Ideas for Connecting Your Children With Nature This Summer
School’s out and your kids are already starting to get restless with their summer freedom. They are stubbornly clinging to their screens and spending more and more time playing video games and watching TV. You want them to get more out of their summer vacation than leveling up, which means you have to find ways to get them to expand their horizons. To help your children connect with nature this summer, consider some of the following ideas:
Take a Trip to the Great Outdoors
A great way to force your children to get out of the house and into nature is by taking a family trip. Tell your kids to leave their cellphones, video games and other electronics at home and to only pack what they need to enjoy the outdoors. Gather up your sunscreen, hats, jackets and outdoor gear and head to a fishing hole, some saltwater tackle for fishing, campground or backpacking spot. Spend the weekend fishing, hiking, swimming or just enjoying a night under the stars, you can also contact Watersports Rentals and get a Jet-Ski or a Kayak to have fun. If your kids can connect with nature by picking out their own bait and catching fish or picking wildflowers, they will have a greater appreciation for the outdoors and family time.
Set up a Scavenger Hunt
Gather up all the neighborhood kids for a nature scavenger hunt. Put together a list of items and give each kid a bag to collect them. Items on your list could include a purple flower, a smooth pebble, a three-leaf clover and a twig with two arms. The more creative you get with your list, the more your kids will have to explore their surroundings. If you make it a competition, your children also are more likely to run and use their imaginations, helping their physical and mental well-being. Give the winning child a small prize at the end.
Read About Nature
Even if you’re having bad weather, you can still find ways to connect your children with nature. Pick up a variety of books from the library that feature nature. You can read books about animals, trees, plants or flowers with your kids depending on their interests. You also can find fiction books in which the main characters are exploring in nature. If your kids see their favorite characters in the wild, they might be inspired to do the same. Plus, the more they know about nature, the more they’ll be inclined to connect with it in real life. They could probably want to build a tree house,
so if you need and help make sure to check out Chatt-Town Tree Services for any questions or emergencies.
Plant a Garden
Get your kids outside on a daily basis by planting a garden in your yard. Have your children pick out what types of flowers, vegetables or herbs they want to plant and then get to work. Your kids should lead this project with you there to supervise. Let them dig and play in the dirt, plant the seeds and then take care of the plants every day. Encourage them to water their plants, weed and prune the area and take pride in their garden. When their flowers bloom or their produce is ready to harvest, let your kids pick a bouquet to display on your kitchen table or pick enough produce to make a delicious meal. If you want to make this experience more educational, have your kids create a science experiment with their gardens and measure its progress throughout the summer.
Play Outside
Set aside time every day for your kids to play outside. Encourage them to play hide and seek, jump rope, hopscotch or any other game with the other kids in your neighborhood. Go on hikes and walks to explore nature around you. Play sports and be active at a local park, and if you want to go to an amusement park then try to go to one that has good amusement park design software, this way you will get the best experience. Even if it’s rainy, tell your kids to go run around and get wet. The more they learn to love the outdoors, the more they’ll want to be in it.
You don’t have to do anything crazy to get your kids to put down their electronics and connect with nature. All you need is a few fun ideas, and they’ll be asking you for more time to play outside.
About the author: Sara Parker is a word nerd and storyteller at heart. From fixing grammar mistakes as an editor to writing anything from lifestyle how-tos to cloud computing articles, she loves fitting words together to connect with people.