It is not easy to encourage our children to get outdoors, especially when they grow older. However, it is not only the kids that find it hard to go outside these days. Instead of talking about the benefits, we need to have practical solutions to get ourselves and our children outdoors.
Look at Interests
It may require some creative thinking as a parent, but there will be ways for us to encourage our children to get outside based on their interests. Getting young children excited to go outdoors based on their liking is much easier than with older children.
For example, if younger children like sheep, taking them to a petting zoo is one of the solutions. For older kids that enjoy cars, getting a remote control car can get them outside a little easily or if you want to go one step further, a drone like the DJI Air 2S could be an amazing way to get them excited to be outside. Getting a drone, will make it easy to inspire the family to drive to a beach or head up a mountain and enjoy making memories. These are subtle ways to encourage children to go outside. So start thinking of what your children enjoy doing and plan.
Inviting Friends
Joining a few friends could make the outdoor experience a little more fun. Look at your community outdoor playgroups and see what family activities are happening. If you've got families with children around the same age in your neighbourhood, now is the perfect opportunity to get to know them and encourage meetups outside. The more parents that you know in your area, the more comfortable you will be in letting your children go out and play.
Arranging regular playdates or trips with other families such as hiking or camping would be fun for adults and children.
Use Outdoor Toys
Set up toys or games that can be played outdoors such as balls, bubbles, and skipping ropes. One of the approaches many parents use is to have three different buckets, but only allow the children to access one bucket at a time.
Rotating the buckets on a regular basis, whether it's daily, weekly, or when the kids ask for a new bucket, is a great way to keep children going outside and feel excited. This will make the act of playing outside fresher each and every time, without the need to keep buying new toys.
Outdoor Sports and Games
Getting children interested in outdoor games and sports over time can help to get an interest to be outdoors. For example, if you have a young child interested in space and being an astronaut, it would be a good idea to create an opportunity for them to make an outdoor space station. It can be an activity that your child takes part in by building a rocket at home and taking it outside. Think of age-appropriate games and activities that can be done outdoors.
Do Everyday Activities Outside
This is an incredibly simple yet effective approach. If you've got a backyard or a patio, you can use it to eat meals and relax. Create a space outdoors where children feel welcome to be outside and enjoy. Doing the activities you would normally do inside in the garden, such as homework and reading, is just going to reinforce the message that it's actually a lot nicer outside. As a parent, you can lead by example. You can also make playing outside a part of your daily routine. Depending on your children you can make a plan to play outdoors first before getting screen time. Every family is different, but some have had great success with this.
Remove the Remote
Removing the temptation to sit in front of the television by putting the remote away, will help the family get outside.
It can be difficult break habits and set new routines. Getting outside is the most simple, yet effective, thing we can for our health. It will also help make memories and strengthen the bond as a family.
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