Ingurumena

Childhood was once a time when children spent time playing outside, nowadays, however, in the U.S., for example, they spend an average of only 30 minutes outdoors in addition to the statistics that state that in Spain children spend 990 hours a year watching television, playing on computers or other electronics. Worrying data that collides head-on with the many studies that deal with the endless benefits the relationship with nature has on children's health.

In this issue we propose various activities for children to enjoy nature this autumn.

Walking in the mountains, along the coast, in the countryside, a park or forest can in itself make a pleasant and fun activity to carry out with children, but if we want these excursions to become popular with our fellow travellers, we must provide a small dose of creativity to stimulate their senses.

Some simple but entertaining proposals that will improve these excursions:

• Tom Thumb: An adult will go ahead of the group to hide sweets along the way and as in the folk tale the walkers will collect them.
• Follow a trail: You can make arrows yourself from natural materials like twigs, sticks or stones that you can place before the group's arrival.
• Collection: Collecting leaves from different trees, the largest number of stones of one colour, or fruit bitten by animals, are just some of the possibilities.
• The master of the brush: We will take paper, paints or coloured pencils to draw the landscape.
• Orientation: We will initiate our companions in the use of compasses and maps to guide the group along part of the route.