Kids today are obsessed with being “connected”- connected to their friends on social media, connected to the latest celebrity gossip, connected to the hottest trends in technology. It seems that the one thing they’re not connected to is nature.
How often do your kids spend time outdoors? When was the last time they enjoyed the sunshine?
If you’re looking to help your kids connect with nature again, try these activities.
Go camping
Pack up your sleeping bags and leave the technology behind. There are a lot of great camping spots, so get out of the city and sleep out under the stars.
There are few things quite as refreshing as spending a night or 2 out in the woods, cooking your meals over a campfire and enjoying the fresh air.
Whether you go camping for one night or several, it will be a great way for your kids to connect with nature. And if you establish a no-phones policy, you’ll reap the benefits of some quality family time too.
Kids not interested in sleeping outdoors? Do a family “day camp.” Go find a spot to build a campfire, roast hot dogs, and spend a few hours together. Sometimes, this can be even more effective than forcing your kids into a weekend camping trip that they’ll end up resenting.
Go to a nature centre
If you’re looking for a more structured way to help your kids connect with nature, look for a nature centre close to you.
These establishments are built to help foster a love for the outdoors in children of all ages. They’ll be able to participate in bird watching, learn how to identify various species of flowers, and enjoy other activities in the great outdoors.
There are even some indoor activities designed to teach them more about wildlife and nature in general, so even if the weather is bad, it’s always worth making a trip to a nature centre.
Set up a scavenger hunt
Entice your kids to get outside by setting up a scavenger hunt in a park or along a popular nature trail. Leave clues that will lead them further into nature, and provide a great prize for them at the end, like roasting marshmallows over a campfire.
They’ll be having so much fun on the hunt that they won’t even be thinking about checking their phones.
By Cleo G.
Christ & Co.
