Cultivating creativity – Outdoor family activities with 0-3 in Hong Kong

A: Repulse Bay beach has close access to restaurants and cafes.  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.

A：As they play on the beach, children are testing volume filling 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.

A：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.

A：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：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. 

A：Aside from getting exercise, exploring nature outdoors enables children to see birds, turtles and fish close up. 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.