Bring your bike. Go for a family bike ride and discover your neighborhood. Because you can ride farther than you’d be able to walk, you and your kids can explore more on bikes than on foot. Who knows what delights have been hidden in some undiscovered part of your town?
Take a hike. Go for a stroll locally, take a walk in the park, or seek out walking trails and explore! Families who are looking for a walking adventure can explore the National Park Service’s website to find incredible trails that are practically in their own backyard.
Create a “Family Footsteps Challenge.” A pedometer (there’s one on your smartwatch if you have one) is a great little device that counts a person’s steps. Have everyone in the family take a turn wearing it for a day and see who takes the most steps. Choose a healthy prize to reward the winner of the challenge.
Show your green thumb. Dig and plant in the garden with the kids. Help everyone plant his or her own fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Don’t worry about crooked rows and weeds: what’s important is getting the whole family together in the dirt.
Walk the dog, or the neighbor’s dog, if you don’t have one of your own. A dog’s enthusiasm for everyday people and things can be infectious. One note of caution: Make sure that whoever is holding the leash can restrain the dog if it wants to bolt after a squirrel.
Up, up, and away. Go fly a kite! Kite flying is a tradition that goes back almost 3,000 years. It was even instrumental in Ben Franklin’s discovery of electricity—although it goes without saying that you should never fly a kite in a lightning storm, like he did!
and on Rainy days… A novel idea. Have kids write and illustrate their own book. Place a few sheets of white paper on top of a piece of colored construction paper. Fold in half and staple it together so it opens from the right. Encourage kids to write the story first (one line or paragraph per page) and then create the pictures. or… Make play clay. Combine 2-1⁄2 cups flour, 1⁄2 cup salt, 2 packages of unsweetened Kool-Aid Drink Mix, and 2 tbsp. cream of tartar. Add 2 cups boiling water and 2 tbsp. vegetable oil. Mix together with a fork for 3-4 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Knead on wax paper. (Remind kids not to eat this clay.)
