There are many reasons that being outside is good for your children. Getting vitamin D and exercise can help their physical and mental health.
Getting kids to play outside in this age of technology can be difficult. With so much indoor entertainment, you’ll have to get creative with the ways you encourage your child to get playtime outside.
Are you trying to get your kids outdoors? Check out these 8 creative ways to get your child to play outside.
1. Play Outside With Outdoor Toys
The best way to get kids playing outside is to get some toys they can use outdoors. You can load up an outdoor toy storage bin with sidewalk chalk, balls, and toy cars for easy access.
Outdoor toys will surely get your kids excited about being outside.
2. Bring Indoor Activities Outside
You can ease the transition of playing outside for kids by bringing indoor activities outside. Take some board games, puzzles, or coloring books into the yard so they can get some sun while they play.
If your kids are more imaginative, playing house or school are fun outdoor activities. With imagination, your yard can be any setting they want it to be.
3. Limit Screen Time
Part of the importance of outside playtime for kids is getting them away from screens. Studies show that excessive screen time for children can hinder their critical thinking and reasoning skills.
Setting strict screen time limits will encourage them to play outside.
4. Make Outdoors a ‘Video Game’
Getting kids away from media and video games can be tough. If your kids are gamers, take the video games outside.
Have them pretend like they’re a character from their favorite video game. Make up tasks for them to do and ‘checkpoints’ to reach.
5. Use the Landscape
Get creative with the nature around you. Make a mud pit to splash around in, or an obstacle course out of rocks.
They can practice their balancing skills on logs or big boulders. Have them make a meal for bugs out of plants and flowers.
6. Hunt for Treasure
Create a scavenger hunt for them to complete. You can hide items around the yard and give them a checklist to mark off.
You could also have them find items in nature. Ask for things of different colors, shapes, and sizes to get their gears turning.
7. Have a Parade
Who needs a holiday for a parade? Help your kids turn their bikes or toy cars into floats.
This will get them outside while also celebrating their creativity.
8. Have a Picnic
Your kids already eat 3 meals a day. Why not turn one of those meals into a picnic?
You can make a family dinner and eat it on a blanket in your yard. If you can, pack a lunch and take them for a picnic in a local park.
Go Play
Now you have some great tips to get your kids to play outside. Keep these in mind the next time your child is bored.
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