I was provided a complimentary kit from The Outsideologist Project and compensation for this article, but all opinions are my own.
The other day my kids and I took a long walk. No, not long distance... long time. It was only a mile around our neighborhood, but it took us three times longer than it would have if I'd been walking on my own.
We checked one tree stump to see the status of the mushroom growing on it, then we checked another stump that a mystery animal has been digging in for bugs, we paused to notice all the plants and dandelions, and observed fish, geese (and goslings!), and a turtle in the river. We had so much fun exploring that when we got home, I was shocked to see it was time to get dinner started!
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I love my kids' curiosity about nature and their amazing sense of adventure, even if that adventure is in our own backyard or down the street from our home. It's a bonus for me that curious kids are kids who are eager to learn while having fun!
It was easy for us to pass the time that afternoon outside, which is why I was surprised to learn that a new survey from the makers of Claritin® found that 72% of parents surveyed believe their family doesn’t spend enough time outside. But when they do get outside, 49% of parents report that their kids find the outdoors boring.
"Boring?!? Outside isn't boring!" my six-year-old exclaimed when I told the kids what I'd just read.
Spending quality time with my family outside is a priority, and my kids and I are excited to partner with Claritin® to show other kids what wonders nature has in store for them to discover through The Outsideologist Project.
While our family enjoys the outdoors, we understand it can sometimes be challenging to find ways to make it fun. These activities are a great way to encourage kids to explore and be curious about getting outside!
1. Learn About Plants
Most importantly, as toddlers (with reminders every time), the kids learned that they should NEVER touch or eat any plants, mushrooms, or berries they find outside without asking mom or dad first! Next they started to learn new plants one by one. Now if they discover a new plant they don't recognize, they bring me over to see if I know what it is. My 12-year-old has been studying botany, so she is learning how to research the plants we want to know more about. One day we were delighted to find that the new plant in our yard was a black raspberry! (Thanks, birds!) The kids also like to find out which plants the pollinators love – dandelions!
2. Grow Our Own Food
The kids love grabbing a snack from our garden in the summer and I love having cucumbers and tomatoes at the ready to add to my salads. Every spring we all decide what we would like to try growing this year. I say "try" because we don't always have overwhelming success, but that's just another learning experience for kids... they (Ok, me too) learn to deal with disappointment and then find out how we can improve for the next time. Last year we expanded our learning and did some seed saving, so we will be planting green bean seeds we kept from last year.
3. Look for Animal Signs
This one is like our very own detective game in our yard! What animal left that track? We aren't sure what is digging the bugs out of our stump, but we have been researching. My son is so curious he wants us to set up a camera to find out once and for all! We also have some deer that visit at night and another animal finds food scraps in the neighborhood and seems to like to eat it in our driveway. We've found eggshells and a watermelon rind recently! And of course, we watch for animals on our walks and stop to see the fish, birds, and turtles in the water. Just remember only look and never touch!
4. Go Geocaching
Switch gears from playing detective to playing treasure hunter! We have been geocaching since my 12-year-old was just a year old! Some geocaches simply have you sign the log when you find it, but my kids love the ones with swaps (little trinkets) inside. All you need to do is download the Geocaching app and follow the prompts to set up an account and start hunting for treasure! To get the most fun out of your day, bring a pen/pencil, snacks, and your water bottle.
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5. Hike, Especially the Story Walk Trails!
There are lots of great places to hike in and around the Fox Valley! Besides all of the nature centers/preserves, we also have High Cliff and Hartman Creek state parks, the path along the river in Appleton is a great paved trail, the Fox Cities Paper Trail is a 50+ mile circle through 11 communities and 20 parks, and Waupaca has 26+ miles of trails that are part of the River Ridge Trail, which includes several parks and story walks. Speaking of story walks, those have always been a favorite for the kids and were a great way to get them started hiking.
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6. Pick Up Trash
Unfortunately, the more time you spend outside, the more trash you will notice around you. When we find a particularly messy spot, we like to don our sturdy work gloves and head out to clean up. We always talk about safety before we go, especially that kids should never pick up anything sharp. We want to do our best to keep our favorite outside spaces beautiful as long as we can.
We hope your family joins us in being Outsideologists this summer! Studies show that spending time outside builds confidence in kids, promotes happiness and creativity, and even teaches responsibility. And we can all use a little more of those things right now!
Be sure to join along in the activities and get inspiration from @OutsideologistProject on Instagram and Facebook, and share your adventures using #GetOutside!
Enter to win an Outsideologist Project Kit from the makers of Claritin®. Each kit includes items to inspire your child’s outdoor exploration as well as samples of Children’s and Adult’s Claritin® so Outsideologists of all ages can get the powerful, non-drowsy allergy relief they need to embrace the wonders of the outdoors. Use as directed. Click HERE to enter! NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the United States who are at least 18 years of age at time of entry. Sweepstakes commences at 12:00AM ET on 7/16/21 and ends at 11:59PM ET on 8/16/21. Subject to Official Rules at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OKoHGMu9cg8htJrFilAV4UN8ydyvRki5mBEdRKfXLrs/edit. For prize descriptions see Official Rules.
The Outsideologist Project, presented by the makers of Claritin®, is a multiyear initiative with the goal of getting 1.2 million kids to spend an extra hour outside each week. Studies show physical, mental, and emotional health benefits of being outdoors, and Claritin® is on a mission to get more children and their families outside, exploring the wonders nature has to offer.
