We often encourage families and schools to come to Ons or Cíes with children because we believe that these natural environments have a very positive impact on their development. On one of our school trips or on a weekend getaway, it is possible to enjoy the multiple benefits of visiting Ons and visiting Cíes with children. We will mention the main ones in this post:
Discovering nature from childhood
If being outdoors and in touch with nature is good for adults, imagine how good it will be for children! As we already told you in our blog, time outdoors can help adults to combat stress, respiratory illnesses and various physical ailments. The advantages of children spending time in nature follow the same direction although, if anything, they are even more far-reaching since they will influence their physical and cognitive development.
According to the American journalist and writer, Richard Louv, in his book ‘Last Child in the Woods’ (2005), children that grow up without contact with nature can suffer from problems in focussing their attention, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, stress and depression. In fact, Louv even names these negative consequences that children can suffer by being separated from the environment: nature deficit disorder.
On the contrary, bringing children closer to natural spaces like Cíes or Ons has advantages like those we outline below.
Main benefits of visiting Ons with children and visiting Cíes with children
As we already said, getting closer to nature positively affects children’s physical and cognitive development. In fact, the echoes of this good influence will also be felt as they move into adolescence and adulthood.
What does the environment give to children? Why visit Ons with children and why visit Cíes with children?
- Improving motor skills: In large natural spaces which are full of stimuli, children jump, run, swim…This, without a doubt, improves their motor skills. Little ones learn to control their movements and interact with the physical space that surrounds them. In addition, staying active is good for children of all ages.
- Learning and memory: Children have different experiences and assimilate different lessons when they are in nature. Younger children will learn to focus their attention: those things that attract our attention become part of our memory. If they are a bit older (from the age of six), observation will lead them to have reasoned thoughts.
- Imagination and creativity: In Ons and Cíes, little ones will notice new smells, new textures, new sounds…Immersing them in new stimuli and letting them explore and look around these spaces will feed their creativity. In the middle of nature, children enrich their thoughts and are inspired to imagine other scenarios.
- Psychological and emotional well-being: Visiting Ons or visiting Cíes with children is both beneficial and emotional. In these places, they see natural processes calmly and experience a greater sensation of freedom. There are studies that show that children who are more exposed to green or blue spaces have a better mental health when they are adults.
- Emotion: At Naviera Mar de Ons, when we take a school trip to Cíes or Ons, we try to ensure that children take part in activities in teams during the outing to strengthen their friendship bonds and improve their social skills. A family getaway is also a fantastic plan to strengthen ties between parents and children; to share moments of learning and fun in nature, for example watching sea birds on Ons and Cíes, is extremely positive for children and directly influences their self-esteem.
- Environmental education: The afternoons and the recreational and teaching activities carried out in the middle of nature will boost children’s environmental awareness. This awareness raising will accompany them as they grow up, thereby encouraging children to become adults with environmental values.
It is therefore recommended that nature is present in children’s lives as a tool for enjoyment and a pedagogical resource. On the visits we organise to Cíes, the class discovers interesting environmental facts and values that are unique to this archipelago; for its part, in Ons they find an environment with an important culture and tradition, as well as a high natural value.
Organise a school trip with Mar de Ons
You can take advantage any weekend (even in winter) for a family getaway to the Cíes Islands and walk with your children along the beach or try out some of its hiking routes. But, in addition, children can visit the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park with their school at any time of year on one of the school trips from Naviera Mar de Ons.
Teachers and children will sail to Cíes or Ons together with specialist guides and instructors who will teach them about these protected spaces, using really fun group activities and itineraries. Pupils will enjoy a different day away from the classroom and will feed their environmental knowledge.
We also offer school children walks along the Ría de Vigo or the Ría de Pontevedra where they will discover all of the secrets of these estuaries and discover how a catamaran works. In addition, we sail to other equally interesting Atlantic islands for school trips such as the Island of San Simón, small but full of history.
The best thing is for schools to contact us in advance to find out the available dates for school trips and all of the activities that we can offer. They can write to us at comercial@mardeons.com or call us on + 34 986 22 52 72 (ext. 3). We organise trips to Cíes and trips to Ons, taking into account the school calendar, the ages of the pupils, the characteristics of the group and always with the best rates, ports of departure and timetables. Make sure you request a no obligation quote and travel at the best price, taking advantage of our large group discounts!
Any of the enclaves mentioned are fantastic for little ones to make the most of the benefits of immersing themselves in nature. Visiting Ons with children or visiting Cíes with children is a fantastic plan all year round, whether for a family getaway or a guided school trip.
What are you waiting for to lose yourself in the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park with your little ones? 🙂 Our passenger transport has all of the measures against COVID-19 set out by the Health authorities and the Xunta de Galicia (Galician local government). Find out more and spend a day with children in Ons, Cíes or on the Island of San Simón.
