stones your little one thinks are cool.

7. Astronomy

Photo Credit: krashingmotions

What better way to spend a clear summer night than to watch a meteor shower, or to find your favorite constellation? Buy a small telescope and map of the stars… most kids love the idea that something so far away can be seen so beautifully all the way down here! A quick trip to the planetarium might tell you whether or not this would be a suitable hobby for your little star-gazer…

8. Photography

Photo Credit: Wobblyhands

If your child is a little shutterbug, give her a small camera of her own, and set her loose outside. She’ll comeback with shots of leaves, bugs, and maybe an interesting puddle. Taking close-up photos of nature will teach her how important even the smallest part of our world is… and give her an appreciation for it!

These are just a few nature-related hobbies kids will love, and hobbies that will keep them interested in our natural world for a long, long time! Which of these hobbies do you think your kids would enjoy? Or is there another nature hobby your kids already do? Please share with me!

Top Photo Credit: Sarah (sb)