ECO EASTER HOLIDAY ADVENTURES FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME
Always thought going on an ECO adventure meant packing up the trailer and driving hours until you reached nature’s best-preserved national park? Have you ever thought about going for an adventure in your backyard? While most of us think we must leave our homes and travel as far as possible to go on holidays, there are so many things to explore just in front of our doorsteps.
This Easter, we want to encourage you to not let this crisis ruin your holidays. Instead, take this very unique time as an opportunity to go and explore your closest surroundings. You might even see everything from a different perspective; from the perspective of an ECO adventurer!
Have a look at these ideas and see if there is something that triggers the ECO adventurer in you.
• Camping in the backyard
Photo: Bonfire. / Credit: Mount Barney Lodge.
Going camping is a great adventure that even your littlest ones can engage in. All you need is to dig out your tent and pitch it in the middle of your backyard. Make it even more authentic by lighting a bonfire (remember to check your region’s fire restrictions first!). If you have the resources, carve your own individual wooden sticks. You can then stick your home-made stick bread or marshmallows onto them and enjoy a great night around the fire before crawling into your tent. And if there is no backyard available, set your tent up in your living room or spare room. Sleeping in there will still be an exciting adventure for everybody to enjoy.
• Stargazing
Photo: Stargazing. / Credit: Earth Sanctuary World Nature Centre.
Never have the skies been clearer than now, with only a small number of airlines still flying. Let’s take advantage of this and go stargazing. For this particular ECO adventure, you don’t need much. Just take a blanket and some pillows and lay down in the grass in the evening. You’ll be surprised by all the stars that you will get to see and how much there is to learn about our beautiful universe. If you want to incorporate an educational element, download the Night Sky app to teach you about the constellations you see, or hone in on your imagination by making up your own.
• Easter egg hunt
Photo: Easter eggs. / Credit: Pixabay.
Make the Easter egg hunt extra special this year by integrating a little adventure. Hide the chocolate eggs in your neighbourhood and get the whole family involved. Everybody will be allowed to keep their own findings. This is a great incentive to get everybody to run as fast as they can (we’re talking from experience!). Alternatively, turn your traditional Easter egg hunt into a scavenger hunt, by hiding hints that will lead to the grand big Easter surprise.
• Embrace the night
Photo: Melbourne by night. / Credit: Pixabay.
We promise you that this hike will be a special one. Put on your shoes as soon as the sun has set and don’t forget to grab a couple of spare batteries for your torch. Don’t plan your route, just leave the house and explore your neighbourhood by night. While on your walk, focus on your senses. What are you still able to see? Where do the noises come from? Do you see any wildlife sneaking around? Make the most of your ECO adventure and keep lighting to a minimum. Try to be as quiet as possible by making use of sign language. It will be an adventure for your senses, as your ears will be exposed to completely new noises.
• Cover your partner’s eyes and take them for a walk around the block
Photo: Two walking. / Credit: Pixabay.
This adventure is one of the more experimental ones. We have probably all done the walk around the neighbourhood a million times already since being forced to stay at home, so our eyes have got used to the surroundings. This means that your brain has memorised your surroundings and as soon as you pass your neighbours’ houses, you actually don’t ‘see’ the houses anymore. Your brain simply projects the saved images. We want you to ‘use’ your brain on your next walk. Grab a towel or scarf and cover up your walking companion’s eyes. Only guide him or her by saying where to go. Make sure that you warn him or her of potential hazards, such as steps or traffic. While guiding your partner, describe the surroundings. Describe the leaves’ colours or the neighbour’s front yard. At the end of the walk let your partner guess where you are standing. You will be surprised at how this walk has affected the senses.
• Nature’s treasures
Photo: Breenhold Gardens, Mount Wilson Australia. / Credit: Unsplash.
Another way of creating a new walking adventure around your neighbourhood can be by collecting what nature has in store. Autumn just started, and nature is constantly changing. Whether it is leaves turning yellow or plants blooming along the street, take a bag with you and collect nature’s treasures. Let the little ones become creative by using their treasures to make beautiful artwork.
• The adventure of story time
Photo: Uluru & Kata Tjuta National Park. / Credit: Groovy Grape Tours.
Reading to your family or friends can be a great adventure. Dreamtime Aboriginal stories are a great example of fascinating stories. Build a fort in your lounge or if you have space outside sit in your backyard or lie on your trampoline. Learn about Australia’s Indigenous heritage and enjoy an adventure in the comfort of your home. And don’t forget to grab some snacks!
• Virtual safari adventure
Photo: Bilby. / Credit: Taronga Zoo.
While zoos are closed, animals are still roaming around enjoying their life and probably not even realising what has been going on in the world. Have a look at Taronga TV, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary or Adelaide Zoo who put up web cameras for you to enjoy the animals. Through these platforms you can go on a virtual safari adventure and learn about the animals from your home base. Get the kids involved and let them explore.
• Easter tree with a stick from your garden
Photo: Easter tree. / Credit: Pixabay.
Incorporating nature into your life doesn’t have to mean only spending time outdoors. The Easter tree is a great tradition originating in Germany. First start by collecting branches and putting them in a vase. Then paint and dye eggs to hang on the branches or hang up any Easter decorations you have already. Traditionally, this symbolises the return of spring. If you have a property with trees, you might even go for a full-scale Easter tree!
Check out this cool video on how you can easily dye hard boiled eggs using ingredients from your own pantry.
• Re-enact the old days
Photo: Compass, Melbourne, Australia. / Credit: Unsplash.
Do a time travel adventure. Call an elderly person and ask how they would celebrate Easter back in the day, then re-enact (as far as possible) those traditions and habits. You will end up experiencing a fun and technology-free day.
Let’s get ready to start this year’s Easter holidays. Make sure to tag us and share with the EA family your Easter holiday adventures.