There was a time when “I’m bored” wasn’t a problem to be solved with a screen, a subscription, or a fully scheduled calendar.

It was the beginning of something.

A stick became a sword.

A patch of dirt became a bakery.

A pile of leaves became a castle, a nest, or a secret hideout.

Childhood used to be slower. Messier. A little quieter. And somehow, a lot more magical.

Remember your own childhood?

If you were born before the end of the 90's we can guarantee that the things you remember doing (and loving) as a kid are vastly different to what kids born after the late 'noughties' want to do.

These days, it can feel like we’re expected to entertain our kids every waking moment. There’s always another activity, another show, another app, another class. But deep down, most of us know that what children really need isn’t more stimulation. It’s more space. More time. More freedom to play.

Play that encourages imagination, connection, engagement, and yes - possibly some mess and unruliness.

That’s where slow play comes in. Because we all know that our pre-digital era childhoods were amazing and we want our kids to have that level of freedom, space and ability to make do with the things from the environment around them to make fun.

If you think that slow play and nature based play go hand in hand, we agree! You can find some handy tips and information that sheds some more light on the link between happy kids and nature in our 'Nature Based Play' blog below.

Slow play is the old-fashioned kind of childhood.

Just like we remember. It’s:

1. Unhurried
2. Open-ended
3. Imaginative
4. Often outdoors
5. Led by the child, not the adult

There are no flashing lights, no instructions, no right or wrong way to do it. Just simple materials, a bit of time, and a lot of imagination.

Slow play doesn’t look impressive on Instagram. But it does build creativity, confidence, resilience, and a deep connection with the world around us.

Slow, unstructured play doesn't mean missing out. It helps provide the building blocks for kids to flourish.

Low-stimulation play helps children slow down, gives them room to process their thoughts and emotions.

'Un-plugged' kids have the space to develop concentration skills, better focus, patience and creativity, which are useful in school and everyday life.

The Nature Craft series of five books has over 100 ideas, simple crafts and activities to help kids slow down and ditch screen time for more green time.

Did you know that we have a growing library of free downloads, templates and printables that make incorporating nature play into your day even easier?

When you subscribe to the free Wild Club, you receive a link with access to our library of over 35 kid friendly, nature inspired downloads.

We regularly add free downloads, so if you're already a Wild Club subscriber, don't forget to check your emails to be in the know when a new freebie drops!