4 Outdoor Activities for Family Bonding
MAY 20TH, 2020
Family bonding is so important. During times of stress, when kids might be feeling more anxious than usual, family activities can help girls feel grounded. Also, it just feels good to get outside as a family and blow off some steam. We’re big fans of outdoor sports, but if that’s not your cup of tea, there are plenty of other fun things to do outside. Below are four activities we’ve been enjoying recently:
1) Geocaching
Geocaching is fun and addictive for kids and parents alike. Geocaching is basically a real-life treasure hunt. Caches of little toys/trinkets are hidden all over the US—possibly even in your neighborhood. All you have to do to get started is visit Geocaching.com and download the free app. We also found REI’s guide to geocaching with kids helpful.
2) Animal Spotting
If your kids like animals, try an early morning walk at an open space preserve in your area. See how many different animals you can spy on your walk. If you want to take things a bit further, try identifying the specific animals you saw on your walk. The iNaturalist app can help if you snap a pic of the critter(s). If you don’t have a pic, you can still go to the iNaturalist website, plug in your location and search for the species of animal you saw (ex: rabbit) to find the specific type (ex: Black-tailed Jackrabbit, Lepus Californicus).
3) Mineral Hunting
Kids love cool rocks. Why not go hunting for some? Find a rocky trail in your area and go for a walk together, keeping your eyes peeled for special stones. When you get back to the house, use a mineral guide to identify what you found. Our favorite guide is My Book of Rocks and Minerals: Things to Find, Collect, and Treasure.
4) Family Training
Even though in-person 5ks and family fun runs across the country have been cancelled, you can still take on a special fitness challenge as a family. Devices/apps like Fitbit, Strava and MapMyRun allow you to set your own goals, or join virtual challenges. Why not pick a challenge as a family and work toward it? Ideas include hiking 30 miles in a month (total), running a 5k, and walking 10,000 steps a day.
We hope these activities bring your family a little closer together.
4 Outdoor Activities for Family Bonding
MAY 20TH, 2020
Family bonding is so important. During times of stress, when kids might be feeling more anxious than usual, family activities can help girls feel grounded. Also, it just feels good to get outside as a family and blow off some steam. We’re big fans of outdoor sports, but if that’s not your cup of tea, there are plenty of other fun things to do outside. Below are four activities we’ve been enjoying recently:
1) Geocaching
Geocaching is fun and addictive for kids and parents alike. Geocaching is basically a real-life treasure hunt. Caches of little toys/trinkets are hidden all over the US—possibly even in your neighborhood. All you have to do to get started is visit Geocaching.com and download the free app. We also found REI’s guide to geocaching with kids helpful.
2) Animal Spotting
If your kids like animals, try an early morning walk at an open space preserve in your area. See how many different animals you can spy on your walk. If you want to take things a bit further, try identifying the specific animals you saw on your walk. The iNaturalist app can help if you snap a pic of the critter(s). If you don’t have a pic, you can still go to the iNaturalist website, plug in your location and search for the species of animal you saw (ex: rabbit) to find the specific type (ex: Black-tailed Jackrabbit, Lepus Californicus).
3) Mineral Hunting
Kids love cool rocks. Why not go hunting for some? Find a rocky trail in your area and go for a walk together, keeping your eyes peeled for special stones. When you get back to the house, use a mineral guide to identify what you found. Our favorite guide is My Book of Rocks and Minerals: Things to Find, Collect, and Treasure.
4) Family Training
Even though in-person 5ks and family fun runs across the country have been cancelled, you can still take on a special fitness challenge as a family. Devices/apps like Fitbit, Strava and MapMyRun allow you to set your own goals, or join virtual challenges. Why not pick a challenge as a family and work toward it? Ideas include hiking 30 miles in a month (total), running a 5k, and walking 10,000 steps a day.
We hope these activities bring your family a little closer together.