Half of parents have been doing MORE outdoor activities with their children since the lockdown was introduced.
Since the social distancing restrictions reducing movement and travelling were introduced in March, families have been using their gardens and nearby outdoor space to get back to nature while out walking or exercising.
More than 51 per cent have been doing more activities in their garden as a family than usual, while 49 per cent have been enjoying more walks together.
Three quarters of parents have even been using the great outdoors as a classroom by incorporating nature into their home schooling lessons, with 87 per cent believing being outside is good for their youngster’s mental health.
Eco-friendly paint maker Farrow & Ball, which commissioned the research, launched a competition to encourage families to celebrate nature and the colours around them.
Families were asked to share a colour they found in the natural world as a suggestion for a paint shade.
More than 4,000 entries were submitted, with the UK’s winning colour ‘Dirty Beetroot’ being brought to life and given to the winner Daisy Sansum to use at home in Gloucestershire.
Charlie Cosby, head of creative at Farrow & Ball said: “Many parents are trying to juggle acting as a teacher for their children and working from home at the same time, leaving them looking for creative ways to keep their children learning.
“Alongside the work their children may have from school, making the most of the nature around them can be a great way of learning while having fun.
“This can be in the garden, if you have one, or even while walking around the block as part of your daily exercise.”
The study, of 2,000 adults also revealed, perhaps unsurprisingly, that seven in 10 adults wish they spent more time in nature than they currently do.
And 74 per cent of parents want their children to head outdoors more often as they appreciate the positive benefits.
More than two thirds of respondents said that being in nature made them feel more relaxed and calmer.
As a result, many try to bring the outside in, with more than half of those polled, via OnePoll, being inspired by something in nature – like a colour or pattern – in their home décor choices.
Charlie Cosby added: “Nature is all around us – even in city centres – and people are more appreciative of the outdoors at the moment.
“Painting our living spaces in a colour that’s inspired by nature is a great way of bringing the outdoors in at a time when we are spending more time at home than ever before.”
To test your knowledge of the great outdoors, go to https://www.farrow-ball.com/take-our-nature-quiz
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