Learn, Explore & Play in Hong Kong’s Natural Environment
In a metropolis like Hong Kong, it’s important to find ways to get out into nature and explore with your kids. Thankfully, Hong Kong has a variety of outdoor play options available for kids who love nature. On this list of the best spots for nature play in Hong Kong, you’ll find forests to explore, kayaking, overnight camping and much more for kids of all ages!
Ark Eden
Ark Eden offers budding outdoorsmen plenty of fun deep in the forest of Lantau. They offer a range of outdoor play activities including eco-tours for all ages, field trips and camps all built around sustainability and fully experiencing the natural environment. Through their frequently scheduled forest playgroups little kids, aged 0-5 can come play in the forest environment along with games and storytelling. In the past they’ve offered events such as the Nature Investigators Photo Walk where families can explore the various habitats and take photos of the things they see and the “We’re making a Tree House” class for children aged 5-11 to participate in shelter building, carpentry, garden games and a water fight at Ark Eden’s beautiful Forest Farm near Mui Wo Village.
Mui Wo, Lantau Island, 9277 4025
Not the weather for outdoor play? Check out our roundup of Hong Kong’s best indoor play spaces here!
Treasure Island
Treasure Island offers outdoor education for children and adults from their beautiful location in Pui O Beach. To fill your summer weekends with outdoor fun, sign up for a Family Adventure Pass at Treasure Island. Surfing, stand-up paddle-boarding, raft building, kayaking, orienteering, campcraft skills, abseiling, coasteering and more are on the docket and it’s never been easier to get your family out and about. Food is no problem either as there are plenty of restaurants just nearby. Throughout the year, Treasure Island also offers a range of activities and special events for families to enjoy including conservation days. You can stay over at a private campsite or hire a cabana room by the seaside. Water sports equipment is available for rent, and English-speaking instructors are on hand to offer lessons for those who wish to improve on their skills or try something for the first time.
Pui O Beach, Lantau Island, 2546 3543
A Team EDventures
If your family would like to spend some extended time in the great outdoors, how about booking an overnight family adventure programme with A Team EDventures? They offer a mix of fun and interesting land and water-based activities as well as camp fires, outdoor cooking, night hikes, star gazing etc. at their facilities at Sai Kung East Country Park and other rural spots near Hong Kong. It’s a chance for parents and kids to connect, learn and have fun together in the unspoiled outdoors. You’ll almost forget you are in Hong Kong. The facility also offers surfing, stand-up-paddleboarding, kayaking and other outdoor adventure-related activities as well as gear rentals for those who want to get out and play in nature but don’t want to commit to the full overnight experience.
Sai Kung East Country Park (and others), 2560 8838
HK Forest Adventures
Based on the Forest Schools ethos, which emphasizes educational outdoor play, HK Forest Adventures gives Hong Kong kids the freedom to play and explore local woodland all the while learning about the natural environment, how to handle risks, and problem solving skills. With semi-guided activities such as mud kitchens, camp fires, woodland arts and crafts, shelter building, outdoor games and more, your kids will become experts in the outdoors in no time. They offer a number of parent/toddler play sessions each week (designed for kids under 5) and camps during the school holidays for older kids. The all-weather, year round play area is located right on the edge of the forest, but still conveniently located near Tai Shui Hang MTR and just a few minutes away from Ma On Shan station.
12D Tai Shui Hang North Road, Tai Shui Hang, 5238 2377
Tai Tam Tuk Eco Education Centre
Combine outdoor play with a bit of education in sustainability at the Tai Tam Tuk Education Centre just below Tai Tam Dam on Hong Kong’s Southside. You’ll find the only mangrove forest on the island as well as two country parks and a marine reserve. Your kids will delight at watching mudskippers snails, crabs, butterflies and birds explore their natural environment and watersports such as wakeboarding, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, sailing and dragon boating are also available. They offer a number of workshops and courses in their Eco Education Centre which give students a chance to learn all about the nature of Tai Tam right in the outdoors. In 2016 they hosted a fun, pop-up bamboo playground and we’ll be eagerly watching to see if they launch similar initiatives in the future.
56 Tai Tam Tuk Village
Looking for things to do with kids in Hong Kong? Check out our kids & family what’s on roundup!
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Melanie Grosjean is a full-time mommy and part-time writer who left the U.S. for Asia several years ago and never looked back. Nowadays, she spends as much time traveling with her husband and toddler as possible. When she isn’t on the road or squeezed into economy class, you can find her sipping an iced latte or blogging at www.adventurefamilylife.com.
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