Nature noughts and crosses

A Year of Nature Walks and Games is a new activity book by Becky Goddard-Hill and Catherine Hughes. Designed to help kids explore nature, it’s filled with 52 brilliant nature games and activities to keep them busy all year.

There are scavenger hunts, nature challenges, walking games, and amazing nature science – and each activity is designed to be eco-friendly and easy to organise.

The book is out now and makes a great gift for young nature fans.

We’re thrilled to be taking part in the blogging book tour to launch A Year of Nature Walks and Games, and are sharing one of Becky and Catherine’s favourite nature games here on the blog.

Nature noughts and crosses

This brilliant nature game is a great way to make a trip to the park or a walk more interesting, and you can play it in the garden too.  It’s also fun to combine it with a nature treasure hunt if you’d like to make the activity last longer.

For a basic version of this game, all you need is a couple of sticks. Children can hunt for these before you start.

1. Use a stick to draw a grid of nine squares in the dirt.
2. Decide who is going to be noughts, and who is going to be crosses.
3. The aim is to get a line of three noughts or crosses.
4. Children take it in turns, using their stick to add a nought or a cross to a square on the grid.
5. The first player that makes a vertical, horizontal or diagonal line of three noughts or crosses is the winner.

To make the game last longer, kids can hunt for nature treasures to make the game:

• Sticks can be used to make the grid.
• Crosses can be made from twigs – you can use a small piece of string to tie them, or just leave them loose. The stalks from large leaves work well too.
• Noughts can be made from fallen leaves, flower heads, conkers, or stones.

Make sure you protect nature by only collecting items that have fallen to the ground; don’t pick things from plants and trees.

Once you’ve finished playing the game, all the items can be returned to nature, or you can use it again and again in your garden.

A Year of Nature Walks and Games book tour 

If you’d like to take a look at the other Nature Walks and Games Book Tour bloggers you can find them here:

Rainy Day Homeschooling  28/9

Penny Reads  29/9

What the Redhead Said 30/9

Mummy Mummy Mum  1/10

Monkey and Mouse  2/10

We Made This Life  3/10

Rainy Day Mum  4/10

We’re Going on an Adventure  5/10

What Katy Said 6/10

Emma and 3 7/10

Becky and Catherine are also the authors of A Year of Nature Craft and Play.