Encouraging Your Child’s Love Of The Outdoors

Spending too much time indoors is a worry for today’s parents, and sometimes it can be hard to get the kids to put their tablet or phone down and get outside to enjoy the fresh air! They can forget just how fuin going on an ‘adventure’ can be, especially if there’s nothing really for them to enjoy except a bench and a few flowers. 

So maybe it’s time to show them just how fun being outdoors can be. It’s a place where anything can happen, where there’s lots to discover, and there’s plenty of space to muck around and have fun! And encouraging this love will help them to find a lifelong passion for being out and about. So curate the garden especially for them and use the tips below to get them back out there again. 

Get Messy with Paint, Mud and Anything Else! 

The outdoors is the messiest place on earth, but that’s not something to worry about. You just need to put an extra bit of cleaning powder in the washing machine on the next load. For now the kids can get as messy as they like out there, and if they come back covered in mud and grass stains, they can scrub their shirt and shorts themselves! 

But if they have the freedom to get this messy, they’re going to love being outdoors. There’s a sense of independence in being able to get down and dirty out there, and that can help your kids to improve their own athleticism and confidence. And it’s not just the mud and grass they can use here. If they have some paints and paper in their craft box, they can take them out and make as many pictures as they like of what they see as well. 

Play Many Different Sports

Sports come in droves, and trying out as many as possible with your kids can help love having a soft, grassy surface to run around and fall down on! And you don’t have to only consider the traditional sports here either; you can make them up as you go along. 

A game of rounders is always fun, and so is setting up a swingball stand, but if the kids want to use their own ruleset, go ahead and let them. You could also invest in more variable bats and balls, to play games of baseball, cricket, and badminton as well if you wish. The more sports there are to choose from, the more fun your kids will find the outdoors – they’ll never have a chance to get bored. 

Go Bug Hunting

Bug hunting might seem a little disgusting to you as an adult, but for kids it can be one of the most interesting things in the world. And because of that, it’s worth it to take everyone out on a bug hunt and see what you can find. In the UK the majority of bugs are absolutely harmless and don’t even bite, so you won’t have to worry about your children’s safety here either. However, you will have to worry about telling the difference between roach and waterbug here and there! 

That can be tricky when you’re a beginner, but if the kids grow up knowing how to identify a bug or two, they’ll quickly learn to love just how different and exciting insects can be. So buy a mason jar, poke holes in the lid, and get some small butterfly nets. Hand them out amongst the kids and let them go wild, catching and photographing whatever they pick up. 

Try All the Classic Camping Activities

Camping is a very fun thing to do when you’re a child, and even as an adult it can bring a rare pleasure your way. So why not try out camping every now and then, even if it’s just in your own backyard? 

Pitch a tent, build a fire, roast marshmallows and s’mores over it, and then cosy up in a sleeping bag under the stars. It’s a wonderful picture to think about, and it’s best done on warm nights during the summertime. The kids will really love the novelty of it. 

Being in nature has a lot of health benefits, and thankfully, it can also be a lot of fun! So do your best to encourage your child’s love of the outdoors. There’s so much to discover, and when you’re young, you’ve got plenty of time to dedicate to finding everything the outside world has to offer! 

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