The holidays are over, how good was it to get your kids outdoors and enjoying some pretty cool adventures with their friends. Now that school is back again, and we've all started back at the daily grind, between homework and school activities, it can be hard to keep your kids enjoying time outdoors.
Extra curricular activities like team sports, dance, tennis etc can be fantastic for a kids wellbeing, but children still need time for free play, to be able to use their imagination and to do the things they love.
We have a few fun ideas on what you could do with your kids after school to get them outdoors and away from screens:
Go for a walk: if you are lucky enough to have some wonderful nature walks near your home, why not use them? This is something that you can do as a whole family, take in the sights, admire the trees and collect some sticks and rocks along the way.
Play some outdoor games: like tag or backyard football.
Go to a skatepark: you can ride a bike, skateboard, scooter or even roller skates. Skate parks are a fantastic place where kids can meet other kids, build confidence and learn new skills
Build or create something: whether that be using recycled materials or things from the backyard- build a fort, or make a boat from plastic water bottles etc. Let them be creative.
Play with siblings or friends
Play ball games: like handball, basketball, football or even soccer with your dog. Not only are these games great for getting your kids outdoors, they are also awesome for hand eye and hand foot coordination.
Do a Jigsaw puzzle: even though we love all things outdoors, puzzles are great for a child's mind. Pick a hard one. Puzzles are great for stimulating a child's mind while enhancing their creativity, they promote problem solving and you get such a great sense of achievement from completing a complex puzzle. This is another activity the whole family can get involved in.
Draw pictures in the sand at the beach: or build a sandcastle
Stare at the clouds and see what amazing forms they take: there is nothing quite like lying outside and watching the clouds change shape, they even draw you pictures. Get your kids to make a list of the shapes they saw.
Play under a sprinkler or build a slip 'n' side: you can do this with a trap, some camping pegs, a hose and a lot of detergent.
There are so many ways that you can get your kids to enjoy time outdoors after school,
here are a few more:
make daisy chains with wildflowers
plant a tree
go for a family bike ride
build a backyard obstacle course and maybe get your Dog involved
feed some ducks at a pond
build and walk on some tin can stilts
skipping
There are an ever growing number of things to do outdoors and numerous ways to hone in on your kids creativity. It may even be as simple as giving them 30-40 minutes of outdoor play before they start their homework.
At Adventure camp, we are passionate about the outdoors, and we love to help kids discover the wonders of our natural environment. We hope there are a few things in this list that may suit your kids and family.
If you are looking for an awesome adventure these school holidays, why not try Adventure Camp