I know that when I am stuck on a writing assignment, it is time for a walk. I am not alone. People need to be outside in nature. It helps them think, gets their creative juices flowing, and is a natural (very natural) stress reducer.
Being outside is essential for kids, especially children who have difficulties attending to tasks. Children are typically fascinated with nature. They love animals and enjoy doing anything outdoors, like inspecting insects,  digging for worms, camping, fishing, and playing sports. A child’s attention can be improved once they spend some time outdoors in nature. They are better able to concentrate, complete tasks, and follow directions.
Summer is obviously the perfect time to head outside and get that time in nature that we need. Here are 5 things you can do to make sure that you spend as much time as you can outdoors with your kids:
Have a picnic in your backyard
I have a tray at the ready in my kitchen and I pile on our dinner stuff. The kids are always eager to help. I grab disposable plates, cups and cutlery and a blanket and have an impromptu picnic. It is a lot of fun and the clean up is so much faster.
Make Ice cream/ Popsicles
When my kids were young the summer rule was that ice cream and popsicles needed to be eaten outside. We also would make our own popsicles, nothing fancy, from grape or orange juice. Full disclosure: We ate a lot of ice cream and popsicles in the summertime.
Cool Off with a Sprinkler
Every kid loves water and every kid loves a sprinkler. There are a ton of different styles, shapes, and sizes, but even the simple garden-variety works. Sometimes we would just put a hose on our jungle gym slide. Voila, a mini water park.
Use Outdoor Objects for Crafts
My kids loved this activity. I would buy some washable paint and we would collect rocks and then paint them. Even very young children can do this. Â An even better activity? Do this when the sprinkler is running. You have an instant way to wash and cool off. Sometimes, if I didn’t have paint, we would just paint the rocks with water. Simple, right?
Blow bubbles
There is no child who does not love blowing bubbles. Buy everyone their own jar or help them share and let the fun begin, outside of course!
Find more activities to do with your kids on the blog!