Smartphones, tablets, cartoons, and online video games are keeping your kids inside and glued to the couch. Of course, children also tend to mimic the behavior of their peers and parents, so it’s not like those things are simply having a negative impact on their own. The reality is, it would not be ideal to simply forbid them to have fun, but carefully guide them in a different direction as well.
Here we will go over some of the methods you can use in order to inspire your indoor-loving kids to adopt outdoor playing habits. You can try a few of them or all of them,
Turn Your Back Yard into Fun Zone
Children do not need a spacious outdoor area to have fun, so even if you have a small backyard it will be more than enough to create an inviting play area. You can buy plastic golf clubs, badminton rackets, frisbees, hula hoops, and other equipment for outdoor sports activities.
During summer you can get an inflatable pool and fill it so that they can cool off, or you can simply set up a camping tent, which will be like a new room. Kids love to change the scenery and by using a tent, you create a sort of a limited time offer that they will love to use. Furthermore, you can get a sandbox with beach toys, where they can build a sand castle or simply play with smaller toys.
There are lots of other ways to make your backyard more child-friendly, but it is also important to monitor them and make sure they don’t get hurt. Also, there are certain plants that are good for a kid-friendly garden and there are those you should avoid, so you can look into that.
Outdoor Gadgets
Much like a lot of grown-ups, children love gadgets, and since they have vivid imagination personal mobility gadgets are especially enticing to them. As a parent, you can take advantage of this and get them these toys that are specifically designed to be used outside. The issue once again is safety, considering how hoverboards, and e-bikes, as well as other mobile devices that have a high balancing skill cap, are not suited for inexperienced users.
Luckily there are e-skateboards that are specifically designed for kids, which will help them get a hang of these gadgets function, and that will be fun to use at the same time. So you can allow your kids to drive around these skateboards and then get them something that is a bit trickier to master. All things considered, they are bound to spend a lot of time outside playing with these.
Outdoor Family Time
Children love to imitate their parents and spend time with them, in other words, you need to practice what you preach and spend more time with them outside. You can go for a relaxing walk, or allow them to wash your car with you, to water the plants, or to mow the loan, etc. You can find a lot of fun outdoor activities that would be ideal for bonding with your kids here. This is ideal for bonding with your children, and also to get some outdoor activities yourself.
Furthermore, you can use the opportunity to delegate some outdoor chores and to incite some healthy working habits while they are still young. If they regard outdoor chores as something fun and positive, it will be easier for you to make them do those things when they enter into their rebellious phase.
Organize Camping Trips
Camping trips are great for awakening the adventurous spirit and for inspiring kids to explore. Considering how kids can get easily uncomfortable especially if they end up with a lot of bug bites, blisters, or if heat is unbearable. In order to avoid the unpleasant camping experience, make sure you bring bug repellant, avoid places with a lot of stinging nettles, pick a day when it is not scorching hot. You can also bring some of their toys, in case they get bored, but the idea is to spend time exploring nature, and maybe teaching them a thing or two; for example, how to set up a tent, what they should avoid eating or touching, some basics about flora and fauna, etc.