While kids can make it harder to get outdoors and participate in the recreation and adventure you may have done prior to your little ones being born, sharing your passion for being outside with your kids can be one of the most rewarding experiences. However, if you have kids that don’t like being outside or are nervous about adventure, you might find yourself feeling more frustrated and disappointed than fulfilled.
So to help you cultivate a love of the outdoors in your kids, here are three ways to involve your kids in your passion for outdoor adventure.
Make It Gradual
If you were able to start getting your kids outside with you from a very young age, they may not know any different than having a love and appreciation for the outdoors. But if they’re a little older and would rather stay inside playing video games than go on a hike with you, you’re likely going to need to make this transition very gradually.
To do this, Joanne Chen and Maressa Brown, contributors to Parents.com, suggest starting with activities that aren’t going to be physically strenuous or take too long. Things like rockhounding, playing with remote control cars, cooking outdoors, watching wildlife, and other engaging activities can be a great jumping off point for getting kids outside and interested in the world around them.
Pick The Right Places To Explore
When taking a less than excited adventure partner with you on a trip, you’ll need to be very conscious of what places you choose to visit together, especially if your partner is one of your kids.
Dave Parfitt, a contributor to Lonely Planet, shares that some of the best places to go outside with kids are areas where there are natural features of interest to interact with. For example, beaches, cliffs, waterfalls, gorges, boulders, and other natural features inherently invite kids to explore, so these are great places to start with.
Give Gear As Gifts
Just like you love heading into the outdoors with some new gear to try out, kids will love this, too.
Knowing this, Gabe Grayum, a contributor to REI.com, suggests that you give your kids gear as gifts so they can have something new to use when they head outside with you. Anything from new outdoor clothes to a flashlight, compass, or whistle can be a great gift for a kid that you’re wanting to get excited about being outdoors. Just make sure that the gear is the right size for them and it’s age appropriate, or it could prove to make the trip harder on both of you.
If you’re wanting to instill in your kids a love for the outdoors and experience outdoor adventure with them throughout their life, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you create this type of relationship.
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