5 Family-Friendly Outdoor Activities

Summer's upon us and it's nice getting outside and taking in that deep breath of clean, cut grass. That smell brings back a slew of childhood memories for me of log-rolling down a hill near my home, picking dandelions to give "flowers" to my mother (much like my children do for me), and biking around the neighborhood with our sheltie, Shawn-dog.

As you rev up for summer, I thought I'd give you some ideas (a bucket list of sorts) to give you a jump start on spending time with your children. So, here goes...

HSMoms 5 Family-Friendly Outdoor Activities

1) Explore a pond & bring home some wildlife (today my son found some tadpoles, so we're going to grab our GeoSafari Jr. Critter Habitat and go scoop up a few specimens for observation)

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2) Run through the sprinklers ( I can't think of anything more simple and fun than enjoying this summer pleasure)

3) Take a bike ride together (this is one of my favorite activities in the morning when the weather is a bit cooler. For longer rides, I like to take my Venture Pal Lightweight Packable Durable Travel Hiking Backpack Daypack (AKA my Nature Study backpack) and load it up with water, snacks, wet wipes & the ever so important...first aid kit replete with bandaids for scraped knees which always seem to happen on our extended rides...go figure!)

This post uses affiliate links.

This means I'll receive a small amount of cha-ching when you purchase from my links,

which I”ll likely spend on more curriculum for my littles. :) Thank you!

4) Visit a national forest. When my daughter was younger, I wanted her to see what a lake, mountain, boulder, canyon, etc. looked like firsthand. That way, when she read about these wonders of nature, these marvels from our Heavenly Creator. That summer we visited Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes Park, Colorado climbing everything in sight. The best part about a national parks vacation is that the type of outdoor time stems from their imagination, pushes your kids beyond their usual boundaries, and often leaves them feeling like they can conquer the world! Mind you, that's on a good day, but even bad days can bring teachable moments on using encouraging words, helping others, and using self-control.

5) Take a class at a nature preserve. A few year's back, we found a program in Northern Virginia called Fresh Air Kids at the Rust Nature Santuary. We learned about observing with our eyes and listening to nature. The staff had us go down to the pond where we'd use these giant nets to scoop up tadpoles and dragonfly nymphs, hear a symphony of toad chatter, and learn about nature's food chains. We'd play games of predators vs. prey, scout out a Purple Martin's nest, and visit a "vernal pool" (a temporary pool of water/wetland that provides habitats for various plants and animals that is usually associated with forest settings...who knew!).