Author: Betty Yau
Principal, Fairchild Nursery and Kindergarten
Now the weather has cooled down, it’s perfect to get outdoors and spend time as a family enjoying nature. We are fortunate that Hong Kong has great access to both beaches and the hills within easy travelling distance!
Great beaches for family time with young ones are Repulse Bay beach, with close access to restaurants and cafes, as well as a shopping mall! If you don’t mind getting a bit further out, beaches at Pui O, Discovery Bay, and Ma Wan are a short ferry ride from Central, and offer good facilities and a nice day out. Children absolutely love the open ended play with sand and water. As they play, they are testing volume as they fill up buckets with sand or water, exploring sensory textures as they dig and play with sand, and finding out about the concepts of sinking or floating as they allow their toys to sit in a pool of water, or if they themselves bravely take a swim or paddle in the sea. Collecting shells from the beach provides a great opportunity to practice counting skills, and bring home a memento of the visit for further play at home. An afternoon of fresh air at the beach will give the children a good appetite, and have adults and children alike ready for a very good night’s sleep!
For hikes as a family, Peng Chau, Cheung Chau and Lamma Islands offer great opportunities to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and to spend time closer to nature. These islands all offer short family friendly walks, with close access to restaurants post hike. A nice seafood lunch is always welcome after a morning’s hike! For a short city hike, the morning trail up at Victoria Peak provides a fairly sheltered circular walk, with toilet facilities en route, and the convenience Peak Galleria at the end of the walk.
A wonderful outdoor place to explore is Inspiration Lake close to Hong Kong Disneyland. With the lake as the centerpiece, the area around the lake provides wide open grassy spaces to walk or cycle, and a large outdoor playground to play in before or after walking all the way around. The lake itself had pedalo boats for hire, and there are ample places to sit and have a picnic as you watch the world go by. Transport is convenient, it’s a short walk from the train station, and car parking close to Disneyland itself. It’s a great alternative to a local neighbourhood park, more spacious, but less sheltered.
Around Hong Kong, we have free access to many outdoor playgrounds or sitting out areas which often have a playground space or play equipment. Hong Kong Park and Kowloon Park have large playgrounds with sand play, water fountains, and aviaries to explore. Both are short walks from shopping malls and toilet facilities, making them very convenient for a family day out. Exploring nature around an urban park is satisfying and allows children to see birds, turtles and fish close up. In addition to getting exercise, these hands-on experiences will support children’s sense of wonder, allowing them to develop their cognitive skills. Conversations with children about what they see while on a day out will help them build neural connections, these support their brain development in a holistic way. What better way to foster imagination and creativity?
