It can sometimes feel that all your kids want to do these days is play the video game, take selfies, and go on Snapchat. If you are concerned that your children are spending too much time indoors, and not enough time appreciating the outside world, use these tips to convince them that playing outside is the best idea ever!
Lead by example
It’s all very well expecting your children to get their daily dose of Vitamin D, but are you willing to take your own advice? Enjoying outdoor activities as a family can encourage your children to appreciate playing outside. Make it a weekly, or even daily, event, and play baseball, football, visit the park, or go hiking as a family, and soon being outside enjoying multiple activities will become the norm.
Kit out your backyard
Turn your backyard or garden into an outdoor activity center. If there are amazing things to do just outside the house your children will genuinely want to play outdoors. Invest in a slide, swings and a trampoline and you may have trouble convincing your kids to stay in! For advice about what trampolines are safest and most appropriate for your children, visit Trampolinify.Com. Check out the best slides and swings at Madeformums.Com.
Bring the outdoors in
A fantastic way to get children eager to play outdoors is to set up a nature space in their bedroom. This is a space where they can display any nature finds they collect such as leaves, pinecones, twigs, and shells. Set challenges such as finding leaves from certain trees whenever they go out, and begin to use pinecones and twigs in craft activities.
Painting rocks
You may already be aware of the rock painting craze. The aim is to collect plain rocks that your children then decorate with painted patterns, faces, or inspirational words. Once their rocks have been painted, they are to leave them in parks or other outdoor spaces for people to find. If your child finds a rock someone else has painted they should hide it somewhere else for someone else to find. This is a simple, yet creative activity that gets kids using their imagination, in addition to encouraging them to be active.
Ditch the car
Whenever possible walk to your destination rather than use the car. Driving is so convenient, but by ditching the car for short trips, you will normalize walking for both you and your children. Walk to nearby shops, to the library, or to visit friends. Sure, it will take a little longer than hopping in the car to get there, but the exercise will do you all good.
Spending time outdoors can simply come down to making it a habit, and the more you make being outside a normal activity, the more likely your children are to accept it. Use these tips to spend more time together as a family, and to give your children one of the most precious gifts– a love for the Great Outdoors.