Unplugging From Technology and Subscribing To Nature
By: Guest Contributor, Patricia Evans
Not a single day seems to pass by that your kid doesn’t have his laptop or tablet in his hands. You may find yourself convincing your kid endlessly to, for once, give it a try to enjoy what nature has to offer, but to no avail.
Convincing your child to enjoy and appreciate the benefits outdoor activities bring may prove to be challenging. However, if you can only be patient and determined, you’ll surely find yourself succeeding in making your child discard his gadgets in favor of enjoying some time outdoor.
An Extraordinary Camping Experience
Get ready for the return of outdoor vacations! Backyard camping among kids and their families has increased its popularity in the past years. Indulge in a cozy experience, engaging in creative camping play in a DIY budget backyard playground. Enlist your kids’ help to build a camping playground that the whole family can truly enjoy without spending a lot of money. Build a two-storey haunted house with your kids in your playground. Have a good ol’ scary time playing ghosts at night while camping. Delight in seeing your kids actively yelling and screaming all night long.
Get to Know Your New Friends
Birds are the most common wildlife friends you encounter on a daily basis. Organize a nature-themed playground project by attracting birds to your own backyard. Make homemade feeders or nesting boxes for songbirds and hummingbirds to enjoy. Alternatively, you and your kids may just listen to the birds singing. You may subsequently ask your kids to indicate the types of birds they hear singing according to the sounds produced.
Photo via Zoe Flickr
Expand Your Nature Collection
Turn your kids into natural collectors in your playground. Keep the seeds, pine cones and rocks. Your kids may gather these things from your backyard as tools for a handicraft project. Better yet, make a space on a windowsill or table so you can showcase your child’s nature collection.
Sing and Get Wet
Photo by Sebastiaan ter Burg via Flickr
Change the way kids play. Don’t wait for the rain to go away and for sunshine to come back. Grab a pair of rubber boots and a raincoat for your child. Have fun playing with your kids in rain-damped yards and wet mud puddles. Don’t think twice about joining your kids for some water-shocking good time.
Don’t be Afraid to Take a Night Hike
Even though too much technology can harm children, most kids are fond of playing video games after school at night. Motivate your children to go on a nature walk with you after school. Going on an outdoor adventure is not simply restricted during day time.
Bask in the serenity and the views of the moon and the stars offer. Bravely interact with night animals that you may encounter. Take a moonwalk, study the star constellations, and get to know nocturnal insects. Give your child a moon journal to help him better remember the different phases of the moon.
Discover the Animal Homes
Discover the homes of different animals in your backyard, neighborhood and nearby parks with your kids. Nests, webs, hive, and holes signal signs of wildlife in the area. Your child can easily gain stock of knowledge about the natural habitats of animals they can proudly boast about in school.
Draw a Neighborhood Map
Guide your child in making a map of your very own neighborhood; drawing only the natural landmarks. This activity can tremendously enhance your kids’ observation abilities. It can also initiate the creation of a nature field guide around your neighborhood.
Get Carried Away With Imagination
Photo by John Mueller via Flickr
Your kid doesn’t need to be a brainer to pick out shapes in the clouds. Picking out the shapes of the clouds brings out the visual learner out of your child. Drive your imagination wild just by staring out into a sky filled with big fluffy cotton ball shaped clouds.
Snack and Paint with Berries
Photo by Dan McKay via Flickr
Berry picking is a great activity that can let your kids know that food doesn’t originally come from the supermarket. Pick berries with your kids in a nearby farm or your backyard. Use the extra berries to make watercolors your kids can use in their art projects.
Nowhere but Up
Photo by Matt Patterson via Flickr
Kite flying provides a classic pastime experience that brings enjoyment to the whole family. Fly your kite on a windy day at a local park. Keep track on how long your kid can keep the kite up in the air.
Plenty of Fish in the Sea
If you enjoy catching a fish on your own, consider taking your kid to catch one, too. Teach your child how to use the rod. You’ll be amazed to see the stars in your child’s eyes as he catches his first fish! Take games and books to heighten your fishing experience. Absorb the serenity by telling imaginative stories and playing discreet eye spy games.
Expose Your Kids to Lovable Pets
Pet shops are the best places for children to find out how animals smell, sound and move. Take your child to a pet shop for a visit in your free time during the day. Talking parrots will surely make your kid laugh. Moreover, colorful fish will definitely not fail to brighten up your child’s somber mood.
You and your kids can help reduce carbon footprint by managing a healthy lifestyle outdoors. Enjoying nature-related activities doesn’t mean making things difficult for you and your kids. Your kids may enjoy these outdoor activities by spending a minimal amount of money only. In certain times, you and your kids may even enjoy having these activities for free, while not having to sacrifice living a healthy lifestyle along the way!
Patricia Evans is a Huffington Post UK blogger. Connect with her via Twitter.
by Editor