Why outdoor games make good parents

As part of my work as a Nature Guide, I recently thought more in depth about the outdoor activities I facilitate: what role do parents play during our outdoor time and how does their child benefit from this?

Recently parents have started calling me “teacher Kelly”, which embarrasses me a bit: my job is to take children out into nature to learn by having fun. I don’t want to be called “teacher”: “teachers” don’t do that. Of course, I am not talking of all teachers, but I have the stereotypical traditional teacher in mind who I don’t want to be.

The funny thing is, when I was little, I wanted to become a teacher! Not sure why: maybe because my teacher picked me to be class monitor, which, as a child, I was so proud of… In my mind back then it was probably quite straightforward: if something made me happy, I would feel good and go ahead and do it.

Every day after dinner my dad used to sit on the sofa and watch TV. That was the moment when I had to catch him to become my student. So I attached a piece of squared paper from my school notebook to the partition window in the living room, using it as my blackboard. Then I started to mimic the tone that teachers usually have and said “Laodou!” (which in cantonese dialect means ‘dad’)- “Laodou, be good. I am going to teach you how to say ‘apple’ in English. Repeat after me: A-P-P-L-E.”

My dad played along with me, happy to take this role, and read it out aloud. He also had to raise his hand before speaking and asked me many questions!

Remembering this now, I realise how patient my dad had been with me, and by being “silly” playing along with me, he actually provided me with a fun childhood, a memory of happiness that I still hold today.

My parents gave me a lot of freedom to make my choices while growing up. If I really wanted to do something, they gave me a lot of trust. The first time I moved to Shanghai for work I got stuck with a work assignment, but when I discussed this with my mum on the phone, she never blamed me, but instead reminded me to be strong and face the difficulties ahead, and reassured me that I could always go back home if things did not work out.

So, what did I learn from my parents? How can mums and dads help their children during the activities?

I feel parents can be like invisible heroes, providing their kids with support as they grow up, but from an appropriate distance. This is why during Green Steps activities we often involve parents: it is a great opportunity to create fun memories, spend quality time together, and it gives children the feeling to be supported during their choice of play.

Of course our activities are also designed to increase social skills: parents must not be their child’s only “friend”. Children need to meet other kids of similar age and build relationships and trust. During game times, children can develop a sense of belonging and learn to work together as part of a team or group.

As nature guides, our mission is to nurture a healthy generation of people who will take care of our planet. To fully benefit from our efforts, the children will need the support and understanding from their parents. We plant seeds, but parents have a way bigger responsibility - they grow the plant.