3 Tips for Getting Your Kids Outside More

Today’s kids often feel like they’d rather stay inside and watch TV or play video games than spend time outside. However, in order for your kids to be healthy and well-adjusted, it’s important for them to spend some time each day getting some fresh air, getting just enough sun on their skin, and learning about the natural world around them. But if you have kids who don’t want to get outside, what can you do as a parent to encourage them to put down the electronics and get outdoors? To help with this, here are three tips for getting your kids outside more.

Encourage Them To Get Dirty

For many children, they don’t want to go outside because they’re afraid of getting dirty and being punished by their parents because of it. With this in mind, Trina Sporer, a contributor to Active For Life, recommends that you tell your kids that you want them to get dirty, messy, and wet while they’re spending time outside. By giving permission to have fun outside and not worry about how they might stain their clothes or get reprimanded by their parents when it’s time to come inside, your kids might be much more excited about going outside and exploring. You might even want to make it some type of competition to see who can get the messiest.

Have A Campout

Sending your kids outside to play on their own might not be the best option if you kids aren’t used to being outside much. They might not know what to do with themselves or make the safest choices. Because of this, you may want to help them enjoy being outdoors by spending time with them outside. One great way to do this, according to Jayme Moye, a contributor to Fatherly.com, is to have a campout with them. Even if you only have a small yard or patio, you can still make some camping food and do camping activities, like s’mores and stargazing. If you and your kids aren’t quite up for sleeping outside, consider setting this as a goal that you try to work up to together.

Check Out Your Local Parks

Almost every city around the world has at least a few parks that you could take your children to play at. At these parks, you’ll likely find all types of toys and equipment that your kids will enjoy using or climbing around. So if you don’t currently know of any parks in your area, Grant Bailey, a contributor to Mirror, recommends taking a few excursions around your city with your kids to find parks that they can play at. Kids generally love to get out of the house and play with new toys of equipment, so your kids might enjoy being outside for this reason more than you or they might think.

If you have a hard time getting your kids outside, consider using the tips mentioned above to help make this a little easier for everyone.