Our family spends a lot of time outside, especially in the summer. When the months are warm, you can find us wading in the creek or sitting on the back porch, glasses of lemonade in hand. Up until last year, all five of us enjoyed it. It was then that I began to struggle with getting my oldest son to enjoy the outdoor air with the rest of us. It’s like he’s fine for the first 10 or 15 minutes, excited to explore, and then the whining and the tears of boredom begin. With camping season right around the corner (thank goodness), I'm determined to reignite my son's love of nature.
Last weekend, when my husband and I were purchasing our lake passes, I started to think: if I want my son to enjoy being outside, I have to make it enjoyable. To do that, I realized I had to do three things:
1. I have to make time spent outside fun for everyone.
My children range from a couple of months to six years old, so it can be difficult to plan a fun activity that's appropriate for everyone. When I thought about the quality of our outside time, it occurred to me that I was guilty of focusing more energy on planning activities for my younger kids, while expecting my son to keep himself entertained. He was bored and restless. He dreaded outdoor time, and that was my fault.
2. I needed to include my son’s interests
My husband and I love hiking and camping, and while my son doesn’t argue too much, they're not his favorite things in the world. My son has a beautiful imagination, but he also enjoys video games - also my fault because I'm a gamer myself - so we decided to include one of his favorite games, Minecraft, in our adventures. Collecting emeralds and bartering for different supplies would be easy in the woods. We could build “houses” and craft “weapons” to fight against the Creepers and my son would love every minute of it.
Your children's confidence will soar when you incorporate their interests into the time you spend together. By doing this, you're letting them know that you value and appreciate their ideas, and you genuinely care about their interests.
3. I needed to let my son take the lead
I'm the mama who likes to plan. I want to know the ins and outs of every activity we do beforehand. This means that a month before an event you can find me writing lists and making bullet points to share with my husband. While being organized and prepared makes me feel better, sometimes it’s better to go with the flow, especially for small children.
Not all families are the same. And your kids might not be like mine, and that’s perfectly okay. All that matters is that you're spending time together and everyone is having a good time. But just in case your family is a bit like mine…
Fun Activities for Your Homebody
I've created a list of some family-friendly activities that my family has had so much fun with, and I'm excited to share them with you. Send me an email (kristam.writes@gmail.com) and let me know which activities your family loves the most! I'd be so happy to hear from you.
Plan a Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts are an exciting way for your child to rediscover their love of the world outside. There are so many types of scavenger hunts you can do, but we especially enjoy hunting for different colors - like purple flowers or blue bugs. Another scavenger hunt my family enjoys is one that you can do right at home. We look for items such as stop signs, mailboxes, and tomato gardens, and sometimes our neighbors even get in on the fun.
Tie-Dye Old Shirts
In our family, tie-dye parties are a huge hit. We all gather at my mother-in-law's house, bringing our white clothes and dye along for the ride. My favorite part is when we get to experiment with new designs and share our creations. It doesn't hurt that we get some fun new clothes out of the deal, too.
Backyard Obstacle Course
One way to get your little ones outside is to make a backyard obstacle course. You can have them jump through hoops, bite apples off hanging strings, or crawl through tunnels made out of pool noodles. This might just be a millennial thing, but appearing on “Family Double Dare” has always been a dream of mine, and it is my personal opinion that the sillier the obstacle course is, the better.
Plan a Backyard Movie Night
If you’re a parent of little ones, you know that sometimes it’s just easier to stay home instead of dealing with all of the stress that can accompany family outings. Rather than missing out on the fun, you can have a drive-in right in your backyard. Grab your kids' favorite snacks, a movie everyone can enjoy, and plenty of pillows and blankets for all.
Squirt Gun Painting
If your children are anything like mine, squirt guns are a must-have for summer fun. Why not swap out the usual water war for a colorful paint battle? Transform your water guns into colorful artillery by adding paint to the water, and get ready for an epic battle that'll paint the afternoon red. If you want the fun but not the mess, hang an old white sheet on the clothing line or the side of your house, and make a picnic blanket you can save.
Plant a Garden
Kids are naturally curious creatures, and many are drawn to science. Some of the most memorable moments I've shared with my sons have been in the garden. From the time they could toddle their chubby legs around the weeds, my boys have been a part of spring gardening in our family. I just love seeing their smiles and amazement when they watch the seeds grow and the flowers bloom during summer. It's a reflection of all the effort they've put into the garden.
Act Like a Tourist
Google a map of your state and set up some parameters, like distance and activities available for kids. Start searching for someplace you've never been to. If that's difficult, look for places your children haven't been. Even if you go to a playground you’ve never been to, your children will feel excited about seeing and doing something new.
Random Acts of Kindness
When my husband and I met each other, we enjoyed volunteering with the local homeless community. Once we had our children we began bringing them with us, as well. One of our favorite things to do is make a bunch of sandwiches and pass them out to our houseless friends along with fresh socks, a bag of chips, and a couple of waters. No matter how you do it, teaching your kids to do nice things just for the sake of being nice is a lesson that will stay with them for their entire lives.
From the time I could make salads out of the different weeds and grass in my backyard, I’ve been my happiest while being outside. I believed that I was passing that happiness on to my children. Still, I was watching my son slip further from the happy little boy playing in the mud, and it was hurting my heart. I didn’t want him to lose his love of the outdoors so I knew I needed to make a few changes to the kind of time we were spending outside. By adding his interests and opinions into the mix I can make sure that he’s being included in everything that we’re doing.
I know I’m not the only mom who's on a mission to pry her kids away from screens and get them outside! I keep telling myself that the more I make outdoor time fun and exciting, the more it'll pay off in the long run. After all, there's nothing like a bit of fresh air and sunshine to lift everyone's spirits!
Got any secret weapons for getting your little ones pumped about outdoor adventures? Drop me a line—I'm all ears and eager to swap tips!
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