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Relationships > 5 Great Outdoor Activities for the Whole Family
By Evan Fischer
February 16, 2012
By Evan Fischer
February 16, 2012
Most parents have a pretty hectic schedule. Between managing a household, seeing to the needs of children, and often, working full time, it can be difficult to muster up the energy to spend some quality time with the family. Most nights it’s just easier to pop something frozen in the microwave and sack out in front of the TV. But surprisingly, a little activity and some fresh air can do you a world of good when you’re feeling beat from a stressful and exhausting day.
So for the parents out there that are feeling tired, overwhelmed, and distant from their spouses and children, here are a few great outdoor activities that could help you to turn things around.
1. A walk in the park. It doesn’t get any easier than rounding up the kids for a walk to the local park. You can shoot for every evening if you want to ensure some daily exercise and a chance to discuss the events of the day with your whole family, or you can make it a weekend outing complete with a picnic lunch.
2. Sports. Everybody is bound to have their preference on which sport is the most fun to play, but when you have a variety of equipment handy you can trade off so that all have a chance to enjoy themselves. So take the soccer ball, the baseball bat and mitts, or the tennis racquets to a nearby park for an afternoon of fun physical activity. Or simply play in your own backyard for fun and fitness.
3. Stargazing. Okay, so not everyone has the time and inclination to get physical. Or perhaps you’ve simply had your fill of exercise elsewhere. Either way, you can still have some fun with the family outside the home by picking up a star finder at your local bookstore to search for constellations. You can even find tutorials online to make easy telescopes from household objects (or order a kit). And you can visit the Sea and Sky website to find a calendar of celestial events (moon phases, meteor showers, etc.) to schedule in.
4. Gardening. Does anything make you feel better than growing your own organic produce and beautiful flowering plants? So why not get your whole family in on the fun? Let kids pick produce and flowers to grow and then help them get the feel of planting, feeding, weeding, and harvesting. Whether you have a large yard or a container garden this is a great way to get outside and do something productive and healthy.
5. Camping. If you have some time off coming up, don’t spend it at home, where you’re sure to find a million chores to fill your time. And resist the urge to blow your budget on a pricy trip out of town. Instead, pull out the camping gear, leave the cell phones at home, and spend a relaxing few days getting back to nature. You can teach the kids to fish, make s’mores over the campfire, and take nature hikes to enjoy the beauty that is all around you.
Evan Fischer is a freelance writer and contributor for Playground Equipment. He is also a part-time student at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, California.
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