*Ad-gifted | I was gifted the coat and hoodie featured in this post
Encouraging children to put down their devices and play outside these days is very tricky. I'm sure a lot of us can remember when we were a child and days were spent outside playing with friends and exploring nature.
Getting outside in all weather has many great benefits, including for mental health. Our aim is to get Blake outside more to play, roam and explore - I'm guessing that you want the same for your kids too. It's recommended that kids spend at least an hour each day outside, so let's look into ways to get kids outside more.
Tell them it is OK to get wet, messy and dirty
Often kids worry about it being OK to do those things so reassure them that it's OK to splash in puddles, play with mud etc
Follow by example
If kids see you getting your rain coat on like this one from Lighthouse clothing and getting out in all types of weather they are likely to follow suit.
Play/explore together
Your kids will want to go outside more if you go play with them. Kick a ball around, explore the woods, fly a kite, do a scavenger hunt together etc.
Invite friends to join you
If friends are involved then your kids are likely to join in more. As Blake is an only child he sometimes just wants to be around other children.
Encourage play and activities they enjoy
You may need to do some creative thinking here. Look at what your kids are into at the moment and base outdoor activities on what they like.
Bring inside activities outside
Some activities that kids enjoy doing inside can be brought outside, such as painting.
Have a wide range of outdoor toys available
Blake absolutely loves his trampoline so much that in the colder months he is happy to pop on a hoodie or sweater and head outside. Having a wide range of other outdoor toys that you can swap on rotation is a great way to get kids to enjoy being outside. A great way to do this is with buckets. The idea is that you have one bucket of toys out at a time.
Make a outdoor activities list
Get together as a family and write a list of activities and places you want to visit. Kids will love the idea of ticking them off. If you need some inspiration you can check out these outdoor learning activities.
Make it a routine
Make getting outside a part of your daily routine. For example after school we are starting to encourage Blake to have time outside playing before he goes to his room on his tablet. He also loves going to the park and these 7 tips for enjoyable family outings to the local park are handy.
