School’s out and summer is here! It’s time to let loose, have fun and relax! While kids definitely deserve some downtime, summer should be about more than movie marathons and Netflix binges. Apex Leadership Co. encourages families and guardians to help kids get outside with easy, budget-friendly and fun ways for kids to explore the outdoors!
Dive In
One of the best ways to cool off outdoors (and have a blast) is by splashing in the pool, lake or ocean — whichever body of water is closest and most convenient. Time at the pool, lake or beach is a quintessential way to spend a summer day. Remember to lather up with sunscreen, hydrate with plenty of water throughout the day and take some breaks from the sun under a shady tree or umbrella to get some reprieve from the heat.
Roll Out
Whether roller skating, rollerblading, skateboarding, scootering or riding a bike, get rollin’! Safety first, so wear helmets as well as knee and elbow pads, then hit the road (well, the sidewalk!), and roll through the neighborhood with friends.
Go Bug Hunting
Little ones might enjoy exploring a local park from a different angle — with a magnifying glass. When exploring live nature, remind little ones not to touch little critters. But getting a good look at harmless bugs and insects, and then learning more about them later from the library or “Mr. Google” is a learning lesson disguised as fun!
Take a “Nature Walk”
Whether walking around the neighborhood, a nearby park or along a hiking trail, encourage kids to take notice of what’s around them. By using all their senses, sight, smell, sound and so on, they can really learn to appreciate nature and all the beauty that humans are surrounded by every single day. Whether it’s the sound of a bustling city street or the whistling of the wind through tall pine trees, there is always something to discover when tuning in to one’s senses.
Create a Nature Scavenger Hunt
To keep a nature walk a little more exciting for young ones, up the ante with a challenge to find a list of items. This can be a short list that includes items like a smooth skipping stone, a pinecone, a unique shell or any other item generally found in the area that they can either collect (if the area permits) or cross of their list.
Paint Kindness Rocks
Speaking of rocks, plan a fun way to get creative in nature by encouraging kids to paint rocks with kindness messages and leave them in places around their neighborhood or local park.
Get Sensory
Fill a plastic tub with kinetic sand or dry rice and hide trinkets (such as plastic dinosaurs or any other “creature”) for kids to dig into and discover. An inexpensive beach bucket with sand toys is a great tool for this activity.
Blow Off Some… Suds!
A trip to the dollar or discount store can result in a host of fun things that won’t break the bank – like containers of bubbles! But don’t stop there, grab some sidewalk chalk, water balloons, noodles for the pool, water sprayers, kites and more! Then spend the day in the backyard testing out all the new toys!
Play Old Fashioned Games
Hopscotch, jump rope, dodge ball, jacks and more are timeless games that today’s kids may not even know about! Parents can bond with their kids by teaching them some of the games they played when they were growing up in simpler times.
Watch the Sun Rise (or the stars come out)
Set out some blankets, lay back and wake up to the sun… or at the end of the day, pop some popcorn and watch the sun set and the stars come out. Better yet, pop a tent in the backyard and catch both sunrise and sunset during a fund close-to-home campout for the whole family.
There are so many ways to have fun outside, and most of them don’t even cost a dime! So get creative and have fun outdoors this summer!
