Kids these days, right? They spend most of their time sat in front of brightly coloured screens, soaking up media from a host of sources. Of course, it’s easy to say “Oh, when we were young we played outside,” when you didn’t have video games, movies and TV at your fingertips. But, for kids nowadays, it’s getting harder and harder for them to get outside. With the most popular toys and playground trends being digital, you have to make fun for your kids outside. To help you with this, this post goes through some ideas to get your kids out there.
Competition
Children can thrive amongst healthy competition. By taking advantage of their competitive nature, you can inspire your kids to get outside. Of course, traditionally, the best way to get your kids outside is with sport. Most people enjoy at least one outdoor sport, and with some sports, the game itself doesn’t matter as long as you’re with friends.
If you want to make some real effort, you can host a sports day. By gathering local kids and pitting them against one another, you’ll notice hours go by while they’re oblivious. You’ll need help from other adults, and permission from parents. You’ll also need some equipment, but you can source sporting gear fairly easily. You may also need to do some research. Find out more about popular sports day activities, and start planning!
Exploration
Kids love to explore. When you show them an empty field, they see an entire world of wonder and adventure. And, the beauty of exploration is that it can be done anywhere. You don’t need any special gear or pricey equipment. You just need to take your kids somewhere new, without any distractions. You’ll be surprised at how long your kids will be happy to explore.
It’s best to leave kids to themselves to explore and learn. They’ll be able to free their imagination much more easily if they’re not supervised. Adventure for children is simply being free from the rules and expectations of parents, so giving them a chance to escape the normal world is a great opportunity. Of course, you have to be realistic. Some kids need supervision. But, you should know your children well enough to judge for yourself.
Scouts/Cadets
Most areas have scout groups or army cadets that your kids can get involved in. These are very traditional activities, and as such, are untainted by the digital world. They are also easy to meld into hobbies for your kids. Giving them a way to get outside on a weekly basis, without the chance of being distracted by media.
A lot of the activities that these organisations run involve some survival or bushcraft. Although these skills aren’t massively useful today; they are still great things for your kids to learn. They will also learn basic living principles. Giving them a head start into adult life.
This should give you some motivation to get your kids outside. Of course, you need to go out as well. But, that just makes it a great opportunity for you to get outside as well. Be creative and try different things.
