It’s an understatement when I say that my son has A LOT of energy. From the minute he wakes up until he puts his head on the pillow at night — and even then is still wiggling around — he is constantly moving. Tossing the football to himself in the living room, shooting hoops in his over-the-door basketball hoop, playing in the cul-de-sac with neighborhood kids… It. Doesn’t. Stop. If only I could bottle that energy up and drink it myself!
The good news is that here in Jacksonville, we live in a climate that allows us to spend time outdoors nearly every single day of the year. I know when he gets home from school, he must go straight outside to get out some of the pent-up energy he’s been keeping in all day. We’ve tried to squeeze in things after work or after an early dinner, but it nearly backfires every single time.
In a time when P.E. is being cut from schools, and childhood obesity is at an all-time high, now is the time to get outside and connect with your kids. Start with 15 minutes, and you’ll reap the benefits of unplugging from your day, getting some fresh air and exercise, having fun with your kid(s), experiencing the great outdoors, trying something new… the list goes on and on. The best part? Going outside requires little planning or cost. Just get up and go!
Here are 12 ideas that we’ve found work well for the entire family:
1. Explore the neighborhood. This is a great time of year to walk around and see all the new plants blooming. Especially because we’ve gained an hour of light this month, there’s even more time to get out and about.
2. Buckle your helmets and head out for a family bike ride. You get your legs moving, circulation flowing and fresh air blowing. If you are close to restaurants, keep the car parked and ride to dinner.
3. Hit up the neighborhood park. For us, it’s a short stroll to get there, and we bring a football or soccer ball and have fun calling and running the plays.
4. Plan a family scavenger hunt. Hunt for pine cones, rocks, leaves, flowers, newspapers, mailboxes, red cars, black window shutters, strollers, etc.
5. Get some sidewalk chalk from the store and draw things around you. The sun, clouds, trees, houses, etc. Draw hopscotch boxes, and get to hopping. Our neighborhood kids have the parents judge the best drawing, and the winner gets a piece of candy.
6. Take your dinner outside and have a picnic. Lay out a big blanket or sheet and dine under the sky or stars. I’d eat every meal outside if I could — especially in the spring!
7. Get out a bucket and soap, and take turns washing and spraying off the car. The kids can reach the low spots, and adults can reach the higher spots.
8. Learn the constellations. On a clear night, find a dark spot in your yard and look up to the sky and try and find the North Star, shooting stars and any constellations. I have fond memories of doing this with my dad when I was younger.
9. If your kids like bugs, get a bug-collecting kit. We bought one at the Dollar Store and walk around collecting (with tweezers) the smallest of creepy crawlers, inspecting them once safely inside the plastic tin. Then we release them back into nature.
10. Grab your favorite book and sprawl out a blanket to read under the clouds. This can also be done for homework, grading papers and more.
11. Bubbles can make a huge mess inside, but not outside. Let the kids go wild with the bubbles then see who can pop the most while chasing them.
12. Grab an old-school camera, and let the kids play photographer for a change. Look for colorful flowers, yard art, birds soaring overhead, cool cloud formations, whatever catches their eye. Then upload the photos and show off their creativity.
For me, I’m inside an office building all day and getting outside after work not only benefits me and my well-being, but also my family’s. Now, we all look forward to our outside time each night, even if that means sometimes putting on our rain boots and making the most of the puddles.
