Encouraging your children to take part in outdoor activities may seem like a chore, particularly when it comes to the kids of today.
Its a growing concern that many children nowadays spend far too much time playing computer games and not enough time climbing trees or riding a bicycle. Outdoor play is an imperative part of childhood. It allows us to develop our physical motor and social skills as well as improving concentration in the classroom. As a parent the pressure of trying to tempt your kids into a more active and structured form of play can seem like an impossible challenge. Visiting your local park and letting them run riot on the playground equipment will only occupy them for so long! So here we list five outdoor activities you can enjoy with your children for free, to help motivate you into encouraging the types of activities that will help them to grow and learn as individuals.
1. Take them for a picnic
We all love food right? Picnics are a great way to get everybody excited about the outdoors. The best thing about picnics is that they can be enjoyed by children of all ages, and adults too! Ok, so you don’t need to be physically fit to eat a picnic, but by taking along a football or frisbee, and placing it alongside the picnic table during lunchtime you can bet that somebody will pick it up and start a game. Just try not to involve too many rules when smaller children are concerned as they are likely to bore easily if the game becomes too complicated or competitive.
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2. Go for a bike ride
Riding a bike is something almost all of us learn to do as kids. Remembering my grandads huge grin as he watched me pedal like the clappers down his street is a memory that will remain with me forever. If you can find the time to teach your child this skill it will give you both loving memories that will linger for a lifetime…and after all it’s as easy as riding a bike. If your older children have the “been there done that” attitude, there are plenty of apps out there for route planning to tempt the more experienced of us into developing our cycling skills and gaining some extra exercise.
3. Create a treasure hunt
Treasure hunts are a really fun way to keep your kids occupied for hours. Decide on a theme, draw up some maps and start writing clues. Try not to make your clues too complicated for the age bracket concerned. A general rule is that kids will usually be happy with twice the amount of clues as their age. So for instance if you have a bunch of five year olds then writing ten clues would be sufficient enough to make it exciting without boring them. Another great hint is to use rhymes for younger kids and riddles for older kids. Try to get their brain working without making the clues too difficult. Make sure you have a cool prize too, kids are savvy, if the prize isn’t up to scratch then they won’t want to treasure hunt with you again
4. Get scientific
This isn’t technically an outdoor activity, but If you are lucky enough to live close enough to London that travel into the city isn’t a problem, then you have to check out the science museum. World renowned for its exciting and interactive exhibitions, the science museum is absolutely awe-inspiring and best of all admission is free. The science museum makes science seem cool and fun. Even the most fussy of children won’t be able to stop themselves from getting involved in all the unique experiments on offer each day. If you love it there, another free place to visit in London is the Royal observatory. Located in Greenwich, at the meridian line means that every new day officially starts there. The Royal Observatory is also now home to the only planetarium in London
5. Dress up the car
Dressing up the car is something thats going to require lots of your attention in order to prevent accidents, but little children will find great satisfaction in bringing your car to life. Make some simple paper stencils such as eyelashes which can be stuck to the headlights or maybe some big sharp teeth to stick on the front bumper. You could even create a jail cell to hold your little ones captive by building jail bars from thick cardboard and setting in place of the hatchback door once its open.
There are many ways you can keep your little ones busy with outdoor activities that don’t cost the earth, but in all honesty the success of these activities will depend on the type of children you wish to entertain. Not all children of all ages will be comfortable with the activities suggested in this list, but they should help you to get some ideas rolling around and next time you want to drag your little angels away from the computer you will be full of suggestions of outdoor activities you can do with your children for free.
