Family Time in the Sunshine: Outdoor Activities Your Kids will Love

With the dawn of the coronavirus pandemic and the far-reaching effects of the technological revolution, there is a growing concern among parents that our kids are staying inside for far too long so let’s explore these Outdoor Activities Your Kids will Love.

The next generation is growing up with the world literally at their fingertips, with constant entertainment and all the information in the world accessible from their parents’ iPad or, heaven forbid, their smartphones.

It’s got parents worried that their children will grow up disconnected from the natural world, wired to experience the world through the filter of a nearby screen.

Naturally, this has parents worried for the future of their children.

Those concerns were aggravated by the coronavirus pandemic, which forced children inside for their own safety, removing them from the social situations they’ve come to know at school and separating them from their friends.

While the pandemic has begun to abate and things are slowly returning to normal, variants of the virus are making the rounds, making it still unsafe to put them in a number of social situations.

But you don’t want them inside all day playing subway surfers on your phone or watching YouTube on your tablet – so what is there to do?

Organizing outdoor activities with your child may be the perfect way to get them away from their tech for a moment, have a unique opportunity for bonding with them, and perhaps even allow them to forge a connection with the natural world by finding a hobby they enjoy.

Starved for ideas?

Here are a few Outdoor Activities Your Kids will Love that may foster a love for nature that goes far beyond their formative years.

A family of 4 outside having fun - Outdoor Activities Your Kids will Love

Take Your Child Camping

There’s nothing more magical than camping: sleeping underneath the stars, learning about how the natural world works, cooking smores over an open fire, and listening to the wildlife sing as the sun goes down.

Moreover, camping can be a planned vacation that lasts an entire weekend or a fun activity you can practice in your backyard.

In fact, it may be wise to, as camping won’t be an activity everyone takes to.

Yet, in addition to teaching your child to appreciate natural beauty and making an adventure out of your camping trip, spinning a fantasy about surviving in the wild, camping can also be a vehicle for introducing new outdoor hobbies to your child, such as bird watching or hunting.

Get Them Started on these Outdoor Activities Your Kids will Love

No, not a sport like football or baseball, although if your kid has an interest in playing team sports like those, those certainly aren’t bad options.

We’re talking about kids that don’t have an interest in traditional sports, however, kids that might enjoy things a little off the beaten path like fishing, hunting, or kayaking.

These sports focus less on competition between teams, putting less pressure on your child to “succeed,” and allowing them to enjoy the natural world without anything at stake.

Encouraging them to explore outdoor hobbies without attempting to pressure non-competitive kids into competing might enable them to develop a staying appreciation of nature that lasts beyond their formative years.

Websites like Tailored Tackle have excellent starter guides for kids and beginners of any age looking to begin one of these sports.

Encourage Their Creativity

While it’s kind of a running joke that the generations before us had nothing but a hoop and a rod to play with, it’s generally true that kids can make their own fun if you let them.

Encourage them to go outside and play with the materials they have.

Activities like building an obstacle course, painting rocks, gardening, or even drawing with chalk, all might be just the thing to let them express themselves in a creative and safe way outside.

Don’t Pressure Your Children

Remember this golden rule: the goal here is to introduce different ideas to your children and see how they respond to them, helping them find an outdoor hobby that they enjoy,

NOT to pressure them into participating in a hobby they dislike.

As long as you keep that mindset front and center, you’re likely to find something that gets your children out of the house and away from the Nintendo.

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