Find 5 Ways to get your kids outside

My kids LOVE being outdoors. It’s shameful to admit, but there are times when I wish they’d like to be indoors a bit more often because I have so much more to do INSIDE! Regardless though, I’m so happy that they love to get out and play. We moved to the country last year and sit on a small 1.5 acre lot. Going from a home with a total acreage of .20 acres to 1.5 acres was such a blessing for my family and made us really appreciate the large space we have now! In that time, we have added a BATTING CAGE to our property for our son to practice baseball and last spring we bought a trampoline….mostly to relive my youth, I think! LOL Today I wanted to share with you some ideas to get your kids outside and playing.

Turn things into games–for example, I mentioned we have a batting cage on our property. So my husband goes out and sees how many balls my son can hit in a row. Or he challenges him to catch, and not drop, 10 throws in a row. Things like this get our son trying, exercising, and being competitive. We make him do this on the weekends before he’s allowed screen time during the day!
Make it a family affair. The whole family needs to come out and participate. If one of you is inside, the others will expect to be allowed in too. Make it family chore day and have a competition as to who can weed their section of the garden first. My kids like to go out and play “hide and seek” in the backyard while my husband is mowing. My husband pretends he can’t see them as they stalk him while he mows (hey–whatever works!).
Encourage them to do the things we did as kids–see that tree? Climb it! My son has a tree in our front yard that he loves to climb and when he gets stuck, we encourage him to critical think his way down. We stand at the bottom and spot him, but we figure…he gets up there, he can get down! Encourage your kids to explore their surroundings and step outside their comfort zone a bit. When they finally succeed at their challenge, it will be very liberating for them!
Make friends with the neighbors and give them some space to play! It’s really hard, as my son is getting older, to let up a bit and give him some space. But I’m trying harder to let him be him, let him interact with other kids without me following him around. And when kids come over, they suddenly open up new doors for my own kids to see all the cool toys they forgot they had, as well as great places to re-explore on our property! Other kids help your kids remember all the good stuff they have at their fingerprints!
Finally, go back to the basics! You don’t need a fancy outdoor play area for your kids to go outside! Hang an old tire from a tree and turn it into a swing! Work on a treefort with them over the summer as their own little hideaway—or even pull out the basics like jump ropes, soccer balls, and sidewalk chalk!

We put some balloons on the trampoline this week and it was like heaven on earth for my kids!

And through all that…they work up quite an appetite. I really feel like my kids never ever stop eating. It’s always snack time in our house and while we’re on the subject of getting outside and getting our kids active…let’s discuss what I like to let them snack on while they’re at it….

CLIF Kid is dedicated to reclaiming play. And we’re encouraging boys and girls everywhere to get back outside, push their boundaries and feed their adventures.

I like to give my kids these great new CLIF Kid Zbars because they are made with organic ingredients, they are non-GMO, and they have important nutrients for active kids. They are the appropriate portion size for kids in flavors they love–perfect so you don’t spoil their dinners! And with no high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors (or synthetic preservatives…it’s a win win!

So there you have it guys…all my secrets! Get your kids moving, get them outside, and get them snacking on snacks made from organic ingredients that are specially-crafted for kids’ developing taste buds and active lives!

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