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Ideas for Outdoor Family Fun

Getting your family outside in the fresh air, whether it is the backyard or the local woods can be hard. Getting everyone enthused all at the same time is hard, and thinking of something that you can all do and agree on is something else.

Being outdoors as a family may not come naturally. Even though we know that too much screen time can be a bad thing, and the benefit of fresh air, the reality of it all is that it can be hard to be outside more as a family. Having some go-to ideas and things to do can help, and make the time that you spend outdoors much more fun and enjoyable.

That is what is all about after all, right? If you start planning things now, then you can be in for a great summer of fun. 

Join an Organization

Parents can struggle with enough time to get motivated and enjoy the outdoors, when there is so much else going on, like work and other home commitments.

Which is why it can be a good idea to get your children involved with the outdoors but in a different way. Look for local forest school groups, Scouts, running groups, or bushcraft groups using this site https://www.meetup.com/topics/bushcraft/, for example.

When they have a set time to do activities outdoors, then it makes it much more likely to happen.

Duck Feeding

If you have toddlers and younger ones, then getting them to a local pond to feed the ducks is inexpensive, fun, and gets them learning and being involved with local wildlife (as well as water safety).

Be sure to feed ducks things like oats and peas rather than bread; that is like junk food to them.

But older kids might enjoy shooting sports or hunting. Click to read more.

Backyard Games

Being out in your backyard, if you have one, can be a simple solution.

But you do need to have some things to do out there, or they’ll get bored within minutes. Having a trampoline can be a good idea, but if you’re short on space, then getting some games to use can be fun.

You could get yourself a custom Cornhole game at a site like this one: https://www.cornholeworldwide.com/custom-cornhole-games/, as well as perhaps getting some skittles for bowling, balls, and hoops.

A bubble machine can be fun for younger ones too, as well as ring toss, or a paddling pool.

Nature Spotting

If you want your family to be more involved with the natural world, then helping them to ‘nature spot’ can be a good idea.

It can help them to learn about the world around them, and get them interested in protecting the earth too. There are many identification guides online, from spider identification guides to other bugs, birds, flowers, and trees.

Go for a walk with a guide, and have them mark off what they see. Things like petals and shells could be taken along the way as keepsakes too, to make it a little like a scavenger hunt as well.

It works for a variety of ages.

Bike Tours

Physical activity is vital to the healthy development of children. Kids mostly get their exercise by playing, but many kids these days live inactive lifestyles and only play video games. To help your kids become healthier, why not take them on fun bike rides in parks and nature trails? 

If your children are young, you start by taking them cycling at your local park. As they get older and become more skilled, you can gradually up the ante and take them on more challenging rides on nature bike trails. 

Cycling offers many benefits to the mind and body, and it also brings you closer to nature. Your children can reap many benefits and learn many valuable lessons through cycling.

If you and your partner love adventure, there are ways to get more excitement out of cycling. You can try mountain biking or learn how to ride motorized bicycles. Mountain biking can be incredibly fun as it is challenging, so there’s a lot of thrill to get from it. Riding motorized bikes is relatively new, but more and more people are getting into it. You could be one of the first few to try in your area. 

Jeff Campbell