Six ideas to improve your children’s awareness of the environment in Brittany

How about using your holiday to encourage your children to look after the planet? Concerning issues such as protecting the oceans and animals, sustainable energy production, eating well, etc., here are six ideas for family outings which will titillate their ecological spirit through games and experiments.

In the blink of an eye

1. Rendez-vous in wildlife land

Terres de Nataé in Pont-Scorff

Nataé? She’s the Celtic goddess of nature, symbol of renewal and protection. In Pont-Scorff, she’s focusing on that great family-outing classic, the wildlife park, providing 2 gifts: preserving species from across the world. Awakening its visitors to local heritage. Off we go on an exploration of all 5 continents, guided by the Breton corsairs and great seafarers of bygone days! Awareness is also raised by daily activities with the keepers, a Keeper for a Day experience… Great values, always.

Les Terres de Nataé

Where to sleep :

Camping Entre Terre et Mer
Ty Coz Breizh à Guidel

©Oceanopolis Tourisme Bretagne Nicolas Dequin 072ok|NICOLAS DEQUIN

©Oceanopolis Tourisme Bretagne Nicolas Dequin 050ok|NICOLAS DEQUIN

2. Explore marine biodiversity close-up

Océanopolis and Espace 70.8 in Brest

Otters, seals, sharks, and also anemones and sea cucumbers are waiting to be discovered at Océanopolis in Brest, where your children will learn about the wealth, but also the fragility of marine biodiversity, particularly in Brittany. An entire world can be explored through the microscope or binocular magnifier in the Minilab dedicated to experiments. They’ll be blown away by observing everything that lives in a single drop of sea water! During the school holidays, animation pods will inform them about the secrets of seaweed, coral protection and plastic pollution… Do not miss a visit to the “70.8” marine innovations and technologies centre, opened in 2021 at the Ateliers des Capucins, dedicated to the oceans. Playful and interactive animations are multiplied there to better know the blue planet.

Océanopolis

Where to sleep :

Gîte La Maison de Jean
Ile ô des Capucins bed and breakfast

©Couple enjoying beautiful views on the ocean, standing together near the car on the rocky coast, showing with hands heart shape. Carefree lifestyle, love and travel concept

Ideas

The inratables of the summer, the place to be to treat yourself to a seafood platter, the best views on the GR®34, the best spots to start surfing… in short, all the good...

3. 100% down-to-earth in Finistère

The Jardins de l’Eveil in Saint-Thonan

Preservation of resources and biodiversity, to each their own way of fighting for lasting solutions. Didier and Elen chose theirs: sharing, creating a living environment in the countryside, 10 minutes from Brest and Landerneau. An educational nature park to grow up in, grow in… and thrive. This way to the menagerie, the riding school and the “geopoetic” itinerary created by conceptual lighting artist Yann Kersalé! Here, you awaken to new tastes, reconnect with the earth as a family. Pleasure is the watchword: in discovery of animals and in the fresh cuisine whose ingredients are grown in the gardens. A positive, communicative vision that does nothing but good.

Les Jardins de l’Eveil

Where to sleep :

Ici ou aux Apparts de Léon in Landerneau
Bed & breakfast La Closerie

4. Natural gardening and low-tech inspiration

Ecocentre du Trégor

In Radôme park, the Ecocentre du Trégor is a mine of ethical ideas to reproduce at home. Children and adults can stimulate their ecological spirit and their curiosity backed up with experiments. In the « Potager des harmonies”, a permaculture vegetable garden, you can pick up some good natural gardening practices. On the « Chemin des énergies », you can work some odd machines inspired by low-tech. Like the « Waste Windmill” or the « Upside-down Snail » which makes you think about how you consume electricity… Fleeting structures and a bare-foot sensory walk offer a more poetical approach to ecology. Do your teens like riddles? Then take part in an escape game (from age 11), on the trail of a scientist and his ingenious invention: a source of green energy able to replace nuclear energy.

Ecocentre of Trégor

Where to sleep :

Ty Guerson Family

5. Nurture your knowledge of fruit and vegetables

Légumes Project in Saint-Pol-de-Léon

What does an artichoke flower look like? Why is beetroot red? What does a cauliflower smell like? Sight, touch, smell… a sensory discovery is on the cards at Légumes Project, a living museum dedicated to fruits and vegetable, and to food in general, at Ferme de Kerguelen in Saint-Pol-de-Léon Here you can learn to differentiate the vegetable families, you can discover their nutritional values linked to their colour, you can plunge your hand into a box to guess what’s inside by touching… It’s not as easy as you think! In the middle of one of the largest vegetable-growing regions of France, the visit is also the opportunity to find out about growing aids, the sectors linked to vegetables, supply circuits, soil biodiversity and its importance. You can even take a walk through the organically-farmed plots to meet the farmer. Your children will undoubtedly have a lot of questions!

Légumes project

Where to sleep :

6. Experiment with wind energy… by pedalling!

Centre EOL in Saint-Nazaire

Why do we need electricity? How does an offshore wind turbine work? In Saint-Nazaire, the Centre EOL answers your children’s questions about these modern windmills and this renewable marine energy. And the best way to properly understand is to take part! At this unique site in France, you can breathe on a wind turbine to start a video, you can pedal with all your strength to produce wind, you can measure your smartphone’s consumption in watts and you can even make a model of your own wind farm. After your visit, climb up to the terrace with 360° view of the Saint-Nazaire shipyards. This is where some XXL elements of the future and first French offshore wind farm will be made.

Centre EOL in Saint-Nazaire

Where to sleep :

La P’tite Villa