5 Ways to Encourage Kids in Spending More Time Outdoors

Between video games, smartphones, cartoons, movies, social media, and other portable gaming devices, your children have plenty of reasons to stay indoors with their attention glued to electronic devices. Moreover, due to the current pandemic, it seems like there are even fewer reasons to step outside. But it?s just not about getting your children outside for some fresh air, even though that is good for them; there are quantifiable and real benefits that your kids could receive from spending some time outside. Of course, it is not always easy to convince a child to play outdoors by stating some health facts. But if you could create fun activities or build an inviting space, you can easily get them outside, without telling them to do so. Also, before stepping outdoors with your kids, keep in mind to follow COVID-related safety guidelines. Listed below are 5 ways you could make the outdoors seem fun and interesting for your kids. 1) Plan Outdoor Crafts & Activities Outdoor based crafts and activities offer a unique way to teach your children about mother nature and care for the environment. You can plan a nature-based scavenger hunt or simply have your kids create crafts with outdoor-specific materials. Make a treasure map and bury the prize in places like a sandbox or hide them in a bush. For craft activities, you can teach your kids to carefully pick flowers, leaves, twigs, and help them create meaningful and distinct art with those materials. 2) Plan Outdoor Family Time If you are familiar with planning movie nights, board game sessions, and family brunches, then you can easily convert any of these events into outdoor activities. Weekend lunches at home can be transformed into picnics and camping trips. If you have an outdoor patio, you can even set up a white screen and projector and have an outdoor movie night. 3) Wildlife Watching Having your children interested in wildlife watching is a great way to teach them about the environment and various species of birds and animals. Take your kids to the nearest park or recreation areas such as camping grounds, bird watching spots, and hikes. You can also carry their favorite electronic device and look for information on various species or simply take pictures. An excellent way to expand on this is by constructing a birdhouse together. This will help create a stronger connection to the outdoors. 4) Help Them Plant Their Own Garden Another good way to get your kids outdoors is by involving them in gardening. This will give them a better understanding of where their food comes from and teach them how to grow their food, which is a valuable skill to learn. If you have a backyard, you can plant vegetable seeds or a flowerbed. However, if you reside in an apartment, you can still teach them about gardening by growing plants in your apartment complex?s garden. Buy some seeds, soil, and planting pots from a plant nursery and get your kids involved with the planting and watering process. To pique their interest, start with growing easy plants such as wildflowers or tomatoes. 5) Build Creative Play Spaces with Appealing Features The easiest way to get your children outside is by making the outdoors more fascinating and appealing. This could mean installing play equipment that looks like a fort, pirate ship, climbing wall, or jungle gym. What?s more, by investing in outdoor play equipment, you will ensure your child receives a host of benefits such as physical development, better motor skills, enhanced imagination, and improved overall health. Conclusion: To get your kids outdoors, you need to normalize being outdoors. This way, children can view it as a part of their daily life, instead of something they do only when the family comes over or when someone?s hosting a party. Implementing the above-mentioned ideas will help you do just that!