It’s almost time for summer break, and parents and struggling to come up with good options to bide their kids’ time. Today, kids are more invested in video games and TV than ever before, and it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to get them to go out and play. Nowadays, running around outside is becoming more like a chore to be ticked off the chart, rather than an enjoyable activity. This summer, commit to getting your children outdoors with these great activities.
Scavenger Hunt
If you have younger kids who have never done a scavenger hunt, this summer is a great time to do one. You can list somewhere between 5-10 items, such as a leaf, a flower, an acorn, and more. If you want to get creative, you could take pictures of the items, rather than collecting them. This would open up the list to include things like birds or fun shadows. While this activity will probably need supervision, if you have an older child and a younger, this could be a great activity for them to do together.
Swimming
Who doesn’t love swimming? Most people enjoy being submerged in water, and of course, summer is the ideal time to do so. If you don’t have a pool, take your kids to the public pool or the beach. Just like a scavenger hunt, going swimming does require supervision, but a well-equipped older (teenage) sibling could suffice, as long as you are available to jump in if need be.
Geocaching
A fun activity that can take you to new areas, geocaching is a fun way to practice navigating difficult terrain while looking for a prize. Some geocache sites merely have a magnet or other small object, but some have containers filled with stickers or other fun objects that make the search more rewarding. Keep in mind that geocaching can take awhile to complete, so you should pack food and water if it is said to be a difficult one.
Build A Fort
Forts are great places for kids to hang out all summer. It could be a treehouse or a grounded fort, but either way, it’s a clubhouse for the kids to be kids outside. If your kids are handy, you could even task them with the building and design of the fort. This would be a long-term project that has the benefit of a kids-only place for your kids to hang out all summer.
Getting kids to play outside is difficult in this age of technology overload. It’s still important for kids to get exercise and use their imagination, so I encourage you to try at least one of these options this summer. You may spark an interest that keeps your kids outdoors much more than indoors.
From ArthurDanner.com