Sand. Rocks. Shells. Twigs. Puddles. These are not just forthbringings of mother nature, they are also the most excellent toys in the world.

The past few weeks I’ve seen my one-year-old in focussed play – requiring very little of our participation or attention – for hours on end, the way her toys back home never could. She stacks rocks, analyses leaves, giggles at the ant navigating her tiny foot, follows a fly, squeezes wet sand, and then goes back to stacking rocks.

Deep down, I already knew that kids are happiest in the outdoors, but the past few weeks have reminded me of this fact that I almost forgot after spending most of the past cold and rainy winter indoors. And seeing her face light up at the sight of a butterfly and seeing her fine motor skills improve by the day, not only reminded me of the fact that kids need very little, but that very little is actually way better for them than the abundance of toys we tend to surround them with.

The Masaai guide that showed us around in Amboseli National Park – father of four boys – said at the end of a long day: “I’ve been watching your daughter play today, and I can only conclude that all kids are the same. When I see her wave a twig above her head, I’m seeing my two-year-old.” It is my assumption – so please someone correct me if I’m wrong – that his son doesn’t have the Duplo, Magnetics and Play-doh that my daughter has, so he cannot choose between brightly coloured synthetic toys and a stack of stones. But my daughter can, and I’m pretty sure she’d choose the stones every single time.

To be fair we already buy very few toys for her. So yay, 10 parenting points for us! But what we’ve been forgetting a bit during the cold dark days, is that the outdoors is one big playground.

So, to all parents out there, but most loudly to myself, hoist that kid into its rainsuit, put on those boots and go squeeze sand, inspect leaves and find ants until your lips turn purple and the sun sinks behind the horizon. The outdoors truly is one big playground.

Love, Nina