Springtime is about to be knocking on our doors and you know
what that means – longer days full of extra sunlight, perfect balmy
temperatures, and the need to pry video game controllers and television remotes
out of the kids’ hands to force them outside. As technology continues to become
more prevalent in our lives to fill our need for entertainment it can be hard
to convince kids that they can have as much, if not more, fun outdoors as they
can inside simulating experiences. However just because they may protest
doesn’t mean you should concede and let them stay inside. Instead get them to
engage in some good, old-fashioned, outdoor playtime using some of these
tactics:
1. Fly
kites
You don’t need a whole lot of fancy
supplies to make kites; you just need basic items like paper bags or paper
plates, some string, and a little creativity. Handcrafting kites is the perfect
rainy day activity and taking them out on the next windy day will be even more
fun because the kids made them on their own.
2.
Take a
trip to the park
Parks are perfect because there are a
variety of activities that everyone can do there. The kids can play on the
playground, take hikes on the trails, go bird or animal watching, and if
there’s a pond you can go fishing or teach the kids how to skip rocks across
the water. With so many different things to do the kids will be occupied for
hours running around playing.
3.
Build a
fort
If you’re worried about your kids being out
and about around the neighborhood then let them build a fort in the backyard
instead. It can be as simple or elaborate as they want, from using big
cardboard boxes to actually constructing a wooden fort, and they’ll have a
blast making their own personal play space.
4.
Get
together with the neighborhood kids
Talk to other parents or nannies in the
neighborhood and set up times that all the kids can get together and play
different games outside, like dodge ball, freeze tag, or hide and seek. This
not only gets everyone outdoors and playing but is also a good opportunity to
get closer with your neighbors.
5.
Go
camping
A great way to get kids to begin to appreciate
using their imaginations and playing outdoors is by taking a camping trip.
Leave all the technology at home and spend time exploring the camp areas and
playing games together during the day and sitting around a campfire roasting
marshmallows for s’mores and telling stories at night.
Spending time playing outside in the sunshine and
interacting with other kids is good for the soul, and too many of our kids
aren’t getting enough of it these days. It’s up to you to make sure that your
kids don’t fall victim to holing up indoors all day everyday wrapped up in
technology.
Sara is an active nanny as well as an active freelance
writer. She is a frequent contributor of nanny
service. She can be reachable at saradawkins61ATgmail.com.
