What If Your Favorite Outdoor Activity W/ Your Kids

We always loved hiking and collecting things along the way. In the summer we'd collect wild flowers. In the fall it was leaves and fallen nuts. The collecting always helped move the kids along and kept them occupied (less whining).

Here's an answer I gave to someone who was looking for something to do on date night with her hubby, but I think it's a great thing for kids/families too:

Have you ever tried geocaching? It's fun and gets you outdoors, and gets you a little exercise too. And, it's free once you buy a handheld GPS unit. You can find them in outdoor stores like Academy or Bass Pro, or even Wal-Mart.You just need the most basic unit for geocaching; the one we have cost around $70 a few years ago. You may be able to find one cheaper nowadays.

If you've never heard of it, it's like a scavenger hunt using latitude/longitude coordinates to find a hidden "cache." Go to www.geocaching.com and open a free account. There are caches hidden literally everywhere--probably within walking distance from your house! You can choose a starting point on the website and give it a radius to find caches for you. It will give you a list; click on a link for a cache that sounds interesting. The link will give you lat/long coordinates, maybe some clues, and a description of what you're looking for (for ex, an ammo can, a plastic jar, etc; some are giant and some are tiny). Then enter the coords in the GPS and go hunting. When you find the cache, there will be a log inside, and depending on the size of the cache, there may be some prizes as well. (It's typically expected that if you take something from the cache, you leave something in its place--nothing big; usually the prizes are just trinkets, but the kids will enjoy it!). Sign the log, then go back to geocaching.com, pull up the link for the cache, and log on your account that you found the cache.

Caches are rated on terrain and difficulty. There are really easy ones, and then there are some that require special gear to reach (i.e., climbing equipment, scuba gear). The more difficult the cache, the better the prize!

Anyway, just thought I'd share. My husband and I went geocaching on our first date. Now we go every now and again just to get out of the house and do something different.

*UPDATE*
After I posted this, a local magazine came out with an article about geocaching, here: http://metrofamilymagazine.com/geocaching-getting-your-te....

One thing I learned from the article that I didn't know (because I have a very basic cell phone); there is a GPS app you can download for your phone instead of having to buy a GPS unit. My guess is that the app won't be as accurate as a GPS unit, but it should get you in the right area.

We do a lot of walks around the neighborhood. We play "I spy" (not really the correct version of it, but hey.. kids still have fun, hehe). We pick a color for the walk and point out all the things that are the colors of the day. So, if it is yellow then we point out all the yellow flowers, fire hydrants, license plates, curbs etc. We have fun with it. Or sometimes we do a letter for the day. Like G is for grass, green leaves, garage, etc.

Have fun!!

I used to get giant appliance boxes and she and I would build forts. Or she and her friends would turn them into play houses, boats, airplanes.. Or I would get a ton of boxes and tape them up and she would use them as giant blocks..

We played simon says.. we played hot and cold.. hide something and then the other person you tell them they are hot if they are close or cold if they were far away..

I would park the car across the bottom of the driveway and we would make a road with chalk.. include parking spaces, cross walks, store, school, church, home.. and I would be the police person so she could ride her trike or car.. The she would be the police mean and I would ride my scooter and she would direct give out tickets..

We skipped, jumped, walked backwards, through obstacle courses we made up using her toys..

Planted a garden. Carve pumpkins. Get sheets and blankets and build tents outside..

Lots of eating outside..

I am also a stay-at-home mom with a 4 year old daughter. She loves to paint with water on the deck, sidewalk, or house. She's on two wheels now so we ride bikes everyday. Outside picnic, have a friend over (good for everyone, keeps your child busy and gives another mom, and yourself!, a break from being a playmate). Try soccer or tennis. See if there is a local city recreation center. You can take 8 week classes like gymnastics, clay, painting, tumbling for under $30! Let her make a grocery list with you and take her shopping. Wash dishes and fold laundry together. Just make it fun! Hope this helps.

My 2.5 yr old loves his squirt guns and most recently, his battery-operated bubble gun. But other than that, we chase the dog, kick the ball, or he pushes his yard toys around. We sometimes feed our landlord's rabbit our apple and carrot scraps. But mostly, we just run around.

That's a good age to learn to ride a bike. Go for walks in the neighborhood- you could look for flowers (don't pick, just admire), leaves, etc. Take a magnifying glass and study bugs along the way. Time your walk and try to beat your time the next day. My son loved to make up games at that age, they usually involved a chase or tag.

We go to Star Parties at the observatory. You can look online for your closest ones. Once a month they drag out a bunch of telescopes and have a star gazing party. We also spend a lot of time on our trampoline or inthe driveway with big wheels, bubbles and chalk. We go to every free concert or festival in the park we can find - always with an ice chest and a blanket so we can picnic. We are planning a camping trip next weekend to take advantage of the crisp but not cold weather. Should be just cool enough at night to gather around the campfire for smores and cuddle in sleeping bags.

Bubbles, bikes, baseball, basketball (little kids' hoop), football, soccer, make obstacle courses using items found outside, Red Light Green Light, Mother May I.
Once, my girls and I made fairy houses out of twigs, leaves, etc. and they loved that. We just use our imaginations and see what happens =)