It’s always difficult trying to find interesting things to keep the kids entertained, and it’s even harder when you need to fill the weekend and the school holidays! But not everything has to be about buying the next new piece of tech to keep the kids entertained – why not get them involved in activities that don’t involve screentime?
Many studies have shown that outdoor activities offer a range of health benefits for our children, including improved motor skills, cardiovascular health, brain development, and communication skills.
Here, we cover some of the best outdoor activities you can do with your children to keep them happy, healthy, and entertained.
Get outdoors and get creative!
One perfect way to spend valuable creative time with the kids is to grab some chalk and take to the driveway. It’s time for your kids to discover their inner Picasso! If you’re stumped for ideas, why not start with a hopscotch and see where the chalk takes you?
For those creatives who maybe don’t have the outdoor space to accommodate gigantic chalk artworks, there’s always another way to express your creativity with the help of mother nature – painting pet rocks. You get to start with the treasure hunt at the beach for the perfect-shaped pebbles, before coming home and letting the creative juices flow.
Drawing and painting is a really fun way to improve eye-hand coordination and even increases fine muscle control, so not only do you get to enjoy helping the kids explore their creativity, grabbing the paintbrushes and acrylic can help them develop both mentally and physically! Combine that with the many benefits of being outdoors and you’ll see you’re onto a winner with this activity.
Adventure doesn’t have to be a world away
No chalk or paints to hand? That’s fine, anyone for a game of Poohsticks? Some of the most fun activities simply involve getting outside and having fun with whatever you can find!
So, why not take the kids for a day of adventuring without it costing the world? Pack up a picnic and a blanket, make sure the kids’ backpacks are filled with their favourite snacks, and head for a nice spot to lay back and discover shapes in the passing clouds. If you’re lucky enough to live near a pond or wetland, you might even find some ducks to feed!
Want something even closer to home? Look no further than your own back garden. Garden camping is a great option if you want to try sleeping outdoors but don’t have the confidence yet to tackle a campsite. It’s an adventure just beyond your doorstep!
Garden camping is one of those brilliant, stress-free, and inexpensive ways to coax your kids outdoors and away from their screens with promises of something new and adventurous. One way to make it feel even more like a real adventure is to roast some s’mores around the fire with the family – but don’t worry, you don’t have to build a fire! Grab an old terracotta plant pot and fill it with sand, stones, or pebbles (they won’t catch fire!). Line it with a little tin foil, pop in some charcoal, and there you have it, your own mini campfire!
There are so many ways to spend quality time with the kids, and the best ideas come from nature and the outdoors. We know that it’s hard to tear our kids away from their screens, but once they see all that nature has to offer, they’ll never look back.
Sources
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/no-19-play-pooh-sticks