Nature walks with children on Dartmoor. 5 gentle ways to teach kids about nature on a walk

A slow, curious approach to learning on Dartmoor.

Nature walks with children on Dartmoor

There’s a moment that stays with me from one of our early walks on Dartmoor. We were meandering, not quite following a path, just letting the ground guide us, when my child stopped, crouched down, and whispered, “It’s furry.” They were holding a tiny leaf, and it took me a second to realise they meant its texture. Not soft. Not smooth. Furry. It was a moment of observation I’d completely missed. 

That moment changed how I approached walks with my kids. It reminded me that teaching them about nature doesn’t need to be structured or formal. It just needs to be open. Gentle. Observant. And it starts with us slowing down enough to let them notice things we no longer see.

Here are five of the simplest, most natural ways we’ve learned to explore Dartmoor together. No worksheets, no pressure, just curiosity and time.

1. Use your senses before your words

Before naming anything, take a breath. What do you hear? Smell? Feel? Ask your child the same. What does the rock feel like? What colour is the grass today? Does that bird sound different from the one we heard yesterday?

This opens up space for children to form their own connections. To describe the world in their own language. “Spicy-smelling leaves.” “Crunchy paths.” “Fluffy moss.” It might not be textbook science, but it’s real observation, and that’s where learning begins.

2. Let questions sit without answers

Children are brilliant at asking questions we can’t answer. “Why do sheep stare at us like that?” “Do trees remember things?” Instead of rushing to Google, or brushing them off, try responding with wonder. “What do you think?” “Maybe they do.” “Let’s watch for a bit.”

This teaches kids that not knowing is part of exploring. That questions are valuable, even without answers. It also creates a quieter, more mindful rhythm on the walk. One rooted in imagination as much as knowledge.

3. Collect stories, not souvenirs

Rather than filling pockets with sticks and stones (although that happens too), we once spent a walk gathering natural materials to build a dream catcher. We used fallen sticks, soft moss, lichen, birch bark, and whatever else we could find that had already come loose from the land. It wasn’t about taking from nature, but about noticing it. Appreciating its textures, its colours, its gentleness.

Later, we sat together and wove it all into something beautiful. A small piece of Dartmoor, built from memory and mindfulness. That dream catcher still hangs in our home. And every time we look at it, we remember that walk, not because we were told to learn something there, but because we felt something there.

4. Make time for stillness

It’s tempting to keep moving, to reach the end of the loop or the top of the hill. But some of our best learning moments have happened while sitting. On rocks, in grass, under trees.

One of our favourite tools for this is our hammock. We often set it up between two trees and climb in together. It becomes a soft, swinging pause in the day. Sometimes we listen to an audiobook (We love Roald Dahl!) or we just lie back and listen to whats around us. To the birds, the wind, the rustle of leaves above us. We watch clouds drift, spot branches swaying, squirrels darting from to tree to tree.

Give your child permission to stop. Sit together. Look around. See who moves first: bird, insect, breeze. The longer you sit, the more Dartmoor reveals itself. Children notice that too.

Stillness teaches patience. It helps them see how much is always happening when we take the moment to notice.

5. Follow their lead

Some days they’ll want to run. Other days they’ll want to lie on their backs and stare at the clouds. That’s okay. Not every walk needs a learning goal. But every walk is an opportunity for connection.

Let them pick a path, choose when to stop, decide what matters. You’re not just teaching them about nature, you’re showing them that their experience of the world has value.

Sometimes, the best lesson is simply: “I trust you. Let’s see where you go.”

These are the days that stay

Nature has so much to teach our children, but often, they end up being the ones teaching us.

for nature walks with children on Dartmoor, you don’t need to be a guide, an expert, or even all that outdoorsy. You just need to be alongside them. Dartmoor does the rest.

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If this sounds like how you like to walk…

Dartmoor Partner was built for families like yours. We offer access to 35 gentle, child-friendly routes, all carefully selected to help children explore and thrive in nature.

35-route Membership