Author: Heather
Category: Family
Published Date: 01/15/2018
Comments: 24
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What did you do for fun when you were a child? I remember spending a lot of time outside, bouncing a ball against my grandparent’s garage door, riding my bike, swimming and playing with my neighborhood friends. Now, with three kids of my own, I realized that everything they were doing involved technology. They constantly had a phone, a tablet or a laptop in front of their face, doing something meaningless like watching a youtube video or playing a game. So, 2 weeks ago we made a change and we couldn’t be happier.
Trading in Online Time for Outdoor Time
We decided to limit their wi-fi access. Instead of allowing them to use it whenever they wanted to, we cut them down to an hour a day. It was the best decision we’ve ever made. Not only has it stopped them from doing a lot of meaningless activities, but it’s also forced them to find other things to keep themselves entertained and it’s allowed us to spend more time as a family, doing fun things outdoors.
Our 10 Favorite Outdoor Activities as a Family
- Bike Riding: Bike riding can be fun and is great exercise! The girls put on their helmets (safety first) and ride around our neighborhood.
- Sports: My oldest wants to try out for her school volleyball team, so Dad has been teaching her everything he knows. We’ve found that our younger girls love it too! They also love soccer.
- Gymnastics: Is there anything more fun than doing cartwheels on the grass? For my 8 year old, she can flip all day long if we let her.
- Rollerblading: While it’s still not one they’ve mastered, my 8 year old is determined to learn. I love that even when she falls, she picks herself right back up and keeps going.
- Walking: There is a beautiful little park down the road from our house and the girls love to walk around the lake, check out the ducks and perform the little exercises along the way. It’s also a great place to relax and do a little yoga.
- Playground: Whether it’s our neighborhood playground or the larger playground down the road, give my girls a slide and some swings and they couldn’t be happier. They are having fun and don’t even realize that they are exercising.
- Swimming: Any time the girls can get in a pool, they jump at the chance. My little mermaids would spend the whole day in the water if they could.
- Nature Walks: We have a local nature preserve and the girls love to look for animals and birds! We’ve even spotted a few alligators along the way.
- Washing the Car: The girls love to help Daddy wash the car whenever he allows them to. They usually get more water on themselves than the car, but it’s all about how much fun they’re having anyway, right?! Throw in some bubbles and they are having the time of their lives.
- Sidewalk Chalk: Could possibly be the best thing invented… the girls get to draw, express themselves with their art and then the rain cleans it up for us.
When weather permits, I hope that you will spend more time outdoors with your family, finding fun activities that keep them moving more and worried less about technology. It’s fun, it’s a great bonding experience and best of all, it’s free!
What are some things your family does outdoors?
Comment below and tell us about it!
Hello There!
Hi! I’m Heather, Mom of 3, professional snack opener, the only person who knows where everything is in my house and part-time magician (I can turn a bunch of candy into a gift basket and everyone thinks it’s amazing). I share a mix of parenting moments, easy recipes, crafts, and DIY home decor projects.
Around here, we love turning ordinary stuff into extraordinary gifts, from candy box baskets and birthday punch boards to homemade advent calendars and other crafty chaos that somehow always works out.
Welcome to The Super Mom Life — where the projects are fun, the coffee is strong, and the laughter is pretty much required for survival. Don't forget to follow us on social media!
Great family fun ideas! We go boating and fishing as a family all year long.
The weather has been lovely this week, perfect for outdoor adventures and play. My girls really like playing soccer outside.
I honestly love walking around outside. It is a really great way to exercise and I even pick up trash.
Great list! Very similar to what we would list for our family as well. Bike rides would be at the top of our list too. Though running in racing events would be swapped out for gymnastics and nature hikes would be a bit higher up for us.
We have mostly the same favorite outdoor activities except gymnastics. I wish my kids would be into it.
We LOVE sidewalk chalk and car washing! Sometimes we did every car in the family and spent a whole day doing that. All of your outdoor family ideas are awesome!
Ohhh these pictures made me miss summer! I’m in Canada now so there’s not much you *want* to do outside at this time lol. We usually try to get out daily anyway (apart from school recesses) to make sure I’m getting enough vitamin D and for some fresh air. Right about now it’s skating (when not so cold your feet are on fire in the first 10 mins) or sledding. It’ll be a difference of a 15 degree drop in my area, from one hour to the next -_-