10 Nature Play Ideas to Play With Trees

We live on a blue planet, yes, but also a planet of trees. In fact, 60,000 species of trees grace every continent and corner of the globe (except the polar regions, parking lots, and some misconceived playgrounds!)

Trees are as magnificent as they are prolific. With their roots in the earth and their branches in the sky, trees harvest sunlight, purify air, turn sand to soil, shelter life, create climate, and provide fuel for fire. They can live to be more than 9,000 years old and they range in height from the 115m tall redwoods of north America’s west coast, to the dwarf willow at just 6cm tall.

In Western Australia we are blessed with the soaring Karri, the fragrant peppermint tree, sandalwood and jam wood, the mighty jarrah, the impenetrably hard wandoo, the beautiful flowering banksias, the whispering sheoaks, the marri tree that provided medicinal treatments to Noongar families, and so many more.

And according to research they are neither mute nor devoid of thought. They communicate by releasing chemicals into the air, through electric impulses through their roots, and through fungal networks. They are known to sustain the stumps of felled neighbours for hundreds of years by feeding them water and nutrients.

Trees feed us with fruit and provide us with timber to build and warm our houses. We use their wood to fashion chairs and tables and to make utensils, tools, toys, cots and coffins.

So, when your child looks up at a tree and wants to climb it, know that it is not a random request. They come from a very long line of tree climbers. And being drawn to trees is something deeply felt from our first moments of life to our last. It starts from the moment we are first placed on a dappled blanket and allowed to reach up at the dance of shapes and shadows, to smell the damp earth, and to be settled by the rustle and song above.

Trees are, among so many things, the ultimate play structure. At once climbing gym, shade canopy, provider of loose parts, and perhaps the greatest call to a child’s imagination beyond the human voice.

And so we thought we’d share some simple play ideas for children to try as they play in or around trees. Of course, these ideas are just a starting point – your child, with both time and permission, will find so many more ways to play.

10 Nature Play Ideas to Play With Trees

1. Climb and climb again

Teach your child to climb safely. Remind them to always keep three points of contact – two hands, one foot, etc, and to never trust their weight to a limb thinner than their arm. Remind them to listen to their fear – if your inner climber says it isn’t safe, it isn’t – so it’s always best to start where you are comfortable and move from there only once they are ready.

2. Swing from a branch

Just swing by your hands, or try adding a thick, knotted rope, a tyre, or a wooden swing.

3. Lie underneath a tree on a blanket or on the ground

Read a book, tell a story, watch the leaves or the birds. This is one relaxing activity that can be enjoyed at every age!

4. Tree hug game

Go somewhere with lots of trees close together (park, forest, that spot at the edge of the school playground). Blindfold one of the players and have another player lead them (carefully) to a tree. The blindfolded player hugs the tree and uses all their senses to try and remember “their tree”. Their partner then leads them, still blindfolded, away from their tree. The tree hugger then removes their blindfold and tries to identify their tree.

5. Collect fallen leaves, small sticks and seed pods to create

There are lots of ways to create with natural loose parts. You might try making a mandala – a circular design that radiates from a central point and is filled with patterns made by repeating shapes and colours, or in this case, natural look parts. Alternatively, arrange your loose parts to create a picture, or the letters of your name.

6. Strike a pose

Use your body to imitate the shape of a specific tree that you can see in the park or playground. Invite a friend or family member to guess which tree your pose represents. Then switch roles and invite your friend to have a go at striking a tree pose of their own.

7. Build a cubby around a tree, or suspend one from a branch

A more temporary imaginary play choice, building a tree cubby can be as simple as leaning sticks up against a trunk, or hanging a sheet or tarp over a low hanging branch.

Or, level up by making a bell tent by:

1. Tying a rope to a branch and letting it hang down to 1m-1.5m from the ground
2. Taking a sheet or tarp and bunching up a handful of it right in its middle
3. Tying the rope to the bunched-up sheet (using a clove hitch or similar knot)
4. Tying short pieces of rope to the corners of the sheet using the same bunching method
5. Tying loops in the end of the short ropes and using tent pegs to peg them to the ground

8. Track a tree

Choose a tree in your garden or a local park and visit it regularly to observe how it changes. You could make notes or drawings to record these changes over time in a nature journal. Look carefully at the size and shape of your tree, the colour and texture of its leaves and bark, and for any insects or birds that might inhabit your tree.

9. Spend a day in a forest

Remind your children that trees are living things, that they communicate with and support each other, and take the time to enjoy a whole day amongst the trees.

10. Plant a tree

If you can, plant a tree at home so you can watch it grow. Alternatively, find a local tree planting initiative in a park or conservation reserve. Use this as an opportunity to learn about some of the amazing tree species that call WA home, and to discuss how our actions impact the world around us into the future.