It can be hard to pull your kids (and yourself) away from all the electronics and gadgets that provide hours and hours of entertainment—we get it, and we can relate. But getting outside a few hours a day helps release some of that cooped-up energy, plus a little bit of fresh air can be so relaxing and refreshing. Here are some ways to get your kids excited to spend more time outside!
Kid-Friendly Gardening
Gardening is a simple way to build exercise into day-to-day life; it’s educational and, of course, it’s fun! Let your kids help out with a section of your garden, or even give them their own “plot” to plant what they want. Include plants to attract butterflies, creating even more opportunities to teach your kids about insects that help gardens grow!
Nature Scavenger Hunt
Make a list with your kids of things they can see in your yard, like insects, birds, and plants. Create this list by writing them down, or drawing them, or cutting out images of the items from a magazine. For younger kids, be general with what to search for, but for older ones, you can be more specific for what they should find—instead of asking them to find a leaf, ask for them to find the leaf of a specific plant. Get them to cross the item off the list, take photos, or draw what they find! After the hunt is complete, you can go over a few fun facts about each of the found items.
Garden-Related Painting Activities
Painting outdoors is a great way to let your children express their creativity. Put some newspaper down on the painting workstation, make sure everyone is wearing clothes that can get a bit messy, and then let your kids get to work! Decorate flower pots and garden markers to add a personalized touch to your yard. If your kids need some inspiration, they can look around the yard—sunshine, flowers, trees, and whatever else they can see.
Bring the Indoor Fun Outdoors
Sometimes all it takes is a change of scenery, like going outdoors, to make an activity more exciting! Set up an outdoor reading nook in a shady spot. This can be as simple as putting down a blanket and adding some cushions. Add a basket full of books, a few snacks, and your kids have their own relaxing reading area! You can do the same to play board games or draw outside. Other indoor-turned-outdoor activities include fort building (you just need lawn furniture and some sheets!) and staging a play or musical.
Spending time outdoors will help spark creativity in your kids’ imaginations. At first, it might take some light convincing to get them outside, but soon enough, they’ll be thinking of their own activities and having fun independently! If you need any gardening supplies, contact us, and we can arrange an order for curbside pickup.